Who is Green Level Baptist Church?
Welcome. We'd love to introduce ourselves. We're Green Level Baptist Church and rather than tell you about all the (cool) things we do or (amazing) ministries we have, we'd love to tell you who we are. You see, we don't exist because of what we done (or do) for God, but what He has done for us (cf. 1 Peter 2:8-9)—and what He is still doing in us (Philippians 1:6). We’re not here because of guilt or duty, but grace and delight. And it's our delight to introduce ourselves.
1: We're a local church.
Biblically, there are only two types of churches. First, there is the capital-C "Church." This is the "universal church," which has been defined as "the heavenly and eschatological assembly of everyone—past, present, and future—who belongs to Christ’s new covenant and kingdom." That's a mouthful, we know. It just means the big-C Church is all Christians from all places across all times. Think of your family. It's everyone in your family past, present, and future, whether immediate or extended, wherever they live. Now, think of your immediate family now. Specifically, think of the ones who live under your roof today. You see, the "universal church" finds physical, local, temporal, and concrete expression in "local churches." We're one of these second type, lowercase-c churches, which the New Testament describes with a variety of rich, beautiful metaphors. We're a group of Christians, men and women "in Christ Jesus in Green Level" (cf. Philippians 1:1), blessed enough to share the same grace and place as an "embassy of heaven" and "not a social club."
2: We're a historic church.
Although a lot in our area is relatively new, we've been around since the telephone ... literally. In 1870, upon the recommendation of Addison Council, a group of men began meeting together to read and study the Bible closer to their homes. Because there was nowhere else to meet locally, this group first met in the local whisky tavern for "Sunday school." Shortly thereafter, they asked Matthew Ferrell to be their first pastor and named themselves Providence Baptist Church. They held a revival service on September 3 of that year, welcoming 36 individuals, 16 through believer's baptism in a nearby stream. In the next year, they outgrew the tavern and changed their name to Green Level Baptist Church. A lot has changed since those earliest days—both in our church and our community—but our commitment to magnifying Christ from our neighborhoods to all nations has not. As excited as we are for what God is doing in our church now, we praise and thank Him for the rich history and firm foundation He laid through the faithfulness of those came before us (cf. Hebrews 12:1-2).
3: We're a multigenerational—and multiethnic—church.
Speaking of those who came before us, we're blessed, by God's grace, to be a multigenerational church. As we praise and thank God for their faithfulness, so we also praise and thank Him for His faithfulness through all generations (cf. Psalm 119:90). We pray to be a "Psalm 145:4 Church" in which "One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts." There are few things more beautiful than seeing a multigenerational church worshipping and serving together. One possibility, it might be said, is one that reflects the diversity of those both made in God's image and redeemed through His gospel. By God's grace, we don't have to choose. We are multigenerational and multiethnic, reflecting the changes in our community and the saving power of God among all peoples (cf. Psalm 67:1-3). From our neighborhoods to all nations, we "Amen!" the repeated refrain of Psalm 67, "Let the people praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!" (vv. 3, 5). Being multigenerational and multiethnic is not a trendy social goal either; it is a gracious gift from God through His gospel
4: We're a gospel-formed—and gospel-committed—church.
Speaking of "the gospel," we're a church formed by and committed to it: proclaiming it with our lips and reflecting it with our lives. So, what exactly is the gospel? Well, the word "gospel" just means "good news." Of the myriad of things we could say about it, it's important we understand two aspects. First, the gospel is defined, specific, and personal. In fact, the Gospel According to Mark opens, "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God." This means "the good news" is specifically the "good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God." It's the good news of what God has done, is doing, and will do through Jesus. Second, the gospel is powerful. In Romans 1:16, the apostle Paul, who himself experienced its saving power (cf. Acts 26), writes, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also the Greek." This means "the good news of Jesus Christ" is "the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes." Like Paul, we can give first-hand testimony to its power to save and, like Paul, we desperately desire that everyone "be reconciled to God" through it (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:20-21).
5: We're a Christ-exalting—and Christ-enjoying—church.
If we're formed by and committed to the gospel of Jesus Christ, then we're also formed by and committed to Christ Himself. After all, He is the heart of the gospel. As Peter, filled with the Spirit, said in Acts 4:12, "There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under haven given among men by which we must be saved." Because of His death and resurrection on our behalf, He is now exalted at the Father's right hand (cf. Philippians 2:5-11), worthy honor, glory, and the praise of all people (cf. Revelation 5:1-14). So, in all that we say and do we want to exalt—and enjoy—Him. First, in the words of David, we say, "Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!" (Psalm 34:3). Second, in the words of Paul, we say, "Rejoice in the Lord always" (Philippians 4:4). The Shorter Catechism summarizes it well in its very first answer, "Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever." We couldn't agree more! It's our chief end individually and collectively, as a church.
6: We're a Baptist church.
Though we just quoted a Presbyterian Catechism, we are, as our name suggests, a Baptist church. This means we practice the defining hallmark of Baptist churches: "regenerate church membership." While more can (and probably should) be said, this means three things. First, it means that while we welcome others to participate with us, only individuals who have publicly announced their faith in Jesus Christ through believer's baptism can be affirmed by the church into membership. Second, it means we practice believer's baptism by immersion, which we are persuaded best pictures our identification with—and participation in—the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In fact, we believe it best reflects Paul's words both in Galatians 2:20 and Romans 6:4. Third, it means that while we are led by our pastors, we believe Christ has given the "keys of the Kingdom" (cf. Matthew 16:19) to every member of our local church. This final conviction also reflects the historic Protestant (and Baptist) understanding of "the priesthood of all believers."
7: We're a Southern—or Great Commission—Baptist church.
While we work with other Bible-believing ministries and missionaries explicitly sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ, we partner specifically—and voluntarily (each partnering Baptist church is fullyindependent and autonomous)—with the Southern Baptist Convention (national), Baptist State Convention of North Carolina (state), and Raleigh Baptist Association (local). We do this in a host of ways, including financially, ministerially, and missionally. At the heart of our voluntary, but purposeful partnerships is the gospel and the Great Commission. In fact, since the number of SBC partner churches has increased outside our original geographic region (i.e., the South), SBC delegates voted over a decade ago to also be known as "Great Commission Baptists," a decision which was made to emphasize our shared commitment to Christ's commission to "go and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19). Alongside this financial, ministerial, and missional partnership, we also partner doctrinally, adopting and affirming the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 as our statement of faith.
*: We're NOT a perfect church.
There, we said it. We're not perfect. In fact, we're far from it. The only thing perfect about us is the Savior whom we worship and serve. If you visit—or even join with—us, you'll notice a lot of things we could probably we doing better. Believe it or not, we might even recognize one or two of the improvements ourselves. You see, we're all "in process." Each of us is being transformed—and conformed (cf. Romans 8:29, 12:2, Ephesians 4:15). We're not who we used to be, but we're still not who we will be. Since we know this individually as Christians, we recognize this collectively as a church. We "Amen!" Charles Spurgeon's insightful words, “If I had never joined a church till I had found one that was perfect, I should never have joined one at all; and the moment I did join it, if I had found one, I should have spoiled it, for it would not have been a perfect church after I had become a member of it. Still, imperfect as it is, it is the dearest place on earth to us.” Here, you won't find perfect people, but you will find very dear ones.
Our Pastors, Staff, and Family Deacons
Our church is blessed by the faithful service of a number of individuals, including pastors, staff, and deacons. To learn more, please click here.