How We Are Governed
Notchey Creek Baptist Church is a small yet powerful community church located in Madisonville, TN. Our mission is straightforward: to love God and to care for His people. This purpose fuels all our activities as a church, influencing our worship practices and the ways we engage with our local and global communities.
ABOUT OUR GOVERNANCE
Notchey Creek is a community church. Within our denomination, each church enjoys complete freedom of belief and action. Our primary accountability lies with God, followed by our commitment to one another, as we strive to know and love God through the teachings of Jesus. While we cherish this freedom, we also acknowledge that no single church can fully encompass God's goodness. We foster relationships built on respect and mutual support with other congregations within our denomination, the broader organizational bodies of our faith, and various other Christian denominations. We firmly believe that we are stronger together; the diverse expressions of church provide a richer understanding of God's vision for the world.
ABOUT OUR DENOMINATION
Notchey Creek Baptist Church is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), which encompasses nearly 50,000 churches and 12 million members throughout the United States. These congregations, representing a diverse array of racial, ethnic, linguistic, and socioeconomic backgrounds, are known as "cooperating churches." They have united to fulfill a defined set of missions and ministry initiatives, all aimed at spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all people, everywhere.
Established in 1845, the SBC has played a pivotal role in assisting local churches in their mission to share the gospel of Jesus Christ worldwide. Southern Baptists do not adhere to a creedal system that mandates churches or individuals to accept a uniform set of beliefs; rather, we identify as a confessional community. This signifies that we hold specific doctrines that Baptists value, treasure, and with which they have historically been and continue to be closely associated.
When you become a member of a church connected to the SBC, you are entering a community of Christians who are wholeheartedly committed to living out Jesus' message of unconditional love for others.
ABOUT OUR HISTORY
On October 5, 1853, Notchey Creek Baptist Church held its first organized meeting. Approximately 21 members, the majority being from nearby Bethlehem Baptist Church, comprised the small congregation. The church chose Reverend S.M. Haun as pastor. He served for 43 continuous years until his death in 1896.
Notchey Creek Baptist Church has grown steadily for the past 170 years. Each generation has added its vision and hopes to each preceding generation’s accomplishments. As members of Notchey Creek Baptist Church, let us love each other and work together so that we too can see our visions become realities as those men and women before us.