The church covenant is a set of promises that define what membership in our congregation means. By agreeing to abide by this covenant, we enter into a network of mutual obligation and privilege. By keeping these promises, we become family to one another.
Historically, Baptist churches were organized when the members entered into covenant with one another. In the 19th century, a standard covenant was published in the Baptist hymnal, and well into the 20th century, many churches adopted that covenant by default.
But congregations, even those of a common denomination, are different. And for Baptists, who form autonomous and self-governing congregations, this is especially true. No one apart from the people of a given congregation can really define what draws them together.
For this reason, over the course of the last fifty years, many churches have adopted covenants that speak to their unique circumstances and beliefs. In 1999, we adopted our current church covenant.