In 2011, Capitol Baptist Church in Dover, Delaware, responded to the leading of the Lord to lay the groundwork for what has become Easton Baptist Church. He led Capitol church members to begin a chapel ministry here in Easton that met weekly at the Comfort Inn (now Quality Inn) and begin monthly outreach efforts in the Easton community. Capitol faithfully continued this work until April of 2015, when Easton Baptist Church was officially constituted as an autonomous, local New Testament Church. While God was laying the groundwork through Capital Baptist, He was preparing a pastor and his family through Eastern Shore Baptist Church. The Eastern Shore Church family recognized a burden to establish a church for the Lord, and its Pastor approached a young man and his family about moving to the area to prepare for this work. God led Pastor Jake and Valerie to Maryland in 2012 to being this training, unaware of what the Lord’s plans would hold. In January of 2014, the Lord connected Pastor Moore of Capitol Baptist Church and Pastor Rediger of Eastern Shore Baptist Church. One church supplied the framework, while the other supplied the leadership of the future church. In April of 2014, Pastor Jake, Valerie, along with their two young boys took on the leadership of Easton Baptist Chapel. They continued to meet weekly with those who had been reached and continued consistent outreach in the Easton Community for a year under the umbrella of Capitol Baptist. With the help of Baptist Church Planting Ministry, Easton Baptist Church was born on April 5, 2015. In the years since, the Lord has continued His work in Easton by using this young church to bring people to a saving knowledge of Christ through teaching and preaching the Gospel and helping believers grow in maturity. In those years, the church moved out of the hotel and into the storefront here at Easton Plaza. He has continued His work to establish this church and is writing a wonderful story. We’re glad you have now become a part of it!

Every institution must have a clearly defined understanding of who it is and what purpose it serves. Thankfully, the Lord through His word makes those things clear for His Church. A local church is a group of believers who have joined themselves together to continue Jesus’ work in their community and around the world in their generation. To this end, we understand that the Church bears the awesome responsibility of glorifying God. As His people, we bear witness to His character, attributes, and abilities by our deeply transformed lives produced by the power of the Gospel. We desire to honor the One who has saved us from our sin, blesses us each day, and commissions us into the work He is doing. We fulfill our responsibility purposefully by collectively and individually making the Gospel known and developing the life of Christ in believers. Collectively, we make the Gospel known through our engagement in our local community and surrounding areas with outreach efforts and partnerships with local organizations. Individually, we make the Gospel known through our relationships with those with whom God has brought us into contact. We develop the life of Christ in believers by the deliberate study of the Scriptures and the encouragement we provide to one another. As we deepen our understanding of the Scriptures, we develop a greater appreciation for Jesus and experience His transformational work. We display that transformation in the love we have for each other and encouraging each other to continue to walk with Him through the various seasons of life. When someone asks us about the mark we hope to leave, we say that we seek to be the place where the Bible is taught, and people are loved so that Christ is formed in us and others.

After salvation and baptism, each believer should seek to formally align with a local church. Throughout the New Testament, the idea of experiencing the saving grace of Jesus is not separated from formally joining a local body of believers. In fact, the clear emphasis of the New Testament is that the local church serves a tremendous purpose in the lives of believers. For this reason, we encourage believers to unite with a Church publicly and formally. Formal membership in Easton Baptist Church provides believers with a family to belong to, an authority to submit to, and a place to use their God-given gifts. For purposes of edification and encouragement, each believer needs a church family. When someone unites with a local church, they say, “I am with you. I am here to share your joys and struggles, for better or for worse.” Membership says, “I want this to be mine...I am part of this family.” When we join a church, we place ourselves under the spiritual authority in that place. In Hebrews 13:17, believers are charged to submit themselves to the leadership within the local church so that they can be cared for and nurtured by the leaders there. This is vital for protection against false teaching which can lead believers astray from Christ as well as providing a structure for them to progress in Christlikeness. Formally uniting with a local church also provides believers with the avenue to use the spiritual gifts God has entrusted to them. The New Testament clearly teaches that God, by the Spirit, provides believers with spiritual giftedness that He intends for us to bless the church body with and to bring glory to Christ. These gifts provide for effective and fruitful ministry both within and outside the church. There are two clearly defined requirements for membership in the local church in the scriptures. The first is redemption, where a sinner is forgiven of their sin and made a new creature in Christ. This also baptizes a believer into the universal body of Christ. The second is that of water baptism, which is an outward step of obedience to Christ that pictures the wonderful transformation we have already experienced within.

In addition to these requirements, the New Testament gives liberty to the leadership of local churches when it comes to admitting believers into the fellowship. Here at EBC, believers are accepted into the membership when they have provided a clear testimony of salvation and pledged unity with the Core Beliefs doctrines held by the Church. Those that have done so may formally join the Church thru:

After trusting Jesus as your personal Savior, the first step of obedience to Jesus is to identify with Him by baptism. At the time a believer is baptized, he or she can enter the membership of the church, so long as that person is ready to unite.

A believer may be affirmed into the membership if he or she has previously followed the Lord in believer’s baptism and has been included in the membership of another local church of like faith.

A believer who may not have been scripturally baptized in a church of like faith may join the church through a statement of faith by baptism. This would be fitting for a believer if the mode of baptism was not immersion of if the doctrine of the previous church differs from biblical teaching.

We believe the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, to be the inerrant and inspired words of God recorded and preserved by the work of the Spirit throughout history. We follow a literal, grammatical and historical method of interpretation. We affirm that the scriptures are our sole authority for faith and practice. The KJV is used in our Church services and Bible Studies.

We believe in one holy and loving God—eternal, self-existent, infinite, and immutable—and that He has one nature, essence, and substance; yet He manifests Himself to man in the Trinity as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. (Deuteronomy 6:4; 1 Timothy 1:17; James 1:17; 1 John 4:4)

We believe He is the first Person of the Trinity, and it was His voice that came from Heaven to affirm that Jesus was His Son. He is Whom our worship is addressed to, and to Him Jesus addressed His prayers. His love for the world is marked in His sending His Son to be the Savior. (Luke 2:22, 9:35, John 4:23, John 3:16, 17:1)

We believe that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh and the only Savior of mankind. We believe He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, and offered Himself on the cross as a substitutionary sacrifice for the sins of all mankind. We believe He resurrected bodily and ascended into Heaven where He now dwells until His return. (Isaiah 7:14, 9:6, 43:11; John 1:1, 3, 14, 18, 29; Romans 3:19–25; Romans 5:6–15; Philippians 2:5–11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18; 1 Timothy 2:5, 3:16; Titus 2:10–15; Hebrews 7:26, 9:24–28; 1 Peter 1:19, 2:2; 1 John 1:3; Revelation 20:1–6)

We believe the Holy Spirit of God is a Person of the Godhead whose ministry is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. He accomplishes this in convicting the unsaved of their sin under the wrath of God and presently indwelling and directing the development of believers and advancement of the Gospel in the world. The Holy Spirit is sent to regenerate, sanctify, seal, and indwell all who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ. (Genesis 1:2; John 3:5–6, 14:16; Acts 1:5, 11:15; 1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19–20; 1 Corinthians 12:13)

We believe that God created man and woman in His image and for His glory. Sadly, Adam rebelled against God’s Word and died spiritually. That spiritual death has been passed on to all his descendants. Due to this spiritual death, every person who comes into the world does not have a desire or ability to please God and is in need of responding in faith to God’s offer of redemption through Jesus Christ. (Genesis 1:26; 2:17; 3:1-7; Romans 3:10-18; 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-7)

We believe that God has provided and declared His love for humanity in the gift of His Son for the sins of the world. The message of the Gospel declares how sinners can be redeemed. God acted in His sovereignty to create a perfect world, and, as the crown of that creation, placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden to exhibit His glory and have a relationship with them. God gave them the Garden to be their home and provided great freedom in the choices they could make in what trees they could use for food. Adam and Eve, in the exercise of their free will, broke the command of God in yielding to the temptation of Satan and took fruit from the only tree that God forbade them to eat from. Their act of rebellion broke their union with God, and they died spiritually at that moment. Their unrighteous action brought guilt before God on themselves, and they passed on their fallen nature and condemnation to all their descendants. God immediately made known to them His plans to redeem them from the penalty and power of sin. He promised to send a Child of the woman that would one day deliver a death blow to sin and Satan who tempted them. Further, He promised that this blow would be delivered at a cost to this Man. The remainder of the Old Testament gives further promises and predictions regarding the coming of this Man. The New Testament makes clear that Jesus Christ is the One that God promised would come and that He provided Himself as the sacrifice needed to restore humanity to fellowship with God and remove the curse of sin. It is the responsibility of each person to respond to the proclamation of the Gospel in belief to become a child of God. God does not force a person against his will to obey the Gospel but, it is His will for all men to come to repentance. God will hold all people everywhere responsible based on how they have responded to the news of how they can be forgiven of their sin. All those that hear the good news of Jesus’ sacrificial death and believe Him as their Savior, by faith, will receive eternal life and forgiveness.

We believe the Church is the body of Christ in this world through which He is continuing His work of making the Gospel known. The Church has two expressions, the universal body of all those who have believed on Jesus as their Savior and local body made up of believers who have united themselves together to carry out the great commission and keep the ordinances delivered by Jesus of Baptism and The Lord’s Table. (Ephesians 1:16, 4:4, I Corinthians 12:13, Hebrews 12:22-24, I Corinthians 11:18, I Corinthians 16:1-2)

We believe that every Christian is a steward of the material gifts and talents God entrusted to him. Every Christian should grow in grace— understanding the generous heart of God and learning to reflect that heart with generosity toward God’s church and toward those in need. This generosity should be driven by grace (not obligation), empowered by gratitude, and flow from a willing and cheerful heart for the development of the church and advancement of the Gospel. (Genesis 14:20; Proverbs 3:9–10; Acts 4:34–37; 1 Corinthians 16:2; 2 Corinthians 9:6–7; Galatians 6:6; Ephesians 4:28; 1 Timothy 5:17–18; 1 John 3:17)

We believe it is the will of God for every believer to be conformed to the character of Christ in terms of his thoughts, words, and actions. Because God is holy, He commands His people to walk in the Spirit so they will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. We recognize God’s performance of this transformational work as we abide in Jesus. (Romans 8:29, Galatians 4:19, John 15:1-7)

We affirm all miracles as they are recorded in the Scriptures and believe they are the work and power of God being manifested in this world to accomplish His will and purposes. (John 5:36, 20:30-31)

We believe in the literal interpretation of the scriptures in context and with a dispensational view of Biblical prophecy. This literal approach provides the following timeline of future events: first, the rapture of the church, followed by a seven-year tribulation and the return of Jesus to the earth, followed by His literal rule of one thousand years ending with the Great White Throne Judgment, culminating with the creation of a new Heaven and new earth. (1 Corinthians 15:51–58; 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18, 5:1–9; Revelation 19–22)

Easton Baptist is an independent church – not a part of a denominational structure of hierarchy. We are a self-supporting and self-governing church under the headship of Jesus Christ. “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.” Acts 20:28 “And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.” Ephesians 1:22-23

We believe in the basic traditional doctrines of the Christian faith including a literal interpretation of the scriptures. We seek to remain separate from religious groups that deny or question the biblical doctrines of our faith. “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” Jude 3 The name Baptist specifies that God’s Word is our only and ultimate authority, as opposed to other church models that value traditions or other sources for doctrines and beliefs. We seek to pattern our church as closely as possible to what is revealed in the New Testament. “Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. 16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.” I Timothy 4:13,16 “Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.” Titus 1:9

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:” 2 Timothy 3:16 Also: John 17:17, Acts 17:11, 2 Peter 1:20-21

“And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.” Colossians 1:18 Also: Acts 13-14, 20:19-30, Ephesians 1:22-23

Every believer has equal and instant access to God. “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:14-16 Also: 1 Timothy 2:5-6, 1 Peter 2:5-10

Pastors (Elders) and Deacons. “Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:” Philippians 1:1 Also: Acts 6:1-7. 1 Timothy 3:1-3, Titus 1:6-9 1 Peter 5:1-4

Every man and woman must personally choose to come to Christ for salvation. “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” Romans 14:12 Also: Romans 10:9-17, 14:1-23

Our church is composed of members who have been saved and baptized, uniting for the purposes of worship, fellowship, and evangelism. “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. 42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” Acts 2:41-42 Also: Galatians 4:5-6, Ephesians 2:19-22, 1 Timothy 3:14-15

Baptism and the Lord’s Table (also known as communion). These ordinances have no part in salvation and only serve as memorial pictures of what Christ did for us. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:” Matthew 28:19 “For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: 24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.” 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 Also: Acts 2:38-43, 8:36-38, Romans 6:1-6

The state should have no power to intervene in the free expression of religious liberty. “They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.” Matthew 22:21 Also: Acts 5:29-31, Romans 13:1-4