"Go ye therefore and teach of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world." (Matthew 28:19-20)
Emmanuel Baptist Church exists to:
- Exalt the Lord Jesus Christ,
- To Equip believers, and
- To Evangelize the world.
We believe that every project or ministry that we promote should fall into one of these three purposes.
We believe that "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." The Bible says that, "God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved." It is our desire to evangelize our community and partner with missionaries around the world to proclaim the message of God's love, to baptize the new converts, and to teach these new disciples to live according to the Scriptures.
There are seven core values by which we operate in carrying out our purpose. These core values should be non-negotiable and permeate everything we do:
- Jesus is Lord
- Worship is paramount
- The Bible is foundational
- We are called to serve
- Love is the norm
- People matter to God
- Prayer is a priority
Our church members agree that Hartsville, SC doesn't need "just another church"; rather our community needs an authentic body of believers which exhibits the essence of true Christianity. In order to help us become and follow the model of the New Testament church, our members:
- Desire to be biblical, not traditional
- Desire EBC to be known in the community as a "place of grace"
- Desire to accept people where they are and allow the Holy Spirit time to do His work in their lives
- "Agree to disagree" about non-doctrinal and non-essential issues, for the sake of exhibiting spiritual maturity and maintaining unity in the body
- Accept the different styles and preferences as they relate to the overall worship aspects of the church and as we seek to become "all things to all men that we might by all means save some."
