The Purpose of One Church
What We Believe
We consider our purpose to be the fulfillment of the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19-20: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit; and teaching them to obey all I have commanded you.” Our mission is to develop authentic followers of Jesus who develop authentic followers of Jesus.
We chose the name “One Church” because of our deeply held belief that every congregation in a city should operate in the unity of the Holy Spirit and under the direction of a team of elders just as you see in Acts 15 with the Jerusalem Church and the Ephesian Church in Acts 20. Though there were thousands of believers meeting in various congregations and/or homes throughout the city, it is clear from the Scriptures that there was only ONE singular church in each city. Some 50 years after the planting of the church in Ephesus, we see in Revelation 2 that there was still only ONE church in Ephesus. They began several congregations in that city over the years, but John/Jesus still viewed them as ONE unified church.
We chose the name “Calvary” at our original campus because that is the name of the place where Jesus was crucified for our sins. It is our desire to draw attention to the incredible act of grace displayed in the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. It is through the cross that God has reconciled man to Himself. We want to encourage people to consider the reality of the cross and the need to be forgiven and to grant forgiveness to others. When an individual comes to believe that Jesus was raised from the dead, and recognizes Him as Savior and Lord, we are then committed to leading that person through a process of spiritual growth.
All our church ministries are centered on a desire to lead others to a saving encounter with Jesus resulting in an ongoing, maturing relationship with our Lord! We believe this maturing process best occurs within the context of a church family community. Therefore, we are intentional about growing as a multi-generational church family that looks like the demographics of Murfreesboro. We are not there yet, but we are working toward that goal. If you have similar goals, we would love to have you visit us and consider becoming a part of our church family.
Our Beliefs
At One Church we want do things as closely to the Biblical example as we possibly can. All of our staff are in general agreement with the statement of the Baptist Faith & Message (2000). Though we have no official doctrinal statement or creed, all pastors and teachers have agreed to the following statements of biblical truth:
We hold that the Holy Bible is the sole authority by which God reveals Himself to humankind. Its principles guide us in all doctrine, rule, faith, and practice. These Scriptures, in their original forms, perfectly and without error recorded God’s special revelation to all peoples of the earth.
We believe in the Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. All three are equally God in total unity with full sovereignty over the universe.
We believe that God the Son became a man in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. He was born of the virgin Mary, conceived by the Holy Spirit. He was fully human and fully God.
We believe in the spiritual lost-ness of the human race. Because of Adam’s rebellion against God, all humankind inherits a sinful nature. Also, we all eventually choose to sin and are consequently spiritually separated from a holy God.
We believe in the substitutionary atoning death of Jesus Christ. It is only through the blood of Jesus Christ whereby man’s sin can be forgiven.
We believe that after being dead and placed in a tomb, Jesus Christ physically rose from the dead on the third day.
We believe that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ alone. It is a gift from God. There is no salvation apart from a personal faith in Jesus Christ. All who accept this gift are given eternal life. On the contrary, all who do not have faith in Jesus Christ have earned eternal separation and punishment from God.
We believe that once a person has received God’s gracious gift of salvation, that person is eternally secure. Though the believer is encouraged to perform good works, these actions in no way earn or keep our gift of salvation. Along with this gift of salvation comes the indwelling of the Holy Spirit which guides the believer’s spirit in truth.
We believe in the imminent return of Christ and that someday He shall establish His kingdom of righteousness on earth.
We practice two ordinances: baptism by immersion and the regular taking of communion. Whether or not someone is a Baptist or a member of our church, anyone who believes in what these ordinances represent are welcome to share in these practices with us.
Our Affiliations
For the sake of ministry and missions, ONE CHURCH partners with various like-minded entities. We officially partner with Rutherford County’s Concord Association of Baptist Churches, the Tennessee Baptist Convention, and the Southern Baptist Convention. We strongly support the International Mission Board of the SBC and have members of our congregation serving with them overseas.
Our Covenant
As provided by our Church Covenant and our Charter of Incorporation, One Church functions under the leadership of our Senior Pastor and a Leadership Team of other Pastors and Lay Elders. The Leadership Team functions as a group of elders/advisors who assist the Senior Pastor, the Lead Pastor from each campus, and the overall ministry staff in providing direction for the church.