The Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship of Pennsylvania was formed under the leadership of our International Presiding Bishop, Paul S. Carter is our State Overseer Designee. FULL GOSPEL DISTINCTIVES
1. We believe the Full Gospel includes: (A) the proclamation of both the eternal power of Calvary and the potential power of Pentecost; (B) the baptizing power of Jesus Christ for salvation because of Calvary, and (C) the filling/controlling power of the Holy Ghost for service and Holy victorious living because of Pentecost.
2. We believe in the perpetual and continuing ecclesiastical value of all spiritual gifts for the edification of the body of Christ until the end of this Church Age, which will be consummated by the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.
3. We believe in the Divine personhood of the Holy Spirit and His present-day ministry to believers, which includes the sovereign distribution of spiritual gifts to believers for empowerment for service in the contemporary church.
4. We believe in Jesus Christ as the sovereign giver of spiritual gifts to the church. We believe spiritual gifts are given for the perfecting of the Saints, for work of the ministry, and for the edifying of the Body of Christ and are given without regard to ethnicity, social class, or gender.
5. We believe in the full autonomy of the local church as an independent entity under the Lordship of Christ, through pastoral authority, with regards to: A) government, polity, and operations,
B) discipline, and C) with the added value of the Episcopacy as a covering.
6. We believe in the value of biblical terminology of leadership in the contemporary church: Bishop, Overseer, Pastor, Minister, Elder, and Deacon. We believe all of these are designations for servant-leaders.
7. We believe in the formal and intentional praise and worship of the Almighty God as a proper, spirit-led, corporate acknowledgment and response to His person and work.
8. We believe in Jesus Christ as the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit whereby He by means of the Holy Spirit, brings men and women at salvation into relationship with Himself and His Body, the Church.
9. Believers are never commanded to be baptized with the Holy Ghost; it is in fact the baptism of the Holy Ghost that makes one a part of the Body of Christ. All believers have been baptized by Christ with the Holy Ghost.
10. We believe in the indwelling of the Holy Ghost for all Believers and that the Holy Ghost verifies and validates the Believer as part of the Body of Christ.
11. We believe in the spirit-filled life as desirable, valuable, and an issue of obedience for all Believers who are commanded to be filled with the Holy Ghost. We acknowledge that within the Body of Christ, the term, “filled with the Holy Ghost” is often used interchangeably with the term, “baptism of the Holy Ghost.” When referring to the controlling presence and power of the Holy Ghost, as a result of the submissive will and desire of the Believer, we allow such alternation of terms. We believe it is the will and command of God that every Believer be “filled,” “walk in,” be “led by,” and “live in” the power of the Holy Ghost.
12. We believe that it is God’s desire that all believers live under the “Divine Direction” of the Holy Ghost. We believe that the filling of the Holy Ghost is an ongoing ministry of the Spirit in the life of the Believer, that enables the Believer to live a life of power, victory, and glory to God
Compendium on Distinctives VIII and X
13. We believe the baptism of the Holy Ghost and the filling of the Holy Ghost are distinct, separate, valid, and valuable ministries of the Holy Ghost which may occur simultaneously at salvation. A) Being filled with the Holy Ghost may and should occur subsequent to salvation in obedience to biblical exhortation. B) The baptism of the Holy Ghost occurs once and for all at salvation. C) Being filled with the Holy Ghost should not only be a continuous reality, but an ongoing characteristic of the believer’s consecrated holiness.
