Church Covenant of
Bethany Primitive Baptist Church
San Antonio, Texas
Almighty God, by his grace, has been pleased to call us out of darkness into His marvelous light. We have surrendered ourselves to the Lord, and to one another, in a gospel way, and have been baptized, professing our faith in Jesus Christ. Therefore, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by His assistance, we do covenant and agree to observe the following:
1. We agree, in accordance with the commandment of our Lord, to meet for worship and fellowship, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together. We recognize Sunday as the Lord’s Day to be honored as such by each of His people.
2. We agree to observe the ordinances of the New Testament church, the Lord’s supper and washing of the saint’s feet.
3. We agree to contribute of our time and our finances for the support of the church and its pastor.
4. We agree, in brotherly love, to pray for each other, to look over one another for good, and to assist each other in case of need, whether the need be spiritual or material.
5. We agree to walk together in love, kindness, humility, meekness, and longsuffering. When disputes arise we will forgive one another as Christ also has forgiven us. We will pursue only those offences that constitute a continual and definite breach of Christian fellowship.
6. We agree to carefully refrain from whispering and backbiting. If we are offended by another member of the church we will attempt to resolve the issue by taking the steps described by the Lord in Matthew 18:15-17 for resolution of private offenses. We will pursue such action only when the offense is so serious that we cannot continue in church fellowship with that person until it is resolved.
7. We agree to maintain a life that is honoring to our Lord according to the direction of scripture. “That they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works.” (Titus 3:8) “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearances of evil.” (I Thessalonians 5:21-22)
8. We agree, in accordance with the above, to avoid places and activities which bring shame and reproach upon the name of our Lord. We will not frequent places where drunkenness, revelings, and uncleanness abound.
9. We agree, after the failure of loving counsel and patient labor to bring repentance, to withdraw ourselves from those judged by the church to be guilty of such public offenses to God and His church as fornication, adultery, sodomy or masochism, covetousness, idolatry, railing, drunkenness, theft, and extortion. We recognize that the purpose of such withdrawal is to maintain the purity of the church and to bring the excluded person to repentance. We stand ready to recognize godly sorrow and repentance when it occurs in the life of such a one to restore him to full fellowship in the church when the offense has been removed by the grace of our Lord. Galations 5:19-21, I Corinthians 5: 1-5
These things we do covenant and agree to observe and keep in the name of and by the grace and assistance of God, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.