Our Core Values

Second Baptist Church is a Southern Baptist Church located in the heart of Southern Illinois. We are conservative in doctrine and committed to historic Baptist principles. An explanation of our core values provides a description of our church:

The Glory of God

We believe the church (and every believer) exists for the glory of God. Every ministry of the church and every avenue of congregational life must seek to bring God glory above all, and help equip Christians to live their lives to honor and exalt the Lord.

Christ-Centered

We believe Christ deserves the full reward for His suffering. We believe Christ should be preeminent, not merely prominent in the daily lives of believers, and in every facet of church life.

Expository Preaching

We believe verse-by-verse expositional preaching is the preferred method of proclaiming the truth of the Bible.

Biblical Teaching

We believe the educational ministry of the church should help believers of all ages and levels of maturity. We believe in teaching the historic doctrines of the faith, and desire that learning develop knowledge that manifests itself in Christian living and Kingdom service.

Developing Strong Families

We believe in teaching the principles of Biblical manhood and womanhood, and are committed to helping parents teach and train their children in Godliness. Our youth and children’s ministries are designed to supplement and support the teaching of children by their parents.

World Evangelization

We believe that the local church must endeavor to proclaim the Gospel in its own community and around the globe. We believe the Biblical Gospel is the sufficient and exclusive means by which God coverts sinners, and must be taken to all peoples through faithful stewardship of finances and personal evangelism.

Fervent Prayer

We believe God’s people should labor in prayer for the salvation of souls, the edification of the church, all those in authority, and the well-being of those in need.

God-Honoring Worship

We believe worship should be God-centered, with an emphasis on the preaching and reading of the Scriptures, and doctrinally sound music.