The First Baptist Church of Berkeley (FBCB) is a theologically open congregation committed to living out the Baptist tradition in today's world. Being non-creedal, we are inclusive of the various ways people come to know and experience God in Jesus Christ. We affirm the freedom of the local congregation to determine the content of its own worship, preaching, and mission. Individual members are free to express their faith and interpret scripture for themselves. We affirm that the Gospel of Jesus Christ offers all people strength and purpose for life. We affirm God's continuing revelation through scripture, the human family, and our individual faith experiences. With these, we integrate contributions from the various areas of human activity, including the sciences, philosophy, and the arts, in continuing to develop our understanding of God's revelation.
The church is a source of fellowship for nourishing our faith and growth through the mutual care of one another. FBCB is committed to that faith which grows in the interdependency of our community as well as in our individual lives. We are in covenant with the First Congregational Church of Berkeley. FBCB is committed to an ecumenical ministry in our community and the world.
FBCB corporately experiences the presence of God through preaching, prayer, and congregational singing, led by clergy and laity. Each week we celebrate together our faith experience through a variety of sources from Baptist traditions and the wider community of faith.
FBCB affirms that providing strength for the oppressed and encouragement for the disenfranchised are fundamental to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Through corporate and individual efforts FBCB members actively support projects for the hungry and homeless. We support the liberation of all the oppressed. We affirm women in professional ministry. We welcome and affirm lesbian, gay, and bisexual people in all lay and professional ministries. Believing that God's grace and redemptive love embrace all, we endeavor to be reconcilers in the world. FBCB also has a tradition of emphasizing the role of education in the church, integrating both educational and spiritual growth with the Christian experience. Over the years we have both supported and benefited from university and seminary students participating in our community life. Historically, we have been involved with many students of the American Baptist Seminary of the West, especially through the Ministers in Training program, and continue to be a local church support for that institution.