Who Are American Baptists?
American Baptists are quite different from any other Baptist denomination. While there is great diversity of belief and practice among us, the following distinctives make us unique. The first six are most critical. 1. Soul Freedom – We believe that everyone has the right and responsibility to discern their own faith through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 16:13-16; Galatians 5:1) 2. Biblical Freedom – We believe scripture is our primary authority as the inspired word of God. Each of us is free to read and interpret the scriptures through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. While this may differ by congregation, we generally believe scripture is not meant to be interpreted literally, absolutely or infallibly. Scripture must be interpreted with reverence and care. (2 Timothy 3:14-17, 1 Corinthians 13:12) 3. Local Church Freedom – Because the soul is free, the local church is free. No church hierarchy can impose its will on the local congregation because the highest authority is Je
