Church Pews

About Us

Who We Are, What We Believe,
and Where We Have Been

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Our
Leadership

Pastor Andy Mayfield
Andy Mayfield
Pastor

Brother Andy has been the pastor of Rutherford First Baptist since 2021. He is married to Emily and they have two children, Charlie and Mary Claire.

Youth Minister Chris Callins
Chris Callins
Youth Minister

Chris Callins has served as the Youth Minister of Rutherford First Baptist since 2024. He is married to Amanda and they have two boys: Blaine and Sawyer.

Stained glass window of Jesus praying

What We Believe

The Baptist Faith and Message 2000

The following comprises the Baptist Faith and Message as adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention on June 14, 2000.

I. The Scriptures

The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God's revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter. Therefore, all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. It reveals the principles by which God judges us, and therefore is, and will remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried. All Scripture is a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of divine revelation.

II. God

There is one and only one living and true God. He is an intelligent, spiritual, and personal Being, the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe. God is infinite in holiness and all other perfections. God is all powerful and all knowing; and His perfect knowledge extends to all things, past, present, and future, including the future decisions of His free creatures. To Him we owe the highest love, reverence, and obedience. The eternal triune God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being.

III. Man

Man is the special creation of God, made in His own image. He created them male and female as the crowning work of His creation. The gift of gender is thus part of the goodness of God's creation. In the beginning man was innocent of sin and was endowed by his Creator with freedom of choice. By his free choice man sinned against God and brought sin into the human race. Through the temptation of Satan man transgressed the command of God, and fell from his original innocence whereby his posterity inherit a nature and an environment inclined toward sin. Therefore, as soon as they are capable of moral action, they become transgressors and are under condemnation.

IV. Salvation

Salvation involves the redemption of the whole man, and is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, who by His own blood obtained eternal redemption for the believer. In its broadest sense salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.

VI. The Church

A New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the two ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word, and seeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth. Each congregation operates under the Lordship of Christ through democratic processes.

VII. Baptism and the Lord's Supper

Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer's faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Saviour, the believer's death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. Being a church ordinance, it is prerequisite to the privileges of church membership and to the Lord's Supper.

The Lord's Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby members of the church, through partaking of the bread and the fruit of the vine, memorialize the death of the Redeemer and anticipate His second coming.

Our Affiliations

Gibson Baptist Association

Gibson Baptist Association

As a member of the Gibson Baptist Association, we partner with local churches in Gibson County to share the gospel, shape leaders, and strengthen churches. Through this network, we collaborate to spread Christ's message and support one another in ministry throughout our local community.

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Tennessee Baptist Mission Board

Tennessee Baptist Mission Board

Through our connection with the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, we receive resources, training, and support that help us advance God's Kingdom. The TBMB serves churches by multiplying gospel leaders and providing essential ministry tools for effective discipleship and evangelism.

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Southern Baptist Convention

Southern Baptist Convention

As part of the Southern Baptist Convention, we join with over 45,000 churches worldwide in fulfilling the Great Commission. Through cooperative missions and shared resources, we support global evangelism, church planting, and disaster relief efforts that spread the Gospel to every nation.

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Historic church sanctuary

Our Story

Rutherford First Baptist was constituted in 1869 and has been a gospel presence in the town of Rutherford for over 150 years. Over the years, the church has ordained many young men to the gospel ministry and has been involved in local and international missions. Today, the church aims to continue serving as a light for Christ in Rutherford and beyond by proclaiming the gospel and serving our community.

1869Established