Church Covenant
Having been led, as we
believe, by the Spirit of God, to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our
Savior,
And on
the profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost,
We do now, in the presence of
God, angels, and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully enter into
covenant with one another, as one body in Christ.
We engage,
therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, to walk together in Christian
love; to strive for the advancement of this church in knowledge, holiness,
and comfort;
To promote its prosperity and
spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline, and
doctrine;
To contribute cheerfully and
regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the
church, the relief of the poor,
and the spread of the gospel through all nations.
We also engage to maintain family
and secret devotions; to religiously educate our children; to seek the
salvation of our kindred and acquaintances;
To walk
circumspectly in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful to our
engagements, and exemplary in our deportment;
To avoid all
tattling, backbiting, and excessive anger;
To abstain from the sale and use
of intoxicating drinks as a beverage, and to be zealous
in our efforts to advance the
kingdom of our Savior.
We further
engage to watch over one another in brotherly love;
To
remember each other in prayer; to aid each other in sickness and distress;
to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and courtesy in speech;
To be slow to take offense, but
always ready for reconciliation, and mindful of the rules of our Savior to
secure it without delay.
We moreover engage that when we
remove from this place we will, as soon as possible,
unite with some other church of
like faith and order, where we can carry out the spirit of
this
covenant and the principles of Gods Word.
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