Church Covenant

Below is the Church Covenant of Meadow Creek Primitive Baptist Church. It is read aloud in conference, along with the Rules of Decorum once a year. The wording of this covenant is very similar to the Sandy Creek Church covenant. In the book "A History of Grassy Creek Baptist Church", published in 1880, the author, Robert Devin, states on page 43 that the Sandy Creek covenant was "supposed to have been written by Elder Shubael Stearns in 1757".

We the Meadow Creek Baptist Church of Christ enter into the following Covenant holding believers baptism by immersion, particular election of God in Christ, effectual calling by the Holy Ghost, free justification through the imputed righteousness of Christ, progressive sanctification through God’s grace and truth delivered in the Scriptures, in the Old and New Testament which we believe do contain perfect rules for Faith and Practice; final perseverance or continuance of the saints in grace; the Resurrection of our bodies after death at the day which God hath appointed to judge the quick and dead; and life Everlasting. Amen.

1st. We do now as in the presence of the great Eternal God, who knows the secrets of all hearts, and in the presence of Angels and men, acknowledge ourselves to be under the most solemn covenant with the Lord, to be for Him and no other. We take the only living and true God, one God and three persons, Father, Son and Holy Ghost to be our God.

2nd. We take the word of God, as therein the Scriptures to be the revealed word and will of God, to be the rule of our Faith and Practice; and we promise through the help of the Holy Spirit, to make them such. While we acknowledge ourselves to be by nature the children of wrath; and our hope for mercy from God, as only through the Righteousness apprehended by Faith.

3rd. We promise to bear each others’ weakness and infirmities with Christian tenderness not discovering them to any within, or without of the church; but by gospel order, which is laid down in the 18^th chapter of Saint Matthew verses 15, 16, and 17. “Moreover if thy brother trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone; if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church, but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.”

4th. And now we call Heaven and Earth to witness, that without reserve we give ourselves, through the aiding grace of God’s Spirit, ourselves and bodies, and all we have to this one God, to be entirely at His disposal, both ourselves and our names and estates, as God sees most fit for His own glory; and that we will do faithfully by the same divine assistance, whatsoever our conscience, influenced by the Word and Spirit of God, directs us to be duty, both to God and man.

5th. We do in like manner, give ourselves to one another in covenant, promising as Believers in Christ; to watch over each other, in the love of God; for the good of each other, and of the church; always guarding against everything which doth not become the followers of the Holy Lamb of God; among which things, we consider, all jesting, lightness of behavior and foolish talking, which are not convenient, together with lying and drunkenness, keeping evil company, unnecessary neglecting family devotion; also rulers or governors of families winking at disorders or unruly carriages of those under their charge, not agreeable to the Word of God; slackness in business, so as to render ourselves incapable of assisting the poor, or contributing to the necessities of the gospel; and not speak disorderly, as filthy talking, whispering, or back biting, or fraud, dishonestly, willful acts of hypocrisy; excess of superfluity to the gratification of sinful pride of heart; or earthly mindedness so as to neglect the public worship of God; wagering, gaining, singing of carnal songs, or delighting in carnal music, such as fiddling and dancing, or any vain murmurings, complaining, or brother going to law with brother, instead of bringing their cause before the church, or laboring to imbibe false notions into the minds of the ignorant, contrary to the essential truths of the gospel; or exercising of any public gifts without approbation of the church; together with all other disorders, or immodest carriages, contrary to the word of God. And now as in the presence of the great Eternal God, we acknowledge ourselves under the most solemn obligations to discountenance the afore mentioned sins, and to discipline them, agreeable to the word of God.

6th. We promise to hold communion together, in the worship of God, and the ordinances and discipline of the gospel mentioned in the churches, as part of Christ’s visible kingdom, "not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is", but submitting ourselves to the order of the church, as it shall be guided by the Word and Spirit of God; and by the help of divine grace, still be looking for more light from God in what He has contained in the Sacred Scriptures, believing that glorious things are to be unfolded, and made manifest in the churches, beyond what they yet obtained to, looking and waiting for the glorious day, when the Lord Jesus Christ will take to Himself His great power, and reign from sea to sea and from rivers to the ends of the earth.

7th. And this covenant we make, with the free and full consent of ourselves hoping through rich and free boundless grace, it is owned of God, and ratified in Heaven, before the throne of God and the Lamb. Amen.