Introduction
Wodonga District Baptist Church is a Christ-centered church which seeks to communicate the life-changing message of the Good News of Jesus Christ in a loving, relevant, contemporary and Biblical fashion. Within our church family are people from all walks of life, and from various social, cultural, economic and even religious backgrounds.
We feel this diversity is both healthy in that we can learn from and love each other, despite those differences. This diversity is also a basic tenet of Baptist principles by which we believe individuals have the right to their own personal interpretation of the Scriptures under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Within this diversity, however, we remain committed to some basic and funamental truths which we believe are essential to Biblical Christianity. To these truths we are totally committed.
Church History
In 1950, through the initiative of the fellowship of Albury Baptist Church, plans were made to commence a Baptist Church in Wodonga. At the time Wodonga was a country town of about 6000 people.
The first church building was erected in 1952 at Woodland Street and became the focal point of Baptist work for the next 30 years. Then came changes with a West Wodonga work commencing in a home and then the High School. By this time the city was developing and considerable housing was being erected in the western part of the city.
The church began to grow in numbers with this move. In 1984 the current land was purchased in Melrose Drive with a Manse being built in Parkview Close. This was followed by a church Building opened in 1991. This forms the centre part of the present complex, built largely by voluntary labour. This could accommodate around 300 people. Three years later a further addition was made with a hall and kitchen on the south end.
As the church began to grow in numbers the sanctuary became too small. In January 1999 and extension of the Sanctuary on the north end, which doubled its seating capacity, was opened. By this time the church was drawing over 700 adults and children and has continued to grow in numbers attracting all ages of people, especially the young adult age comprising many University students.
In September 2001 an adjacent unit was purchased to provide three counselling and consultant rooms for added staff. This development arose through the expanding needs of a growing church.
What We Believe - Statement of Faith
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We believe that the Bible is the fully inspired, infallible Word of God, without error in the original writings, and the absolute authority in matters of life and practice.
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We believe in one God, who eternally exists as the three Persons of the Trinity, and Jesus was both fully God and fully man. We believe that Jesus Christ was crucified, that he bodily rose from the dead, and ascended to sit at the right hand of the Father in heaven.
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We believe in the Holy Spirit - the third person of the Trinity, who regenerates, sanctifies, empowers and preserves believers to the heavenly kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that the Holy Spirit sovereignly distributes various gifts of service to believers, which are to be used wisely, lovingly and sensitively to the building up the whole church.
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We believe that people were created in the image of God, but through sin have become separated from God. Consequently, we believe that every person must acknowledge and confess their sin before God and seek salvation through faith in the substitutionary death of the Lord Jesus.
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We believe that the ordinances of "Believers baptism" and "Lord's supper" were established by Christ; Baptism being by immersion and in obedience to our Lord's command and a symbol of his death, burial and resurrection; the Lord's supper being a memorial, until He comes, of the sacrifice of the body and blood of the Lord.
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We believe in the unity of the true Church, the body and bride of Christ, which consists of those who are born again and for whom Chirst now make intercession in heaven.
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We believe in the imminent, visible and personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ, his gathering together of all believers and, ultimately, His personal, physical reign on earth.