Purpose & Values

 

  1. Meaningful Worship

We believe the greatest duty of a believer in Jesus Christ is to love God with all their heart, soul and mind. (Acts 2:42; Matthew 22:37,38)

 

  1. Biblical Proclamation

We believe that the truth of God is essential for spiritual growth and godliness in the life of a believer. (Acts 2:42; 2 Peter 1:3)

 

  1. Sacrificial Care

We believe that every believer needs to be committed and devoted to the care of others  in a local body of believers. (Acts 2:42,44-46)

 

  1. Exponential Multiplication
We believe that healthy believers and healthy churches multiply and increase in numbers as they faithfully disciple others. (Acts 2:47; Matthew 28:19,20)
 
 

Leadership

Dan came to First Baptist in September of 2014 after 23 years as Senior Pastor at two churches in Illinois. He grew up in a pastor’s home and was raised in the states of Nebraska, Illinois and Colorado. Dan is a graduate of Faith Baptist Bible College and Northwest Baptist Seminary.

HIs wife Barb grew up in Illinois and also attended Faith Baptist Bible College where they met.  They were married in 1980. Dan and Barb have four adult married sons and eight grandchildren. 

In his spare time Dan loves to read, bike, golf, watch the Andy Griffith Show and root for the University of Illinois basketball and football teams. 

 

What We Believe

 
We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God and inerrant in the original writings. We believe that there is one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His substitutionary and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory.

We believe that the lost and sinful man must be saved, and that man’s only hope of redemption is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. We believe in and practice the holy ordinance of water baptism by immersion, which signifies the believer’s death, burial, and resurrection into new life with Christ Jesus, and the regular celebration of Holy Communion as commanded by our Lord.

We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit, by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a Godly life. We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the unsaved; those that are saved into the resurrection of life and those that are unsaved into the resurrection of damnation.

We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.
 
If you would like to know more specifics on what we believe at First Baptist Waverly, CLICK HERE. 

History 

The history of First Baptist Church dates all the way back to 1855 and has seen the faithful hand of God upon it all these many years. More important than all the history, though, is the question of who we are today.

We are a group of believers in Christ who seek to show that the ageless truth of God is extremely relevant to this present generation.  Here at First Baptist Waverly, we are excited about God and His Word, the Bible.  We believe that the Bible holds the answers and solutions to the problems that confront our lives today.  We seek to understand the Bible so that it touches our lives and penetrates our hearts, transforming us in what we believe, think and do.

Our services and ministries are aimed at meeting the spiritual and practical needs of people from all walks of life.  Consequently, we desire to remain current in our expressions of worship and our various ministries without compromising the eternal Word of God.  We seek to teach and maintain the truth with a love and compassion that follows the examples of our Lord.  We invite you to come join us!