The following facts are representative of the tradition and practice of American Baptists:

1. American Baptists believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior, and that the Bible is the
   divinely inspired word of God that serves as the final written authority for living out the
   Christian faith.
2. For American Baptists the local church is the fundamental unit of mission in
   denominational life.
3. American Baptists participate in two ordinances: believers’ baptism and The Lord’s Supper
   (Communion).
4. American Baptists believe that the committed individual Christian can and should approach
   God directly, and that individual gifts of ministry should be shared.
5. American Baptists take seriously the call to evangelism and missionary work.
6. American Baptists support religious freedom and respect the expressions of faith of others.
7. American Baptists acknowledge that God’s family extends beyond our local churches, and
   that God calls us to cooperative ministries.
8. American Baptists have been called to be Christ’s witnesses for justice and wholeness
   within a broken society.
9. American Baptist Churches USA celebrates the racial, cultural and theological diversity
   witnessed within its membership.
10. American Baptists heed the biblical call to renewal and the need for a vital witness in a new
    millennium.