About Us

Our Story

 

Paran Baptist Church was organized on October 11, 1823 about two and one-half miles from where it is now located.  There were twelve charter members and two who originally served as the Presbytery.

The first mention of Sunday School classes was made in the minutes in 1879.

In 1904 the present sanctuary was built and Sunday School rooms were added in 1959.  An annex was constructed in 1961 and in that same year a pastorium was built in the vicinity of High Falls.  A playground was added in 1998.  The Fellowship Hall and additional Sunday School rooms were built in 2000.  The new building was dedicated to the memory of John Waller in October of that year.  Landscaping around the new facility was completed in the summer of 2001.  The Stained Glass Windows and Vestibule have been added in 2004.

Our Beliefs

 

Bible. We believe the Bible, consisting of 66 books, to be the inspired Word of God, without error, the revelation of His will for the salvation of men, and the divine and final authority for all Christian faith and life.

God. We believe in one God existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God has always been and will always be the only God. There were none before Him and shall be none after him.

The Father. We believe that the Father created all things in heaven and on earth. He created human beings out of a love for us and desires a personal relationship with each of us.

Jesus. We believe that Jesus Christ is true God and true man, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life and died on the cross as the sacrifice for our sins according to the Scriptures. Furthermore, He arose bodily from the dead and ascended into heaven.

Holy Spirit. We believe that the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to convict men, making them aware of their sin and the salvation available through Jesus. He regenerates, guides, instructs, and empowers the believer for godly living and service.

Man. We believe that man was created in the image of God and sinless, but fell into sin and is therefore lost and subject to judgment. There is nothing man can do to save himself from this judgment, but he can accept the death of Jesus as punishment in place of his own eternal death by acknowledging God and accepting the free gift of salvation.

Salvation. We believe that the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ provides the only way of justification and salvation for all who believe. Any who attach additional works of man as a requirement for salvation are false in that they infer Jesus’ death is insufficient in and of itself to save and that human beings somehow have the capability to save themselves.

Accepting the Sinner, Denouncing the Sin. We believe that no sin is too big for God to forgive. Therefore, as Christians we should be open and eager to share the Gospel with everyone regardless of their sin or affliction. However, making Jesus Lord of our lives means striving towards holiness and turning from our sinful ways. Therefore, while being open to all sinners, Christians ought not accept, ignore, or promote any sin as permissible.

Non-Essential Elements. We believe the above tenets make up the basis of Christian faith on which all Christians believe and agree. We have intentionally omitted any statements regarding areas of legitimate disagreement (i.e., baptism, predestination, end times) on which agreement is not essential for salvation.

Our Staff

 

Judy Pettigrew - Pianist
Judy Pettigrew - Pianist
Michael Medlin - Pastor
Michael Medlin - Pastor
Myra Waldrep - Organist
Myra Waldrep - Organist