Confessional Baptists of the Southwest
An Association of Reformed Baptist Churches
Who We Are
The Confessional Baptists of the Southwest is a formal association of churches united by a common faith, confession, and practice for the glory of God and the strengthening of Christ’s kingdom. Our fellowship exists to promote biblical fidelity, cultivate brotherly communion among our churches, encourage mutual accountability, and cooperate in the advancement of the gospel while honoring the autonomy of each local congregation under the lordship of Jesus Christ.
We hold tenaciously to the inerrant, infallible, and fully sufficient Word of God as contained in the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments. The Holy Scriptures are the only God-breathed rule of faith and practice and serve as our full, final, and supreme authority in all matters of doctrine, worship, and life.
We gladly embrace and adopt the Second London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689 as the most faithful summary of the system of doctrine revealed in Holy Scripture. While the Bible alone is our ultimate authority, the Confession serves as the doctrinal standard of this Association, expressing our shared convictions and providing a foundation for meaningful fellowship, mutual encouragement, and cooperative ministry among churches of like faith and order. United by this common confession, we seek to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints, to uphold the purity and peace of Christ’s churches, and to labor together until the day when the whole church is gathered in perfect unity before our Lord.
What We Do
The Confessional Baptists of the Southwest exists to cultivate meaningful fellowship, strengthen the unity of Christ’s churches, and encourage faithfulness to the gospel through regular cooperation among churches of like faith and practice. We believe that churches are strengthened as they know one another, pray for one another, bear one another’s burdens, and labor together in the service of Christ. To that end, we provide regular opportunities for pastors, elders, and church members to gather for worship, fellowship, encouragement, theological reflection, and cooperative ministry.
Pastor Fraternal
Our Pastor Fraterals provide regular opportunities for pastors, elders, and other church leaders to meet together for mutual encouragement, prayer, theological discussion, and the business of the Association. These gatherings cultivate meaningful relationships among shepherds, provide counsel and accountability, and encourage faithfulness in pastoral ministry. By sharing both the joys and burdens of shepherding Christ’s flock, our pastors are strengthened for the work to which the Lord has called them, and the churches they serve are likewise edified.
Annual Joint Service
Each year the churches of the Association gather for a joint worship service to celebrate our common faith and communion in Christ. This service provides an opportunity for the saints from our various congregations to worship together through the preaching of God’s Word, prayer, singing, and the observance of Christian fellowship. It serves as a visible expression of the unity we enjoy through our shared confession and our common commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Fellowship amongst the Churches
We encourage regular fellowship among our churches through a variety of gatherings and cooperative ministries that strengthen relationships across congregations and generations. Family camp, ladies’ fellowships, men’s gatherings, youth events, conferences, and other occasions provide opportunities for believers to know and serve one another beyond their own local church. As we share our gifts, resources, and encouragement, we seek to build one another up in grace, meet both spiritual and practical needs, and demonstrate the love of Christ through joyful communion with His people.
Mission & Values of CBS
As each church, and all the members of it, are bound to pray continually for the good and prosperity of all the churches of Christ, in all places, and upon all occasions to further every one within the bounds of their places and callings, in the exercise of their gifts and graces, so the churches, when planted by the providence of God, so as they may enjoy opportunity and advantage for it, ought to hold communion among themselves, for their peace, increase of love, and mutual edification. (LCF 26.14)
Holding Communion Together
We confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is building his one catholic or universal Church, united by one Spirit, one faith, and one baptism. But the perfect communion of the Church is reserved for the age to come, when all the redeemed shall be gathered unto Christ in holiness, truth, and love, without error or division. Until that day, we seek maintain fellowship with churches walking according to the rule of Christ, seeking mutual counsel, encouragement, prayer, and cooperation, that our communion together may bear witness to the unity of Christ’s body and anticipate its glorious consummation in His everlasting kingdom.
For the Peace of the Church
We confess that the peace and communion of churches is best preserved where there is agreement in the faith once delivered unto the saints, expressed in a common creed and confession, together with brotherly acquaintance, mutual affection, and faithful accountability one of another. Therefore, we willingly walk together as churches of the same faith and order, seeking counsel, encouragement, and loving admonition, that by maintaining the truth in charity and submitting ourselves to one another in the fear of Christ, our fellowship may promote the peace, purity, and perseverance of the churches, to the glory of God and the advancement of the gospel.
Increase of Love
We believe that Christ not only gathers His people into local churches but also calls those churches to walk together in love, bearing one another’s burdens, encouraging one another in faithfulness, and striving together for the advancement of the gospel. Through regular fellowship and mutual prayer, the churches grow in brotherly affection and are strengthened in unity, displaying the communion of saints that belongs to all who are united to Christ. Such fellowship cultivates greater love for one another, promotes peace among the churches, and bears witness to the reconciling grace of God until that day when the whole church is gathered in perfect unity before her Lord.
Mutual Edification
We believe that Christ has ordained the communion of His churches for their mutual edification, that through loving fellowship, wise counsel, earnest prayer, and faithful cooperation they may build one another up in the faith once delivered to the saints. As the churches bear one another’s burdens and willingly share their spiritual gifts and material resources according to God’s providence, they strengthen one another in grace, encourage steadfastness in trial, supply the needs of the saints, and promote greater holiness, maturity, and faithfulness. In this way, the churches manifest the unity of the body of Christ, glorify their common Lord, and demonstrate the love by which all people shall know that they are Christ’s disciples.