About Us
Welcome From
Pastor Randy Mayer
At Glenrock Baptist Church, our heart is simply to love God, preach His Word, and serve our community. We are an independent, autonomous assembly dedicated to helping individuals and families grow in their walk with the Lord. Whether you are searching for answers or looking for a church home grounded in New Testament truth, we invite you to join us.
What Has This Church Meant to You?
Beliefs
This is a short list of basic beliefs
We are happy to explain these and any other questions to all who inquire.
The Word of God
We believe the Old and New Testament to be verbally inspired and every word preserved. (Ps. 12:6-7). It is our sole authority for all faith and practice. We believe the King James Bible to be the preserved word of God in the English language.
The Church
The church is a local body of Scripturally baptized believers covenanted together to carry out the great commission. This Body of Christ is fulfilled only in a local Assembly. We reject the man-made concept of the “universal, invisible church”. A New Testament church is espoused to Christ who is its actual head (Eph. 5:23-25). He is presently cleansing us by the washing of the word (Eph. 5:26) until we are presented to Him in heaven (Eph. 5:27; Rev 19:7-8).
Salvation
We believe in salvation through the shed blood of Jesus Christ alone. No works, rituals, religion or church membership will save anyone. We are neither Calvinist nor Arminian. The Bible teaches that men cannot save themselves but they can, under the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, call upon Jesus Christ to save them. We are not hyper-dispensationalists. Salvation is by the grace of God from Genesis to Revelation.
Theology
As Bible believers, we believe everything Scripture teaches. For basic examples: A Triune God; a literal devil; literal heaven; literal hell; the virgin birth; the blood atonement and the bodily resurrection of Christ; He will rapture the saints before the great tribulation (Pre-tribulational); and He will personally return to establish his 1,000 year Messianic Kingdom (Pre-Millennial).
Separation
As an independent, autonomous, New Testament church, we are joined to no denomination or convention. We mark and avoid the heresies found in inter-denominationalism, new evangelicalism, charismaticism, Ruckmanism, and any other heretical cult or errant doctrinal system of our time. We believe personal separation from worldliness and error is vital for a truly dedicated Christian walk.
What is a New Testament Church?
What is a New Testament Church?
Although we live in a world of many “churches” and religious organizations, we can discern a Biblical New Testament church solely by the word of God.
A New Testament Church is a literal, visible organism. It is a theocracy under Christ whose word is its constitution. The headship of Christ in that body is not shared with a denomination, convention, board, people or any doctrinal belief that undermines it. We have a clearly defined working model of the Lord’s church which He founded during His earthly ministry. He personally commissioned this church, promising its perpetuity and reproduction (Matthew 16:18 & 28:18-20). New Testament churches therefore continue today as the Lord promised.
The Bible is also clear that salvation is by God’s grace - not by church. The blood of Christ satisfied God’s holy demand of justice on our sin. “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:” (John 1:12). Therefore, all who have received Him are brethren within the family of God. Contrary to popular religious conception, God’s word never uses “salvation” and “church” synonymously. The executorship of the Kingdom of God was appointed to the church (Luke 22:29) and is therefore the visible manifestation of it until He returns. But there are many who have received the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ who have never become part of a New Testament church.
Furthermore, most religious organizations calling themselves “churches” were founded by men and not Christ. The Roman Catholic “church” came into existence at the council of Nicea in 325 AD, many years after Christ founded His church. This is obviously not the same church which Christ appointed the kingdom. All Protestant “churches” and their many splits and revisions are reformed organizations of this Catholic (universal) “church.” They may preach the gospel and their members may be saved by the same grace that saves anyone who will receive it. But their organization was not founded by Christ and they are not a NT church. In like manner, churches with the Baptist name, but whose head is a denomination cannot claim Christ as the Head of that church body. Likewise, any church of any name which embraces the Protestant/reformed-Catholic doctrine of universal membership in an invisible “church” body (by means of a mystical, invisible, “baptism of salvation”) could not maintain that Christ is the literal Head of that assembly. The contradiction of their doctrine makes it impossible. By default, Christ becomes the Head of a mystical, invisible “church” of salvation, which necessitates a man or men to be head of the local visible assembly. The fruit of this doctrine was condemned by Christ Himself (Rev. 2:15). It produces a “clergy class” which thing the Lord hates.
The Lord is as a husband to a NT church (Eph 5:21-32; 2 Cor. 11:2). Any wife that would regard other men alongside her husband has certainly lost her first love. Likewise, any NT church that regards others alongside their Head has lost their first love. The church of Ephesus was certainly a NT church from its founding. But the Lord was clear in addressing her waning regard for His headship in Rev 2:4-5. The candlestick they would lose symbolizes the Lord’s authority. Most Christian assemblies never seek this from their beginning due to the pervading influence of the counterfeit doctrine of an invisible, universal “church.” As much as many modern Baptists try, this doctrine cannot cohabit with the distinct Biblical truth of the Lord’s NT church any more than a bride can cohabit with two husbands. After the Lord quietly leaves with the candlestick, they may continue with all their programs, baptisms and spreading the gospel. But the witness of authority as a NT church is gone before the Lord and those churches who still retain it.
The Lord’s church is distinct from the religious organizations of men in its founding authority, its fidelity to Scripture, and its literal, functioning headship of Christ. Scripture attests to the dearness of the New Testament church to the heart of Christ. His promise that it would continue assures us that He never relinquished it to be changed or redefined by the religious corruptions of men. When seeking a church, consider first its headship. If Jesus Christ is truly the Head, it will follow Him in all areas of Scriptural truth as well.