Texarana Reformed Baptist Church (TRBC) was organized in April, 1978. Though our church is relatively new to the Texarkana area, our message is not new. We believe in the historical doctrines and practices of Christianity, such as:

-The Sovereignty of God in the Salvation of His People
-Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord
-The Authority of Holy Scripture
-Salvation by Grace through Faith Alone
-Personal Holiness
-An Active and Ordered Church Life
-Evangelism and Missions

We are Baptists in the historical sense of the word. Thus, to distinguish ourselves from the majority of Baptists today, who have settled down into what might be called the Baptist tradition, we have chosen to use the title Reformed Baptist. (We certainly do not want to be identified with some “Baptists” who have gone so far as to deny the truth and accuracy of the Holy Scriptures.) The word Reformed itself dates back to the 15th and 16th centuries and the Protestant Reformation. At that time the prevailing church had become corrupt both in belief and practice. The Reformers in Europe sought to correct these abuses of God’s Word. They took the Bible to be the sole authority for faith and life and sought to conform to it. It is with this same belief in Scripture as authoritative and the same desire to conform to its teachings that we use the word Reformed today.By doing so, we suggest the following things:

-That God is all powerful and is not in any way limited by man
-That the Bible alone is our authority in every area of life
-That we are not perfect; thus, we are to continually examine ourselves, our homes, our church, and our institutions, in the light of Scripture and make corrections where there are deficiencies.

TRBC has adopted the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith as our statement of faith* (Just click “1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith” to be linked to the Confession). We subscribe generally to the Confession and regard it as an excellent and useful summary of biblical doctrine; however, we dissent with the Confession on certain points. To see where TRBC differs click see the bottom of this page. We do not regard our church’s confessional statement–or any document of human authorship, for that matter–as infallible (incapable of error). Scripture Alone is infallible, inerrant, and the authoritative rule or code of faith.

TRBC is independent. By independent we mean that our church is free from outside control. Our own members, under the leadership of our elders, make decisions on what is to be taught in our Sunday School or other church-authorized Bible studies. Our church decides on the subjects to be studied and the literature to be used. The church also decides where offerings are to be spent. No outside agencey administers our monetary affairs. Money is sent directly to the need.

If you are interested in a no-nonsense church where members are seriously committed to the Word of God, we believe you will find just that at Texarkana Reformed Baptist Church. You are sincerely invited to worship with us. If our elders may help you in any way , feel free to contact them.

By serving fellow men, we serve our King, Jesus Christ.

*Where TRBC Dissents from the Confession of Faith

When Texarkana Reformed Baptist Church was established back in 1978, we adopted as a statement of our faith, The 1689 London (Baptist) Confession of Faith. We believed then and continue to believe that it is the best statement of Christian Faith ever drawn up by men. We do not believe, however, that it is infallible. The very fact that it is a product of men renders it a fallible document. There are some things in the Confession that we are not certain of, that we think are matters of indifference, that we wish had not been left out, or that we simply believed are in error. These matters constitute a very small portion of the overall Confession. However, to prove ourselves honest in all things, we deemed it necessary to make the above statement and to give examples of the same.

For example, we believe that believer’s baptism is a prerequisite to church membership and that the Confession should have thus stated. We do not believe that the Pope is the anti-Christ. He is an anti-Christ for sure, but not the anti-Christ. We are not certain that it is clearly taught in Scripture that “elect infants dying in infancy, are regenerated and saved by Christ through the Spirit.” Do only elect infants die? If all who die in infancy are elect infants, why not just state “infants dying in infancy” and leave off the word “elect”? We do not believe that the Scriptures are clear here. Also, we do not subscribe to what the Confession call “the Christian Sabbath.” (Chapter 22; Paragraph 7 & 8)

These are the most obvious examples of our concerns or disagreements with the Confession. We did not delineate them at that time when we adopted our church constitution, but simply stated, in Article III, that the 1689 Confession

“is a most excellent summary of things most surely believed among us. We accept the same, not as an infallible and authoritative rule or code of faith, whereby we are to be fettered, but as an assistance to us in controversy, a confirmation in faith, and a means of edification in righteousness.” (Constitution of TRBC, 1978)

Due to the fact that there has been some misunderstanding about certain issues, among which is our view of the “Sabbath Day” or Lord’s Day, we deemed it necessary to clarify our position on this issue. It would be fair to say that we do not believe that there is what the Confession calls “the Christian Sabbath,” that is, a day that has been formally set aside under the New Covenant to the observance of a strict, obligatory abstention from all “servile labor.” We do not find such a day appointed for Christians anywhere in the Word of God. The term “Sabbath,” found in both the Old and New Testaments, is consistently applied to the Jews’ day of rest, never to the Christians’ day of worship.

The obligatory Sabbaths of the Mosaic Law served a ceremonial purpose by pointing to a coming spiritual rest in Jesus Christ. Now that Christ has come, the outward observances which pointed to Him have been fulfilled, just as the shadows cast by an approaching object are “fulfilled” when the object comes into view (Colossians 2:17). Consequently, the literal keeping of the Sabbath Day should not be imposed on Christian consciences. Rather, the Sabbath law now speaks to Christians of their duty in relation to Christ. Since all believers have entered into spiritual rest by coming to Christ for salvation, (Matthew 11:8) we now “keep the Sabbath” by persevering in this spiritual rest throughout the present age as we hold fast to Christ by faith. We are called to bear Christ’s “easy yoke” and “light burden,” walking by the Spirit and abstaining from the works of the flesh, until we enter at last into the consummate rest of eternity. Then we shall receive our inheritance in full measure as we enter into the eternal Sabbath. To cease from resting spiritually during this present age, therefore, is to “break the Sabbath” (Hebrews 4:1-10).

At the same time, we recognize that Israel’s Sabbath law, like so many of the expired ordinances of the Mosaic Law, reveals principles of equity that continue to guide and instruct the Christian in his own walk before God. The Sabbath law reveals to us the importance of showing concern for the welfare of those who are under our authority by providing them with regular “refreshment” from their labor. We ought not to oppress inhumanly with work those who are subject to us. In most communities living under the New Covenant, the Lord’s Day has served as the ideal day, not only for worship, but also for this needed rest from the grind of earthly toil. Such a use of the Lord’s Day is in harmony with biblically revealed principles of righteousness. While God wants to see us working heartily (Colossians 3:23), He does not want our work to become a new idol (Mark 6:31). The institution of the Sabbath reminds us, therefore, of the necessity of taking regular rest ourselves, and of providing those under our authority with rest. Under the New Covenant, however, we are free to apply biblical principles in the exercise of Christian liberty, apart from external decrees that forbid labor on certain days or distinguish some days as “holier” than others (Romans 14:5-6).

In light of the differences that have existed for centuries among Reformed Christians in their understanding of the relationship between the Sabbath and the Lord’s Day – differences which are reflected in the historic creeds of the Reformation – we do not want this issue to become a test of fellowship with brethren whose beliefs may differ from our own. Perfect agreement in this matter may not be attained this side of glory, but we rejoice to acknowledge the fact that godly, committed believers are to be found on both sides of this issue. Surely both the Scriptures and church history would teach us to tolerate differences of convictions regarding the observance of particular days. (Romans 14:5-6) Therefore, we encourage both “Sabbatarian” and “non-Sabbatarian” brethren alike to respect each others’ sincerely held beliefs, refusing to judge each other harshly, but rather, leaving all judgment to the Lord alone, before whom we stand or fall as His servants. (Romans 14:4)