WHO WE ARE

Statement of faith

1. All Scripture is verbally inspired as originally written and therefore infallible and inerrant. The Bible is the Word of God. We cannot accept the misleading statement, "The Bible contains the Word of God."
   II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:21; Matthew 5:18; I Corinthians 2:13
2. There is one living and true God who exists in three Persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Father is God; the Son is God; and the Holy Spirit is God.
   Matthew 28:19; II Corinthians 13:14; John 14:20; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1, 14; Hebrews 1:8-10; Acts 5:3-4
   
3. The Lord Jesus Christ was born of a virgin.
   Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38
4. Christ rose bodily from the dead and ascended unto God the Father.
   Matthew 28; Mark 16; I Corinthians 15; Romans 1:4
5. Christ will return.
   (a). First, for the "dead in Christ" who will be resurrected bodily; and for those who are alive at His coming. This resurrection not only precedes His return to earth to reign 1,000 years, but also precedes the Tribulation.
   I Thessalonians 4:13-18, 5:9
   (b). Then to reign 1,000 years on the earth
   Revelation 20:1-6; II Timothy 2:12
6. All men inherit a depraved nature and are lost sinners in need of salvation.
   Romans 3:9-19; Ephesians 2:1-3
7. God has provided salvation through offering His Son on the cross of Calvary, and allowing His blood to be shed to atone for our sins.
   Romans 3:25; Hebrews 9:22
8. We are saved and justified when we recognize ourselves as sinners, and we put our trust in Christ as the Son of God and His finished work on the cross of Calvary. Salvation is by grace through faith plus nothing.
   Romans 3:24, 4:5; Ephesians 2:8-9
9. Once saved, we cannot be lost; we are eternally secure in Christ.
   John 3:16; Philippians 1:6; John 10:27-29; Romans 8:38-39
10. We should regularly and consistently remember the Lord's death for us in the Lord's Supper.
    I Corinthians 11:23-32
11. All believers, and only believers, should be baptized by immersion.
    Acts 2:41, 19:4-5; Matthew 28:19-20
12. The Bible teaches the eternal blessedness of the saved. It also teaches the eternal punishment of the lost in the Lake of Fire.
    John 4:14, 5:24; Ephesians 2:7; John 5:28-29; Revelation 20:10, 15
13. The grace of God teaches us "to live soberly, righteously, godly."
    (a). Looking for the blessed hope of His returning for us.
    Titus 2:13
    (b). Setting "our affection on things above, not on things on the earth."
    Colossians 3:2-3; I John 2:15-17
    (c). Living a life of separation from the world and "unto God."
    II Corinthians 6:14-18; Romans 1:1

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Baptist Distinctives

_Colonial Hills is a traditional, independent, fundamental Baptist church. The name Baptist was born during times of persecution.  The Baptist people were first called Anabaptists, which means rebaptizers! These people were persecuted for refusing baptism for their infants. They believed instead that the Bible teaches only believers are to be baptized (Acts 2:41, 8:36-38).  Along with believers’ baptism, the Baptist church has traditionally been known for the following distinctives that Colonial Hills Baptist Church holds dear:

B – Biblical Authority for Faith and Practice (II Tim. 3:15-16). We reject the authority of tradition and church counsels. We stand on the authority of God’s Word alone (Is. 8:20).

A – The Autonomy of the Local Church. The church, as a congregation, is responsible for all decisions pertaining to church officers (Acts 6:1-5), dispersement of funds (I Cor. 16:1-3), doctrinal statements (Acts 15), commission of missionaries (Acts 13), and discipline of its members (Matt. 18: 15-17; I Cor. 5). As an autonomous local Baptist congregation, Colonial Hills Baptist Church is a self-governing congregational assembly not aligned with any denomination or obligated to its oversight.

P – The Individual Priesthood of the Believer (I Peter 2:5, 9).  The New Testament declares that every born-again believer can access the very throne of God through “one Mediator, the man Christ Jesus” (I Tim. 2:5).  Each professing believer is a practicing priest who represents God to man and man to God.

T – Two Biblical Ordinances. 1.) Believer’s Baptism (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:41; 8:36-38) by immersion, and 2.) The Lord’s Supper (I Cor. 11:23-26) as an ongoing remembrance of the sacrifice of the Savior for our sins.  

I – Individual Soul Liberty (II Tim. 2:15).  Every believer will one day give account for his or her own decisions and actions before the Judgment Seat of Christ (II Cor. 5:10). Therefore we must respect every believer’s right to read, interpret, and practice what is taught in Scripture as he or she lives and walks in the liberties enjoyed through Christ.  

S – Saved Church Membership (Acts 2:41f).  Every member of Colonial Hills Baptist Church must profess Christ as personal Savior (Rom. 10:13).  

T – Two Church Offices: the pastor and the deacon (I Tim. 3; Phil. 1:1). We believe that the words pastor, elder, and bishop refer to the same office (I Pet. 5:1-4; Acts 20:17, 28-30). We refer to our elders as pastors, believing that the word pastor is a term of endearment and relationship (Acts 20:28-30), elder a term of respect and authority, and bishop one of administrative position (I Tim. 3:1).  Deacons are to be spiritual men who strive to meet the needs of others. They serve under the oversight of the pastors and are elected by the congregation (Acts 6:1-7).

S – Separation of Church and State (Matt. 22:21). Having been persecuted by state churches in England, Switzerland, France, and the American Colonies, the Baptist people advocated the separation of the church from the state. Americans enjoy the freedom of religion because colonial American Baptists demonstrated for religious freedom in Rhode Island and Virginia and finally secured it through the 1st amendment to our constitution.

Colonial Hills Baptist Church is pleased to be known as a traditional, historic, balanced, Bible-based, evangelistically-fervent, family-friendly Baptist church.

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connecting to our core

Click here for expanded messages on our beliefs.

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connecting to our covenant

Click here for expanded messages on our covenant

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our heritage

In 1957 God stirred the hearts of a small group of people to help establish a church on the northeast side of Indianapolis. Led by a young pastor, Wendell Heller, they formulated their statement of faith, found an old church building, and organized church services. Their goals were to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to the surrounding community and to exalt His name. As they prayed for and shared the gospel with neighbors and friends, the congregation grew. In 1958 they tore down the old church and built a new one in its place. A few years later they added a larger sanctuary to accommodate their growing numbers. In the 1960s and 1970s their opportunities to reach the community multiplied. A youth program, children's Bible school, radio broadcasts, a prison ministry, a counseling ministry-all helped them to proclaim the redeeming power of Jesus Christ. In 1976 Colonial Christian School began and additional property was purchased across the street from the church. Then in 1985 the congregation dedicated a new sanctuary on this property. In 1989 Colonial Hills Baptist Church changed leadership. Dr. Heller began an itinerant ministry to other churches and foreign mission fields, and Dr. Bob Taylor was called to be the senior pastor. Under his teaching, the congregation continued to grow in understanding of and obedience to God's Word. In August of 2009, Dr. Taylor retired after twenty years of ministry, and Dr. Charles Phelps became the senior pastor. For over fifty years, Colonial Hills Baptist Church has enjoyed and testified of the abundant riches of God's grace.