What is the Baptist Faith and Message?

The Baptist Faith and Message (often shortened to BF&M) is a confessional document adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) to summarize the core beliefs and teachings that guide its churches. While Baptists traditionally emphasize the authority of Scripture alone (“sola Scriptura”) as the final standard for faith and practice, the Baptist Faith and Message serves as a doctrinal framework—a way of articulating how Southern Baptists collectively interpret key biblical truths. It is not inspired Scripture, nor is it binding in the same sense that creeds might be in other traditions, but it functions as a statement of consensus, identity, and cooperation among Baptist churches.

The first edition of the Baptist Faith and Message was written in 1925, modeled in part on the New Hampshire Confession of Faith from the 19th century. The 1925 version sought to unify Baptists in a rapidly changing culture and to counter rising liberalism, especially in academic and theological circles. A revision followed in 1963, reflecting tensions of that era, particularly debates raised by neo-orthodoxy and questions concerning biblical authority. The most recent edition, adopted in 2000, addressed additional contemporary concerns such as the family, gender roles in church leadership, and the exclusivity of salvation through Jesus Christ. Each revision has preserved the broad evangelical convictions of Baptists while responding to new cultural and theological challenges.

The opening section of the Baptist Faith and Message highlights one of the hallmarks of Baptist life: the authority of Scripture. Article I emphatically states that the Bible is “a perfect treasure of divine instruction” and fully inspired by God, serving as the ultimate authority in all matters of truth and practice (2 Timothy 3:16-17). For Baptists, this means that every subsequent article of faith is grounded in the revealed Word of God, not in tradition or ecclesiastical authority.

Beyond its emphasis on Scripture, the Baptist Faith and Message sets forth a distinctly Trinitarian understanding of God, affirming the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as co-equal and co-eternal. It also gives careful attention to Jesus Christ as the unique Son of God who became incarnate, provided atonement through His death on the cross, rose from the dead, and will return in glory. In its treatment of salvation, the Baptist Faith and Message insists that redemption comes by grace through faith alone (Ephesians 2:8–9), rejecting any reliance on human works. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are affirmed as ordinances rather than sacraments, underscoring Baptist convictions that these acts do not confer grace in themselves but serve as symbolic testimonies to the gospel.

The Baptist Faith and Message also addresses the nature of the church. It emphasizes the autonomy of the local congregation under the lordship of Christ, yet it affirms the importance of voluntary cooperation among Baptist churches for missions, evangelism, and education. Articles in the 2000 revision added specific language about the family, affirming marriage as a covenant between one man and one woman and clarifying the complementary roles of men and women in the home and church.

Ultimately, the Baptist Faith and Message functions as a guide for unity. By clearly stating what Southern Baptists hold in common, it allows diverse congregations to cooperate in evangelism, missions, and doctrinal teaching without confusion. While it never takes precedence over Scripture itself, it reflects Baptists’ commitment to contend for the faith “that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3). In this way, the Baptist Faith and Message serves both as a confession of faith and as a living testimony to Baptists’ desire to remain faithful to the Word of God in every generation.