The messengers of the General Association of Regular Baptist Churches, meeting together in regular conference June 21–25, 2010, in Schaumburg, Illinois,
Believing that unity in the family of God is important to Jesus Christ, Who prayed to the Father that those whom God had already given Him and those who would come to believe on Him through their word would be one (John 17:21),
Seeing the growing connections with a budding movement of independent Baptists and recognizing that we have much in common in our understanding of the faith, and in our separatist heritage,
Knowing that the Bible expressly prohibits believers from fellowshipping with those who are described as divisive (Titus 3:10), with “those who cause division and offenses contrary to the doctrine” (Romans 16:17-18), and with those who “overthrow the faith of some” (2 Tim. 2:16-21),
Affirming that fundamentalists believe the important doctrines of Christianity: (1) the full inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible; (2) the Virgin Birth, Deity, sinlessness, miracles, substitutionary death, bodily resurrection, and literal return of Christ; and (3) salvation based upon personal faith in Christ and His finished work on the cross,
Affirming that fundamentalists are also committed to defending these great doctrines, are committed to the purity of the church necessitating separation, and see in these doctrines an irreducible criterion for Christian fellowship,
Acknowledging that the name “fundamentalists” was introduced by Curtis Lee Laws, who said, “We suggest that those who still cling to the great fundamentals and who mean to do battle royal for the fundamentals shall be called ‘Fundamentalists.’” While we recognize that the term has suffered at the hands of our critics and society at large, we can think of no other term that adequately reflects the heritage and the position of those who have historically stood for the truth of God’s Word and who have been willing to defend those truths when they are under attack,
Recognizing that during the latter half of the twentieth century, institutional fundamentalism began to develop fissures and today lacks cohesion and commonality,
Believing that fundamentalists who desire such a renewal must strive to achieve cohesion and commonality, we
Purpose to advance and defend those doctrines at all costs, and to discover ways to work together to accomplish these ends, especially in cooperation with other independent Baptists;
Recognize that while there are differences and distinctives that keep groups of separatist believers from full organizational fusion, these differences must not hinder us from working together wherever possible for the common cause of advancing and defending Biblical truth;
Seek to initiate relationships among fundamentalists where barriers have existed due to misunderstanding or political expedience, in a spirit of kind affection and brotherly love, in honor preferring one another; and
Establish networks of labor and ministry to meet the challenges of the future, equipping older organizations for the present task where possible, or establishing new ministries where restoration of the old is either impossible or inadvisable.
