West Oneonta Baptist Church

The first church constitution was adopted on June 29, 1839 and contained just three short articles.

In 1840 the first church building was erected on Oneida street below the junction of Country Club Road.  For some time the church and a Lutheran organization worshiped in the same building, but maintained separate organizations.

The first reference to missionary outreach was recorded on November 1, 1851.  At a special meeting it was voted to raise one penny per month for missionary purposes.

In 1856, sixteen members withdrew from the church to organize what is now the Main Street Baptist Church of Oneonta.

In order that the church might be in the center of the community, the building was moved from Oneonta Plains to the present property in West Oneonta.  This wood framed building was torn down and each piece was numbered so that when the materials were moved to West Oneonta they could easily be identified and the building reconstructed.  This was done at the cost of $800.  In 1897, the basement was put under the church building.

In 1906 Reverend Melville C. Miner was called as pastor.  In June of that year it was decided to build a new church building.  The old building was moved to the property that is now owned by Reinhard Home Heating.  The new brick building was constructed at a cost nearly $10,000.  It was dedicated debt free on March 31, 1907.  In August, a class of eighteen candidate were taken into membership.  Some of them were baptized in the Otego Creek and others were baptized in the new baptistry.  Mrs. Madge Truman and Mrs. Fannie Tilley were part of this group.

In December 1923 the name was changed from Free Baptist Church to Century Baptist Church.  In 1924 the First Baptist Church of West Oneonta merged with our church.

The First Baptist Church of West Oneonta…

God as Father rules with providential care over his world. An infinite, personal Spirit, he is a God of holy love and infinite goodness. He hears and answers prayer and mercifully saves all who come to him through faith in Christ his Son. He is all-knowing, all-powerful, all-loving and all-wise, faithful and changeless in his perfection.

Ephesians 4:6; Neh 9:6; Ps 103:8-12; 130:3-4; 139:1-12; Jer 33:2-3; Matt. 7:7-11; John 3:16; 4:24; Mal 3:6; James 1:17; Isa 5:16; 6:3; Lam 3:22-23; 1John 4:8, 16.

We believe in Jesus, the Son of God, the Messiah promised in the Law and the prophets. He was miraculously born of a virgin, true God and true man. We believe in his sinless life and in his miraculous works, demonstrating his kingdom power. Jesus died for our sins as an atoning sacrifice, bearing the wrath of God in our place, enduring the curse of sin for us. He was buried and was raised again the third day, the Victor over sin, death and Satan. He was seen by many eyewitnesses, and then ascended into heaven, where he now intercedes for us.

Mark 1:1, 11; 8:29; 15:39; Deut 18:15; Isa 42:1-9, 53; Lk 24:44; Matt 1:20-25; Lk 1:34-35; John 1:1, 14, 18; Jn 8:46; 20:30-31; 2Cor 5:21; Matt 12:28; Lk 11:20; Rom 3:25; 1John 4:10; Gal. 3:13; Rm 4:25; 1Cor. 15:1-8; Col. 2:15; Lk 24:51; Acts 1:9-11; Rom. 8:34.

We believe in the Holy Spirit who indwells all who believe. The Holy Spirit opens sinners’ hearts so they confess, “Jesus is Lord.” All believers are baptized with one Spirit into one body, Christ’s church. The Spirit gifts and empowers Christians for manifold ministries, so that the unity of the church and the diversity of the church are both the work of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit seals believers for the day of redemption. The Spirit intercedes for us as we pray, empowers witness, and bears witness to us that we are God’s children, co-heirs with Christ.

John 14:15-17; 1Cor. 6:19; 12:3-13; Rom. 12:3-8; Eph. 1:13-14; 4:30; 2Cor. 5:5; Acts 1:8; Rom. 8:16-17, 26-27.

We believe the Bible to be the written Word of God, completely and verbally inspired by God, inerrant in the original manuscripts, and of supreme authority in the church and in the life of believers in all matters of faith and conduct. What Scripture says, God says.

Heb. 1:1-2; Psalm 12:6; 19:7-11; 119:89; Matt. 4:4; 2Tim. 3:16-17; 2Pet. 1:20-21; John 10:35; Acts 15:15-18; Heb. 1:1-13; 7:21; 8:8.

We believe that God created the universe out of nothing by his powerful word. He created man and woman in his own image. But man rebelled against his Creator, thus bringing upon himself the just wrath of the Holy One. All descendants of Adam and Eve are born in sin, with a sinful nature, and need to be saved from sin and reconciled to God. Sin is deviation from God’s good plan for us and destructive to human flourishing. God calls all people everywhere to repent and trust in Christ.

Genesis 1; Heb. 11:3; Rev. 4:11; Gen. 1:26-28; Gen. 3; Prov. 22:15; Rom. 5:12-21; Psalm 51:7; Eph. 2:1-3; Luke 13:3,5; Acts 17:30.

We believe that salvation, the gift of God’s grace, is by grace through faith. We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, apart from human works. Faith expresses itself through love, and faith results in a changed life, righteous living, and biblical social concern. All who trust in Christ will be kept by his power and in his love forever.

Ephesians 1:3-14; 2:8-10; John 14:6; Acts 4:12; 1Tim. 2:5; Gal. 5:5, 22-23; Tit. 3:5-8; John 6:35-39; 10:28-30; Rom. 8:28-39.

We believe that from the beginning, God ordained the family as foundational to human society. God created male and female equally in his image and gave them to each other in marriage. Marriage is the union of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime, and reflects Christ’s relationship to his bride, the church. In the gift of marriage, the Lord provides for loving companionship and intimacy, legitimate sexual expression, and he grants the gift of children. God intends the family to be an essential engine of world evangelization through the power of multi-generational faithfulness.

Genesis 1:26-28; 2:18-25; Matt. 19:4-6; Eph. 5:22-6:4; 1Cor. 6:15-20; 7:1-5; 1Thes. 4:3-8; Gen. 18:19; Deut 6:4-9.

We believe in the church, created and ruled by Christ. All who believe are members of the church universal. The local church forms as believers gather in a community to honor the Savior. The local expression of Christ’s body, the local church, exists to honor God by worshiping him in spirit and in truth, edifying its membership to maturity and ministry, and bringing the gospel to the lost. Each local church is under the authority of Christ and must govern itself accordingly. It must be free to serve Christ without external interference. We also believe in the interdependence of local churches and the mutual submission of believers to each other in love.

Matt 16:18; 28:18; Col 1:18; 1Cor 1:2; Acts 9:31; Acts 2:42-47; John 4:23-24; Eph 4:11-16; Matt 28:18-20; Ac 1:8; 15:22-35; Eph 5:21.

We believe that, according to the command of Christ, there are two gospel ordinances, baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Baptism is the immersion of the believer in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit upon confession of faith. Baptism is a confession of faith in the Lord Jesus, the pledge of a new life in Christ. The Lord’s Supper, the sharing of bread and cup as symbols of his body and blood, proclaims Christ’s death until he returns. The Lord’s Supper teaches us the gospel and signifies the unity of the church.

Matthew 28:18-20; Rom. 6:1-4; Col. 2:12, 2:20-3:17; 1Cor. 10:15-17; 11:23-26.

We believe in Christ’s personal return in power and glory to judge the world and to consummate his kingdom. Christ’s return will bring salvation for his own, wrath on the wicked, destruction for the antichrist. Every knee will bow, and everyone will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. At Christ’s command, the dead will be raised bodily from the grave, the righteous to the resurrection of life, the unrighteous to the resurrection of wrath. Those saved by Christ will live with God in glory forever. The unrepentant will suffer eternal punishment, the consequence of their self-chosen way. God urgently calls all to repentance and salvation in Christ.

Matt. 24:29-31; Acts 1:11; Titus 2:11-14; 1Thes. 4:13-5:11; 2Thes. 1:6-9; 2:8; Phil. 2:9-11; Rev. 19:11-20:6; John 5:28-29; Matt. 25:46; Rev. 20:11-15; 21:1-8; Luke 13:3,5; Acts 17:30.