Who We Are
First Baptist Powell is a gospel-centered community who loves God and others.
Why We Exist
First Baptist Powell exists by the grace of God, and the glory of God is the ultimate purpose in all our activities. We glorify God by loving Him and obeying His commands through: worshiping Him, equipping the saints in Bible instruction and study, proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ through preaching and personal evangelism, and any other means consistent with the teachings of the Bible; encouraging, supporting, and participating in missions work in a local, domestic, and international setting; administering the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper; encouraging biblical fellowship among believers; serving individuals and families by meeting physical, emotional, and spiritual needs in the name of Jesus Christ.
Pillars and Aims
First Baptist Powell affirms the following pillars and aims:
Gospel-Centered Worship
- We aim to prioritize worship on the Lord’s Day while encouraging worship within smaller communities and among individuals.
- We aim to accentuate the beauty of God revealed supremely in the gospel both in our worship services and in the spaces in which we gather.
- We aim to see the affections of our members (toward God and others) raised by the Holy Spirit through worship that is according to Scripture and shaped by the gospel.
- We aim to be made a house of prayer for all nations.
Gospel-Centered Proclamation
- We aim to preach Scripture expositionally while addressing culturally relevant issues from Scripture topically and thematically.
- We aim to declare God’s Word both in our larger and smaller gatherings.
- We aim to reach all generations and peoples through the proclamation of the gospel beginning in Powell, TN and extending to the nations.
Gospel-Centered Discipleship
- We aim to present every member mature in Christ.
- We aim to consistently develop leaders.
- We aim to intentionally equip the next generation to shine as lights in the world.
- We aim to encourage every member to be in a discipling relationship.
- We aim to assist each member in identifying, developing, and employing their spiritual gifts to edify the body of Christ.
Gospel-Centered Mercy
- We aim to consciously remember the poor among us and around us.
- We aim to provide loving counsel for the hurting.
- We aim to identify those in need within FBP and the broader community in order to extend tangible mercy to all beginning with the members of FBP.
Church Structure
First Baptist Powell is an elder-led church.
While there are many forms of church governments, we believe that an elder-led model is the most biblically faithful. It allows elders to fulfill their duties as Scripture describes, and preserves the roles and responsibilities of every member within the context of the priesthood of all believers.
how does elder-led work?
It is best summarized in the church’s Constitution:
First Baptist Church of Powell is Elder-led with accountability to, and input from, the congregation. Elders include both ordained paid staff and non-paid staff members. The Elders will work with various church leadership teams for counsel. The Elders are accountable to the church membership through the Finance Committee in areas of finances and through the Personnel Committee in areas covered by the Personnel Policies.
The Elders are selected from the adult male membership of the church as led by the Holy Spirit and affirmed by the church membership. An Elder must have given evidence of spiritual maturity and service for an extended period of time. Prospective Elders will be examined according to the qualifications given in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9.