Welcome to Columbia River Baptist Church

Message From the Pastor

My name is Dan Sheffield and I serve as the Pastor of the Columbia River Baptist Church in Columbia City, OR. I want to personally thank you for visiting our church website. The primary purpose for the Columbia River Baptist Church website is to sow the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ around the world. 

Columbia River Baptist Church is an independent Baptist church located near the Columbia River in northern Oregon. Our fellowship is centered around our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, and God's Word. We are a Bible preaching, Bible teaching, Bible centered, New Testament church.
 

 If you are in our area, I extend an invitation to you to visit with us. To all, I ask you to stop back by our website from time to time as we will be continually improving, updating and adding to the site.
 

 Let me close this note with a verse from John 14:6. The Lord Jesus Christ said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." My prayer is that this website will lead you to know our Savior. If you already know Him as your Lord and Savior, I pray what is on this website will help you to grow in His grace and knowledge.

                                                                           May God bless you,

                                              Pastor Dan Sheffield

What We Believe

1. The Holy Scriptures:  We believe the Authorized Version (KJV) of the Old and New Testaments to be the verbally and plenary inspired Word of God. The Scriptures are infallible, inerrant  and God-breathed, and therefore are the final authority for faith and life. The sixty-six books of the Old Testament and New Testament are the complete and divine revelation of God to man. The Scriptures shall be interpreted according to their normal grammatical-historical meaning. We believe that the Bible reveals God, the Fall of Man, the Way of Salvation, and God’s Purpose for the Ages.(I Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21). 

2. God:  We believe in one Triune God, existing eternally in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, each co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14; John 14:10,26).

 

A. God the Father:  Perfect in holiness, infinite in wisdom, rich in grace, supreme in love, and measureless in power.  He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of all mankind, He hears and answers prayer, and He saves from sin and death all who come to Him in faith through Jesus Christ.

 

B. God the Son, Jesus Christ: 

    (a) We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, that He became man, without ceasing to be God. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men (Isaiah 7:14; 9:6; Luke 1:35; John 1:1-2, 14; 2 Corinthians 5:19-21; Galatians 4:4-5; Philippians 2:5-8).
    (b) We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; and, that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead (Acts 2:18-36; Romans 3:24-25; 1 Peter 2:24; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:3-5).
    (c)We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven, and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate (Acts 1:9-10; Hebrews 9:24; 7:25; Romans 8:34; 1 John 2:1-2).

 

C. God the Holy Spirit: 

   (a) We believe that the Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Holy Trinity, who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and, that He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption (John 18:8-11; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; 2 Corinthians 3:6; Ephesians  1:13-14.)
   (b) We believe that He is the Divine Teacher who assists believers to understand and appropriate the Scriptures (Ephesians 1:17-18; 5:18; 1 John 2:20, 27).

   (c) We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowal of spiritual gifts to every believer. God uniquely uses evangelists, pastors, and teachers to equip believers in the assembly in order that they can do the work of the ministry (Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, 28; Ephesians 4:7-12).
    (d) We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and the gifts of healing, were temporary. We believe that speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of the baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit and that ultimate deliverance of the body from sickness or death awaits the consummation of our salvation in the resurrection.(1 Cor. 1:22; 13:8; 14:21-22).
    (e) We believe that the modern day charismatic movement is not Scriptural; therefore, we abstain from any involvement with this movement and any of its practices.

 

3. Man:  We believe that man was created in the image of God but because of Adam’s transgression (disobedience) that the whole human race fell.  Because of this, all men, without Christ are spiritually dead and lost.  All men everywhere are sinners, both by nature and by choice.  To die in this condition is to be damned forever and eternally separated from God.

 

4. Satan:  We believe in a personal devil (Satan) who is presumptuous, proud, powerful, wicked, malignant, subtle, deceitful, religious, and fierce.  He was cast out of Heaven and is now prince of the air and this world system.  He caused the fall of man, is his constant adversary, and seeks to beguile, tempt, accuse, and devour him.  He opposes the work of God, hinders the Gospel, and works lying miracles (wonders).  Satan has already been judged and someday will be cast into the lake of fire to be tormented day and night, forever and forever.

5. Salvation:  We believe that salvation is only through the blood of Christ.  To obtain this salvation is to repent of one’s sin toward God and to have faith toward Christ (to receive Him in the heart by faith) Rom 10:9.  This great salvation is solely by grace, a free gift, through the shed blood of the Son of God.  The blood of Jesus Christ was shed for the sins of the whole world (all mankind).  As a work of God’s grace and not man’s works, it is an eternal work.  Those who are truly saved can never be lost again.  Those who are truly saved will persevere until the end.  It entails what Christ called the new birth, being born again from above by the Word of God (the instrument), and the Spirit of God (The Person).

6. Heaven & Hell:  We believe that Heaven and Hell are literal places, prepared by God as the only eternal abodes of mankind.  All those who have been saved (born-again) shall live eternally with God in Heaven.  All those without Christ (devoid of spiritual life) shall abide in Hell. Death and Hell shall be cast into the lake of fire, where the lost shall be eternally separated from God.

7. Church:  We believe the New Testament Church is a local Body of baptized believers banded together for worship, work, and spiritual fellowship, spreading the Gospel to the ends of the earth.  The local church is to be governed independently of outside persons, groups or authorities. The local church has Jesus Christ as its head and the Holy Spirit as its guide.  The authority to carry on the work of God in this dispensation is given to the local church.  As such, all Christians and all Christian ministries should be the ministry of, and accountable to, a local New Testament church.  Scripture knows nothing concerning the authority of, or accountability to a universal church.  Each local church is to be independent, autonomous, and free from political authority or ecclesiastical hierarchy.  We believe in separation of church and state.  The officers of the church are pastor (i.e. bishops or elders) and deacons (not required) whose qualifications, claims, and duties are clearly defined in the Holy Scriptures (KJV).

8. Ordinances:  There are two ordinances that have been given to the local church. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.  These two ordinances are for believers only and to be administered by the local church.

   

• Baptism:  The prerequisite to Scriptural baptism is the new birth. We believe that the only Scriptural baptism is by complete immersion in water, in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.   Baptism does not have saving power, but is the first step of obedience of every Christian. Baptism identifies the new believer with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. Scriptural baptism must be administered by a local, New Testament, Bible-believing church.
• The Lord’s Supper:  We believe that the Lord’s Supper consists of unleavened bread, and unfermented fruit of the vine. We believe that they are symbols that represent the body and the blood of Jesus Christ, which was broken and poured out on the cross for our sins.  The prerequisites to Scriptural observance of the Lord’s Supper are the new birth, and Scriptural baptism.  Those receiving the Lord’s Supper are to be members of the local church where being administered.  There is no Scriptural grounds for the practice of Open Communion whereby anyone is invited to take of the elements.

Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are the only ordinances of the New Testament assemblies and are not for believers apart from the assemblies.

9. Separation:  We believe in Bible separation, that is, to be set apart from the world, sin, self, and Satan, and to be separated “unto the praise of His glory” and the furtherance of the Gospel.  We believe in being separated from pride, lying, tattling, backbiting, envy, jealousy, bitterness, malice, foolish talking, ingratitude, covetousness, and any other sin of the flesh or spirit.  We believe in being separated from the world, and therefore not participating or indulging in the things of this world, its organizations and lodges, or being a part of anything that dishonors our Lord or jeopardizes the Gospel.  This is only possible through the power of the Holy Spirit when He fills and controls our life.  True separation can only come when we are filled with His Spirit.

 

We believe that every believer is born of the Spirit, and are filled with the Spirit. They should walk in the Spirit, and should be led by the Spirit,  that by His power and grace we might bear the fruit of the Spirit.  Every Christian is baptized by the Holy Spirit into the family of God at the time of the new birth, but the power of the Spirit is a daily requirement and need in our lives.

10. Witness:  We believe that all believers are to be a witness unto the lost for Christ.  We believe that all believers have certain God-given gifts and are stewards for God. Some are called to preach or to other special tasks.  We also believe that all who have rejected the Gospel or have never heard the Gospel are lost and that it is every believer’s responsibility to help get the Gospel to them.  The individual Christian and the local church should do everything in their power to get the Gospel to the ends of the world through both local and foreign missions.

11. Creation:  We believe in the Genesis account of creation as literal and factual. We believe therefore that God created all that exists in 6 literal days.  God spoke and it was!  Our God is big enough to do all that He did without the need of millions or billions of years.  The fact that God created a mature earth, and that earth was later covered in a worldwide flood, leaves scientists with the impression that it took millions or billions of years when in fact it was all accomplished in 6 days.  We would also deny the need of any gap theory between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2.