1. What kind of Baptists are we?
We are members of the Southern Baptist Convention. That means that we agree to use a portion of our offerings in agreement with other Baptist churches to support the work of missions throughout the world.

2. Who is in charge of the Southern Baptists?
The individual congregations are in charge of their own church. Every Southern Baptist church is an autonomous, independent, self-governing body of baptized believers in Jesus Christ. Southern Baptists elect a President of the Convention each year at the convention and it is his/her responsibility to appoint individuals to serve on various boards (seminaries, radio and TV commission, historical commission, mission boards, etc.)

3. Are Southern Baptists fundamentalist, conservative, evangelical, liturgical, liberal?
Yes. Southern Baptists are as diverse as the colors in a Crayola box.

4. Can women be pastors in Baptist life?
Yes. The local church would be the body that decides to license and ordain a woman to the gospel ministry. For the majority of our churches, men would be the pastors. Depending on the geographical location of the church and the theological bent of the congregation, ordaining a woman would be acceptable and applauded while in other churches it would not be a consideration.

5. Can women be deacons in Baptist life?
Yes. However, it depends on the conviction of the local congregation concerning their views of the role of a woman. At Downtown, we have women who serve as deacons.

6. What kind of Baptist church is Downtown?
Theologically conservative, welcoming of all persons, regardless of race, creed or gender, liberal in grace, stingy with condemnation and judgment. It is a church with all sorts of folks who are committed to learning how to follow Jesus Christ and to grow in their spiritual journey with God. Downtown is not a political church in that it is not active in the politics of the convention. Our congregation seeks to determine God’s plan for its future, without interference or influence from the Southern Baptist Convention.

7. How is the pastor chosen?
A pastor search committee is typically elected from the membership of the congregation. They will contact seminaries, state conventions, as well as enlisting the assistance of fellow members for the collecting of resumes. It is the responsibility of each church to find the individual to lead the congregation and present that person to the congregation for their approval.

8. How do you baptize people?
We baptize by total immersion in water. We believe this mode best pictures an individual laying down, as if in a grave, to their old way of living, and being raised up to represent their new life in Jesus Christ. At Downtown, if an individual has been baptized in another Christian church after their confession of faith in Christ by being sprinkled or poured, their baptism is accepted. Otherwise, individuals are asked to be baptized as a public declaration of their faith in Christ.

9. Do you baptize infants?
No. Baptists practice believer’s baptism rather than infant baptism. While infant baptism conveys well the sense that salvation is not dependent upon what we do but on what God has done for us, it fails to convey the full respect of God for human freedom. God does not force faith upon anyone. Infants and children are nurtured and encouraged in the faith until such age as the child can make a personal commitment. We involve the child, the parents, godparents, extended family and congregation in a service of child dedication. This meaningful service of blessing and commitment is conducted during regular worship services.

10. How often do you offer the Lord’s Supper or Communion?
We offer the Lord’s Supper the first Sunday of every month and on several other special occasions throughout the year. It is always an integral part of our worship service. We use unleavened wafers and grape juice.

11. Does an individual have to be a member of Downtown to participate in Communion?
No, the only criterion for participating in the Lord’s Supper is that an individual is a disciple of Jesus Christ.

12. Is there a certain dress code at Downtown?
No. Our folks dress all sorts of ways.

13. What kind of Bible do you use in your services?
The pew Bibles are the New International Version. We encourage individuals to bring their own personal Bibles to worship and they use a myriad of translations.

14. Where do I park?
You have several options. See Parking for a complete list.

15. Do you allow gays to come to worship?
We would not use the word “allow” because it signifies that we have someone standing at the door deciding who can and cannot come into God’s house, which we do not. DBC is God’s church and anyone is welcome at anytime.

16. Do you allow same-sex unions to be performed in your church?
No. We do not believe homosexuality to be a biblical lifestyle and therefore, we would not support such a union.

For more information contact:
Carolyn Jenkins     703.549.6531     cjenkins@downtownbaptist.org or

Susan Manship     703.549.5080     smanship@downtownbaptist.org