History:

Heritage Baptist Church’s beginnings go back to 1976, when a group of 117 people from Farmville Baptist Church met to form a new Baptist congregation in Farmville. Since that time, our ministries and our facilities have been blessed throughout the years. Today, Heritage Baptist Church offers the Farmville community an 11:00 am blended worship service, led by our sanctuary choir and praise team. In addition, our programs on Wednesday nights and Sunday Bible Studies provide opportunities for spiritual growth and fellowship.

What We Believe:

Heritage Baptist Church subscribes to the doctrinal statement of “The Baptist Faith and Message” as adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention in 1963. We band ourselves together as a body of baptized believers in Jesus Christ personally committed to sharing the good news of salvation to lost mankind. The ordinances of our church are Believer’s Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

Our Covenant:

~ To contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, to the expenses of the church, to the relief of the needy, and to the spread of the Gospel through all nations;

~ To maintain family and secret devotions; to educate our children in the truths of our faith; and to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances;

~ To walk circumspectly in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our conduct; to promote temperance in all things; and to be zealous in our efforts to advance the Kingdom of our Savior;

~ To watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember each other in prayer; to aid each other in sickness and distress; and to be slow to take offense and always ready to seek reconciliation;

~ To unite with another church upon removal from this place, in order to carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God’s Word.

Affiliations:

Heritage Baptist Church is a local self-governing (autonomous) church affiliated with the Southside Baptist Association, the Baptist General Association of Virginia, and the Southern Baptist Convention

Baptism:

As Baptists, we believe in baptism by immersion. Baptism is the act of a believing Christian who desires to publicly acknowledge his or her personal commitment to Jesus Christ. It is the symbolic washing away of the old, sinful past and the rising again to life in God’s grace. The act of baptism is the outward expression of an inward decision.

Baptism illustrates Jesus’ burial and resurrection. From 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, we read, “…..Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised….”

Baptism does not make you a believer; it is a demonstration that you already believe. It is important to understand that baptism does not “save” you. You are “saved” only by your faith in Jesus.

When is a good time to get baptized? As soon as you believe, there is no reason to delay. As soon as you have confidence to trust Christ with your life, you can and should be baptized. If you are waiting until you feel you are perfect, you’ll never be ready. As the Bible tells us in Acts 8:35-38, “Those who believed were baptized…..that day!”

Stewardship:

~ Life – Every person is responsible to God for how he lives the life that God gave him.

~ Others – We are responsible for overseeing and caring for other servants. This means that we are to care for and help others in need, but it also means that we are to help each other grow in spirituality.

~ The Gospel – The steward is accountable to God for faithfully proclaiming His word.

~ Spiritual Gifts – All of us have received gifts of God’s grace. A good steward will faithfully use his gifts as God intended – to serve others and glorify God.

~ Material Things – God gives us material gifts too and our duty as his steward is to responsibly manage these gifts and to use them as God intended. We are to follow God’s example and give generously to meet human needs and to accomplish God’s purpose in the world.

God appointed you as His steward. That’s a very special relationship of trust. God made you his steward and he trusts you to faithfully manage this responsibility.

Heritage Baptist Church believes in good stewardship – we are accountable to God for how we manage all he has entrusted to us. From the programs we conduct through how we manage the business of the Church, we’re constantly striving to be good stewards both as a body of Christ and as individual Christians.

Membership in Heritage Baptist Church:

There are several ways to join Heritage Baptist Church. At the close of every worship service, an invitational hymn is sung. If you’d like to join this congregation, simply walk forward and indicate to the minister that you want to join the Church. You may also contact the minister during the week and state your desire to become a member.

Once you decide to join, there are several ways to become a full member:

   1. By Baptism. Any person who publicly professes faith in Jesus Christ, followed by baptism by immersion and an affirmative vote of the congregation shall be a member.

    2. By Transfer of Letter. Any person who is a member of another church of similar faith and practice, and who has experienced baptism by immersion, shall be a member upon an affirmative vote of the congregation and the receipt of a letter of transfer from their previous church.

    3. By Statement of Faith. Any person who has publicly professed faith in Jesus Christ, has been baptized by immersion, and has been a member of a church of similar faith and practice, shall be a member upon an affirmative vote of the congregation.

Persons desiring to keep their membership in their home church while participating in the life of this church may join by Watchcare. This may also be done during the invitational hymn at the conclusion of the worship service. No transfer or change in church membership shall take place, but Watchcare members shall be assigned a deacon, encouraged to participate in a Sunday Bible study, other church functions, and treated as members. They shall be given membership materials, such as offering envelopes, a copy of the church Constitution, etc. However, Watchcare members cannot vote on church matters or hold critical committee memberships.

After you have completed these steps, you will be invited to attend the next “New Member Orientation.”