Our Mission Statement
To build up the body of Christ by providing and supporting Christian outreach, worship, fellowship, discipleship, and service in the English speaking expat community.
History
Baku International Fellowship began in 1999, as a Sunday school for the children of ex-pats here in Baku. Since then it has evolved into a body of 300+ believers, from over 20 countries, registered with the government of Azerbaijan. We believe Baku International Fellowship is on the verge of some exciting new work of God!
Membership
If you are interested in becoming a Member of BIF, please speak with an Elder. Membership is open to adult Christian believers who participate regularly, agree to support BIF financially and in prayer, accept the BIF Statement of Faith, and plan on being in Baku for six months or more.
Our Statement of Faith
Preamble
We, the members of Baku International Fellowship, make the following statements in regard to faith in God.
Article I: Purpose
We believe that the Bible truthfully describes our need for forgiveness and reconciliation with God, and that it faithfully records God’s answer—His Son, Jesus Christ. In accordance with God’s Word, we summarize all that we do as a Christian fellowship in four simple categories: Worship, Teaching, Fellowship, and Service (Acts 2:42).
Section 1: Worship
We pledge ourselves to “bow down in worship and kneel before the Lord, our Maker, for He is our God and we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care.” (Psalm 95:6-7) We recognize that worship is the appropriate expression of our love and awe with which we proclaim that God is the one, true God who made us, loves us, and, in His infinite mercy, provided the way for salvation and eternal fellowship with Him.
Section 2: Teaching
We pledge ourselves to teach and study God’s word, observing His admonition to “do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the Word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15). We acknowledge that God, commanding us to “set apart Christ as Lord and always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have, doing so with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15), has called us to teach His word to edify the body of believers and proclaim the good news of salvation.
Section 3: Fellowship
We pledge ourselves to fellowship with God and, through Him, with our fellow believers, because Jesus commands us to “love one another even as I have loved you” (John 13:34) so that “all men will know that you are My disciples.” (John 13:35) Therefore, we commit to fellowship willingly, “not forsaking assembling together…[and]…encouraging one another” (Hebrews 10:25), for Jesus promised that “where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:20).
Section 4: Service
We pledge ourselves to faithfully serve one another and those around us with the gifts that God has given us, remembering that our Lord Jesus Christ “came not to be served but to serve.” (Matthew 20:28) In doing so, we observe the Lord’s commandment to serve God (Luke 4:8) by serving His people, for His Word tells us that “as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.” (Matthew 25:40)
Article II: Doctrine
We hereby declare that our common faith is based solely on the the Bible, because “all scripture is inspired by God.” (2 Timothy 3:16). We interpret the teachings of the Bible in accordance with the primary Christian creeds (Apostles and Nicene).
Section 1: Nature of God
We believe in the one true, triune God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), Creator and Sustainer of “the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1), a personal God who has committed Himself to us through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Section 2: Creation of Man
We believe that “God created man in His own image, male and female,” (Genesis 1:27) with the choice to freely worship Him and enjoy eternal fellowship with Him.
Section 3: Man’s Problem–Universal Sin and Separation from God
We believe that all men and women instead choose to reject God (“all have sinned”—Romans 3:23) and as a result are condemned to permanent separation from God (“the wages of sin are death”—Romans 6:23).
Section 4: God’s Answer–Jesus Christ’s Eternal Love
We believe that God, however, “so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever should believe in Him would not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). We believe that Jesus Christ, God incarnate, lived a perfect life, but took our sin upon Himself and let Himself be crucified for our sake, and then rose from the dead to prove God’s power over sin and death for all who accept Him (John 1).
Section 5: Repentance and Salvation
We believe that all who repent of sin and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are “born again” (John 3:3) and filled with the Holy Spirit, through Whom alone comes eternal fellowship with God (John 14:3-6), and that all who do so become part of the body of Christ, represented on earth by His church, dedicated to fulfilling His will (I Corinthians 12).