What we believe

Our Mission

Who is God?

There is one God. He is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. He eternally exists in three personalities: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and one. He is perfect in His many attributes of holiness, love, power, knowledge, justice, and mercy. Genesis 1:1, 26, 27, 3:22, 2:2; Corinthians 13:14; I Peter 1:2; Matthew 28:19; Psalm 90:2

Who is Jesus?

Jesus Christ is God's Son. He is co-equal with the Father. He is both God and man. He was born of a virgin. He lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of His people by dying on a cross. He died to become a substitutional atonement for the sins of His people. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven’s glory and will return again someday to earth to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Matthew 1:22-23; I Timothy 6:14-15; Romans 1:3-4; Hebrews 4:14-15; Isaiah 9:6; Titus 2:13; Acts 1:9-11; I Corinthians 15:3-4; John 1:1-5, 14:10-30

Who is the Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and the Son of God. He is the divine helper, assistant, counselor and instructor. He is present in the world to make man aware of his need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. He provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right. He gives every believer a spiritual gift when he/she is saved. As Christians, we seek to live under His control daily. 2 Corinthians 3:17; Acts 1:8;Ephesians 1:13; Ephesians 5:18; John 16:7-13, 14:16-27; I Corinthians 2:12, 3:16; Galatians 5:25

What is the Bible?

The Bible is God’s Word to us. It was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living. The Bible is inspired by God and is the truth without any mixture of error. It is the sole authority for life. 2 Timothy 1:13; 3:16; II Peter 1:20-21; Psalm 119:105, 160; 12:6Proverbs 30:5

Who is Man?

Man is made in the spiritual image of God, to be like Him in character. As the supreme object of God’s creation, we were designed for dignity. However, Adam’s sin catapulted man into a fallen state and plunged all his descendants into depravity. Thus, all of us are marred by rebellion and disobedience toward God, which is called “sin.” Sin separates people from God and causes many problems in life. Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-6; Romans 3:23; Isaiah 53:6, 59:1-2

What is Salvation?

Salvation is God’s free gift to us. We receive this gift through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ alone. Repentance means turning away from our sin and turning towards Christ. Faith means trusting in Christ alone for the remission of our sins. When we place our faith in Jesus Christ, His perfect obedience is credited to us so that God sees us as the righteousness of Christ. Every person who truly is saved is eternally secure in the Lord Jesus Christ and will spend eternity in heaven, while those who die in their sins will spend eternity in hell. Romans 6:23 Titus 3:5 John 14:6, 1:12 Galatians 3:26 Ephesians 2:8-9Romans 5:1

What is Eternal Security?

God gives us eternal life through Jesus Christ. If you have made a genuine commitment of faith in Jesus, you cannot lose your salvation. Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the Christian. God’s grace and power enable us to persevere in faith until the end. John 10:29; Ephesians 2:1-10; I Peter 1:3-5; Hebrews 7:25, 10:10-14; I Timothy 1:12

What is Eternity?

People were created to exist forever. We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin or eternally with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be externally in union with Him is eternal life. Heaven and Hell are real places of eternal existence. John 3:16, 2:25, 5:11-13; Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:15; Matthew 1:8, 2:44

What do Baptists believe about:

We affirm the Baptist Faith and Message - 2000

Baptism

Baptism is a picture and an illustration—a symbolic act. Baptism by immersion best illustrates the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ on our behalf and our subsequent faith in Him. It is not necessary for salvation, but is strongly associated with salvation as it best illustrates our new identity with Jesus Christ. We believe in believer’s baptism. A person must first exercise faith in Jesus Christ, believing that He died for his/her sins, was buried, and rose from the dead. An infant or person who does not understand God’s plan of salvation cannot make that kind of commitment. The Scriptural order is belief first followed by baptism. Baptism is limited to those who have personally believed in Jesus Christ as Savior. Mark 1:9-11 Matthew 28:18-20 Mark 16:15-16 Acts 8:12Matthew 3:13-17 Colossians 2:12

The Lord's Supper

The Lord’s Supper is an ordinance of the church. It was instituted when the Lord had the Passover meal before His crucifixion. We observe the Lord’s Supper on a regular basis in remembrance of Jesus Christ atonement for our sins. It is a proclamation of His death and an assurance of His second coming. We ask only those who have made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ to participate in the Lord’s Supper. The elements of bread and grape juice are used as symbols of Christ’s body that was broken and His blood that was shed for the remission of our sins. 1 Corinthians 11:21-32 1 Corinthians 5:11-13 Matthew 26:29

The Priesthood of the Believer

Each person is able to come to God for himself or herself. There is no need for a third party to tell a person how to pray, how to interpret Scriptures, or how to vote in church. All believers are ministers or servants of God. Therefore the church does not have a distinctive class of priests. All members are made “priests unto God” by the death of Christ. The church is a holy priesthood chosen by God to offer up spiritual sacrifices. There is only one mediator between God and man and that is Jesus Christ. Revelation 1:5-6 Ephesians 4:11-12 1 Timothy 2:5 Romans 12:1 1 Peter 2:5

Church Government

We believe in the local autonomy of the church. Each church has the right to manage its affairs with no central authority except that of Christ Himself. Freedom does not rule out cooperation. We are a cooperating church with the Southern Baptist Convention. This means that we cooperate with other Baptist Churches in pooling and sharing money for the support of missionaries and ministries at home and around the world. This plan is called the Cooperative Program. Acts 15

Beaver Dam Baptist Church 

Our History

Beaver Dam Baptist Church has a vibrant, rich history. First known as Beaver Creek Baptist, the church was one of seven forming the Holston Baptist Association in 1786. Many of the earliest records were lost while others became unreadable due to fading homemade ink.

The historic annuals record the people who lived by sweat, blood, a sense of humor, as well as a strict code of propriety. The earliest legible minutes, written in 1819 by John Mynatt, clearly reflect strict rules of conduct. Members were “cited” to appear before the church for not attending services. Some members were “turned out” for too much “spirituous liquor,” adultery, card playing, drunkenness and gossip.

The church survived many dark days of our country’s history. During the Civil War, Union troops used the church as an emergency hospital. This occupancy sometimes kept the church from meeting. Slaves were included as members of the early church family. In 1853, a church member freed his slaves and gave them some property. The slave owner believed it was the only way the former slave could be free in the state.

Following the war, Beaver Dam hosted the first meeting of the Knox County Baptist Association with 15 messengers representing 19 churches. Beaver Dam Baptist first met in Smith Peterson’s store, which was located at the corner of Andersonville Pike and Gordon Smith Road. Later, the church family moved to the corner of Emory Road and Andersonville Pike (Halls Crossroads). In 1847, John Mynatt donated $50 and a tract of land at the corner of Emory Road and Maynardville Highway.

Under the leadership of Pastor Joshua Frost (1849-1951), the congregation completed their first building on the new property. This served as the house of worship for almost 100 years. Hearts were broken in 1948. Fire destroyed the historic church, leaving only a few benches, chairs, and the piano (carried from the building before it collapsed). The congregation worshipped at Halls High School while constructing a new building. This new building served as space for worship and education. A new sanctuary, primarily for worship, was completed in 1955.

Beaver Dam Baptist celebrated 200 years of ministry in 1986. According to church records, it stood as the oldest church in Knox County. The church experienced continued growth and started a second Sunday morning worship service. On June 12, 1993, the church family moved into the present worship center, allowing the congregation to return to one Sunday morning worship service.

God continued blessing Beaver Dam Baptist Church. As the church family continued to grow, they again needed a second morning worship service on Sundays. A need for additional education space led to construction of a new building. In December 2001, all preschool, children and youth entered new space for Sunday School and other discipleship ministries. We continue to grow, honoring God for His immense blessings to the Beaver Dam Baptist Church family.

Knox County Association of Baptists

Beaver Dam partners with 150 Southern Baptist Churches in Knox County. For more information on missions and ministry across the county, visit the KCAB.org website.