Third Avenue Baptist Church is a congregational church. In other words, we believe that the congregation-as-a-whole has the ultimate responsibility, under God, for managing the affairs of the church. We are not “run” so to speak by a pastor, or even by a board of deacons or elders.

We see this in Scripture. Notice that it is after a sinner has failed to heed the word of the church that Jesus said he is to be treated like a pagan or a tax collector (Matt. 18:17). Furthermore, the Apostle Paul told the Corinthian church that when that congregation was assembled, as one body, they should have disciplined one of its members for living in unrepentant sin (1Cor. 5:1-5). In both of these examples, the church body is given responsibility for addressing sensitive issues of church membership—not one man, not a group of deacons, or a board of elders.

This means that joining Third Avenue Baptist Church is no small matter. One day, every member of this local church will stand before God and be held accountable for his or her stewardship. What a comfort to know that Christ is the head of the Church.