First Baptist Church of Altavista treasures the rich heritage of Baptists in Virginia, a cradle of democracy and religious liberty and hold firmly to such principles as:
Soul freedom
We believe in the "priesthood of all believers" and the freedom and responsibility of every person to relate directly to God without imposition of creed or control by clergy or government.
Bible Freedom
We believe in the authority of Scripture. We believe the Bible, under the Lordship of Christ, is central to our faith. We affirm the freedom of every Christian to interpret and apply Scripture under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.
Church Freedom
We believe in the autonomy of the local church. We believe Baptist churches are free, under the Lordship of Christ to determine their membership and leadership, to order their worship and work, to ordain whomever they perceive as gifted for ministry, and to participate in the larger Body of Christ.
Religious Freedom
We believe in freedom of religion, freedom for religion and freedom from religion. We believe that churches and individuals should be free to worship in whatever manner they choose and with whomever they choose. All people, no matter their religious background, should be free from any coercion to worship and free from the intervention of the state in matters of religion.
Baptism and the Lord’s Supper
Baptism and the Lord's Supper are the two "ordinances" (special acts ordained by Jesus Christ). We believe that baptism is an outward sign and symbol of the believer’’s inward faith in Christ. We believe the Lord’’s Supper is the dramatization of the unity of the body of Christ as expressed in the local church. Each act is full of spiritual truth and has layers of meaning.