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About Us

First Baptist Church Mahan is home to an enthusiastic, growing, and loving congregation of baptized believers dedicated to the Gospel principles of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Located in the heart of downtown Suffolk, First Baptist Church Mahan (also known as "112") is committed to the overall spiritual development and practical growth of believers and the furthering of the Gospel to those who have not accepted Christ as their Savior.

To learn more, explore our Vision, Mission and What We Believe.

our vision

We see ourselves as a church of P.R.A.I.S.E.:

  • Proclamation:  We Proclaim the Good News of the Eternal and Returning Savior, Jesus Christ!
  • Reaching:  We Reach Out to One Another As God has Reached Out to Us!
  • Advocating:  We Advocate (support) and provide a visible presence within our community!
  • Inspiring:  We Inspire the Unsaved as the Holy Ghost has Inspired Us!
  • Stewardship:  We Recognize that We are Stewards of Everything that God has Blessed Us With!
  • Evangelizing:  We Share & Spread (Evangelize) the Good News of Jesus Christ Wherever We Are!

our Mission

Developing Disciples in the Word, the Work, & the Witness of Jesus Christ.

"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted & built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness."
Colossians 2:6-7.

What we believe

  • We Believe in God
    We believe there is only one true and ever-living God.  He is an immutable, impeccable, intelligent, and infinite Spirit.  He is omnipresent (ever-present) and omniscient (all-knowing).  He is the Creator of ALL and is manifested in three entities:  God the Father (Creator), God the Son (Redeemer), and God the Holy Spirit (Sustainer). 
  • We Believe in Jesus Christ
    We believe that Jesus is the Lord Christ, Savior of the world.  We believe that he is the incarnate reality of God – the manifested embodiment of God in human flesh.  God sent Jesus Christ who offered himself as the required substitute.  He accepted the full penalty for man’s sin, giving us the assurance of the gift of salvation.  He was the walking revelation of God’s love to humanity; He died on the cross of crucifixion for the redemption of God’s creation; He was resurrected on Easter Sunday morning to confirm to the world that God has dominion over Heaven, Earth, the universe, and ALL of creation – including death and the grave.
  • We Believe in The Holy Spirit
    We believe in the Holy Spirit, which is Christ in the present tense empowering the believer, energizing the church, and encouraging Christians that God is still with us.  The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, points us to truth, and leads us into righteousness.  Also known as the Comforter, the Holy Spirit is our Sustainer until the day of our Lord Jesus’ return to the world.
  • We Believe in the Trinity
    We believe that the Trinity is the Father, the Son, and The Holy Spirit.  The Trinity is three in one and without the Trinity there is no biblical salvation.  The Father plans salvation, the Son accomplishes salvation, and the Holy Spirit applies salvation by coming to regenerate and give new life to humanity.  Thus, we believe that Jesus exists eternally (John 8:56-58). 
  • We Believe in the Church
    We believe that the church is the prolonged incarnation of Jesus Christ and that it represents His body, His bride, and His building witnessing to the world through word and sacrament.  The church is a fellowship of regenerated (born-again) men, women, and children who have been called out to live lives in the world without being of the world. 
  • We Believe in the Scriptures
    We believe that the Scriptures represent the infallible word of God and the revelation of His will and relationship with humanity.  We believe that the Scriptures were given to ordinary men through inspiration of the Holy Spirit and that it reveals the principles by which humanity should live by and by which God shall judge us. 
  • We Believe in Humanity (The Fall of Man)
    We believe man was created in the image of God (Imago Dei); voluntarily rebelled against God and fell from a state of perfection, thereby experiencing separation (sin) from God.  In this “fall” from his holy state due to his voluntary transgressions, all of mankind became sinners by consequence of the choice to disobey God.  Consequently, humanity is redeemable through Jesus Christ who is our only hope of experiencing perfection and peace again in God.
  • We Believe in Salvation
    We believe that salvation is the work of God through Jesus Christ to reconcile man into a personal relationship with Him (2nd Corinthians 5:18-19).  We believe in God’s saving grace and that we have been delivered from an eternal hereafter of damnation and torment.  The blessings of salvation are free to all through the Gospel and the person of Jesus Christ; that the requisite of acceptance is a thankful, penitent and obedient faith; that nothing interferes with the salvation of the sinner except his refusal of the Gospel; man’s disbelief is his own condemnation.
  • We Believe in Regeneration
    We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be regenerated, or “born-again.”  This word describes salvation from the divine side, or what God does for a person.  Regeneration is the inner change brought about by the Holy Spirit (John 3:3-7). 
  • We Believe in Redemption
    We believe that the saved have been redeemed, in that the price that our sin demanded has been paid (Rev.5:9).  It means that not only did Christ pay the price for our sin but also removed us from the marketplace of sin (Gal.3:13). 
  • We Believe in Justification
    We believe that justification is being declared righteous by God.  It declares a verdict of acquittal, and so excluding all possibility of condemnation (Romans 4:2-3).
  • We Believe in Sanctification
    Sanctification is the process by which, according to the will of God, we are made partakers of His holiness; that it is a progressive work; that it began in regeneration; and that it is carried on in the hearts of believers by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, in the continual use of the appointed means especially the Word of God, self-examination, self-denial, watchfulness, and prayer (1st Thess.5:23). 
  • We Believe in Reconciliation
    Reconciliation is the restored relationship between God and man.  It is in this state that God reconciles the world unto Himself and consequently the state of estrangement and enmity is replaced with peace and fellowship.  God is the whole subject of this whole reconciling process which has been done through His Son, Jesus (Ephesians 2:4; Colossians 1:20-21). 
  • We Believe in Baptism
    Baptism is the symbolic act in which Christians proclaim their belief in Jesus’ life, death, teachings, and resurrection.  It is also the introductory means of discipleship for believers as they enter into a full relationship of obedience unto God.  It is important to note that baptism does not save nor does it complete one’s salvation.  Baptism is a prerequisite to the privileges of the church in relation to the Lord’s Supper and is ultimately a public demonstration of our lives becoming subject to the authoritative power of God.  Who should be baptized? 
1. One who has heard the Gospel message.
2. One who has accepted and received the Gospel message.
3. One who believes in Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.
  • We Believe in the Virgin Mary
    We believe in the Virgin Birth, Mary, mother of Jesus, conceived him by the Holy Spirit.  He is without sin.  He was born of a virgin as no other man historically or in the present can ever be born.  He is both the Son of God and God the Son.