Who We Are

Jefferson Park Baptist Church is a fellowship of baptized believers in the Lord Jesus Christ who have made a covenant commitment to each other, before the Lord, to strive to live out the claims of the gospel on our lives in this local church body. We have heard Jesus call us to a life of committed discipleship: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). We affirm that God has called us not only “to believe” in Jesus but also “to belong” to his body. We, therefore, desire to follow the model of the New Testament church, as we live a life of covenant faithfulness in the Lord: “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:42).

Our Purpose

Our mission as a church body is to be faithful to the Great Commission that Jesus gave to his disciples: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).

What We Believe

Our basic beliefs are summarized in the Baptist Faith and Message, a confession of faith approved by the Southern Baptist Convention.

We also affirm the core values of the Reformation tradition:

Scripture Alone (Sola Scriptura): We believe in the authority of the Bible: “Learn in us not to think beyond what is written” (1 Corinthians 4:6).
Faith Alone (Sola Fide): We believe that salvation is by faith in Christ alone: “Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness” (Romans 4:4-5).
Grace Alone (Sola Gratia): We believe that salvation is by grace and not by works: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
For the Glory of God Alone (Soli Deo Gloria): We believe in the sovereignty of God: “And I will not give My glory to another” (Isaiah 48:11).
Christ Alone (Solus Christus): We believe in salvation through Christ alone: “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

Our church constitution (as amended March 2004): PDF | MS Word

Our church covenant (Article III of the constitution): PDF | MS Word

Where We Come From

JPBC began in 1960 as an intentional mission of the First Baptist Church, Charlottesville, Virginia to serve the Jefferson Park Avenue community. With time, Jefferson Park Baptist Church has become a strong church that ministers to the larger Charlottesville/Albemarle community.

On the state level, we recently voted to affiliate with the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia (SBCV). On the national level, we are part of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC).