About us...
We would like to introduce you to our Pastor, Layne Lashley, and his family. If you are also interested in what we believe, you may scroll down this page to "Our Beliefs" section. Thank you for taking the time in getting to know us!
Our Pastor...
Pastor Layne Lashley began as pastor of the Calvary Baptist Church in August of 2008. He was born and raised in the Greensboro, North Carolina area. Upon graduation from High school he enlisted in the U.S. Army and served overseas until Jan of 1992. On April 15, 1989 while enlisted, he married Ericka Chrzanowski. Upon being honorably discharged in January of 1992 Pastor and Mrs. Lashley move to Lakeland, FL and became members of the Calvary Baptist Church. It was there that the Lord called the both of them into full time Christian Service, Pastor and Mrs. Lashley’s oldest daughter Rebekah became a part of their family in Lakeland as well. The call to full time Christian Service was followed by a call to prepare. In June of 1996, the Lord, very clearly, led them to The Crown College in Powell, TN, they made the move From Lakeland, FL, to Powell, TN, in October of 1997 and began classes in January of 1998. During this preparation time, Rachel, their 2nd daughter was added to their family. Pastor finished his studies in Pastoral Ministries in December of 2001 and in May of 2002 received a Bachelors Degree in Pastoral Ministry. Mrs. Lashley was able to graduate from the Evening School of the Bible at Crown College in May of 2002 as well. The Lord then led them to the Victory Baptist Church in Staunton, VA to be an assistant to Dr. Rader Ogden, it was here that the Lord gave them their Son Jared. They served at Victory for approximately five years, from December of 2001 until October of 2006. They were then directed by the Lord back to the Temple Baptist Church and Crown College from October 2006 to June of 2008. It was during this time that Pastor surrendered to the call to Pastor the Calvary Baptist Church here in Gays, IL.
Our Beliefs...
1. We believe that the Bible is the Divinely inspired Word of God; accepting fully the writings of the Old and New Testaments as the very Word of God, verbally inspired in all parts and therefore wholly without error as originally given of God, altogether sufficient in themselves as our only infallible rule of faith and practice. II Timothy 3:16; I Peter 1:12; John 10:35
2. We believe in one triune God, eternally existing in three persons, Father, son, and Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19; John 10:30; John 4:24
3. We believe in God the Father, perfect in holiness, infinite in wisdom, measureless in power. We rejoice that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through the Lord Jesus Christ. John 3:16
4. We believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal and only begotten Son of God; Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He was true God and true Man, sinless in His life, making atonement for the world by His death. We believe in His bodily resurrection, His ascension and visible return to the World according to His promise. We believe His present work is that of High Priest, Advocate, and Intercessor in which capacity He appears before the face of God on our behalf. Isaiah 53:5,6; Galatians 3:13; Matthew 20:28; Luke 24:36-43; John 20: 25-28; Hebrews 9:24; I John 2:1
5. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the third person of the trinity, Who having come forth from God, convinces the world of sin and of righteousness and judgement; Who also, regenerates, sanctifies, comforts, indwells, enlightens, empowers, baptizes, guides, and teaches, all who become children of God through Faith in Jesus Christ. Matthew 28: 18; Genesis 1:2; John 16:8-11; I Corinthians 3:16; I Corinthians 6:19; Romans 8:14
6. We believe that men by nature and by choice are sinners; that men became sinners through the fall of Adam; that Adam sinned and thereby incurred not only physical death but also spiritual death, which is separation from God; that all those descended from Adam are born with a sinful nature and, in the case of those who reach moral responsibility, become sinners in thought, word, and deed. Genesis 1:26-28; Genesis 3:1-24; Ephesians 2:3; Romans 3:23; Romans 5:12; and John 8:42-44
7. We believe in salvation by Grace through Faith; that repentance and faith are the one condition of salvation; that men are justified by the shed blood of the Lord Jesus through faith in His finished Work on the Cross. Therefore, those who accept Christ as Saviour will rejoice forever in God’s presence, and those who refuse to accept Christ as Saviour will be forever separated from God. Acts 13:38; Ephesians 2:8,9; John 3:16; Acts 16:31; Romans 5:1,9
8. We believe the Church is a local, visible, independent body of baptized believers, voluntarily associated together in the faith and fellowship of the Gospel, to keep the faith and ordinances as they were delivered, and to preach the Gospel to all the world; recognizing no head but Christ, and no book of law but the Bible.
9. We believe the Bible to teach two ordinances for Christians; Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Baptism we understand to be the immersion in water of confessing, regenerated believers to symbolize identity with Christ in death, burial and resurrection. The Lord’s Supper we understand to be the partaking of the simple elements,(unleavened) bread and (unfermented) wine, as symbols only, in remembrance of Jesus’ broken body and shed blood for sin and as a prophecy of His coming again. Romans 12:1,2; James 4:4; I John 2:15, 16; II Corinthians 6:14-18
10. We believe that every human being is responsible to God alone in all matters of faith; that each church is independent and autonomous and must be kept separate and free from interference by any ecclesiastical or political authority; that, therefore, Church and State must be kept separate as having different functions, each fulfilling its duties free from dictation or patronage of the other.
11. We believe in the personal, visible, pre-millennial, pre-tribulation, and imminent return of our Lord for His Church according to His promise. Acts 1:11; I Thessalonians 4:16,17; Titus 2:11-13
12. We believe that God is Holy and commands His saints to be Holy also. Therefore, we believe that every Christian should live in separation from every worldly and sinful practice, “Abstaining from the appearance of evil” and “presenting their bodies a living sacrifice unto God” ; they should seek to have “the mind of the Lord Jesus” and “follow in His steps.” Romans 12:1,2; James 4:4d; I John 2:15,16, II Corinthians 6:14-16
2. We believe in one triune God, eternally existing in three persons, Father, son, and Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19; John 10:30; John 4:24
3. We believe in God the Father, perfect in holiness, infinite in wisdom, measureless in power. We rejoice that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through the Lord Jesus Christ. John 3:16
4. We believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal and only begotten Son of God; Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He was true God and true Man, sinless in His life, making atonement for the world by His death. We believe in His bodily resurrection, His ascension and visible return to the World according to His promise. We believe His present work is that of High Priest, Advocate, and Intercessor in which capacity He appears before the face of God on our behalf. Isaiah 53:5,6; Galatians 3:13; Matthew 20:28; Luke 24:36-43; John 20: 25-28; Hebrews 9:24; I John 2:1
5. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the third person of the trinity, Who having come forth from God, convinces the world of sin and of righteousness and judgement; Who also, regenerates, sanctifies, comforts, indwells, enlightens, empowers, baptizes, guides, and teaches, all who become children of God through Faith in Jesus Christ. Matthew 28: 18; Genesis 1:2; John 16:8-11; I Corinthians 3:16; I Corinthians 6:19; Romans 8:14
6. We believe that men by nature and by choice are sinners; that men became sinners through the fall of Adam; that Adam sinned and thereby incurred not only physical death but also spiritual death, which is separation from God; that all those descended from Adam are born with a sinful nature and, in the case of those who reach moral responsibility, become sinners in thought, word, and deed. Genesis 1:26-28; Genesis 3:1-24; Ephesians 2:3; Romans 3:23; Romans 5:12; and John 8:42-44
7. We believe in salvation by Grace through Faith; that repentance and faith are the one condition of salvation; that men are justified by the shed blood of the Lord Jesus through faith in His finished Work on the Cross. Therefore, those who accept Christ as Saviour will rejoice forever in God’s presence, and those who refuse to accept Christ as Saviour will be forever separated from God. Acts 13:38; Ephesians 2:8,9; John 3:16; Acts 16:31; Romans 5:1,9
8. We believe the Church is a local, visible, independent body of baptized believers, voluntarily associated together in the faith and fellowship of the Gospel, to keep the faith and ordinances as they were delivered, and to preach the Gospel to all the world; recognizing no head but Christ, and no book of law but the Bible.
9. We believe the Bible to teach two ordinances for Christians; Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Baptism we understand to be the immersion in water of confessing, regenerated believers to symbolize identity with Christ in death, burial and resurrection. The Lord’s Supper we understand to be the partaking of the simple elements,(unleavened) bread and (unfermented) wine, as symbols only, in remembrance of Jesus’ broken body and shed blood for sin and as a prophecy of His coming again. Romans 12:1,2; James 4:4; I John 2:15, 16; II Corinthians 6:14-18
10. We believe that every human being is responsible to God alone in all matters of faith; that each church is independent and autonomous and must be kept separate and free from interference by any ecclesiastical or political authority; that, therefore, Church and State must be kept separate as having different functions, each fulfilling its duties free from dictation or patronage of the other.
11. We believe in the personal, visible, pre-millennial, pre-tribulation, and imminent return of our Lord for His Church according to His promise. Acts 1:11; I Thessalonians 4:16,17; Titus 2:11-13
12. We believe that God is Holy and commands His saints to be Holy also. Therefore, we believe that every Christian should live in separation from every worldly and sinful practice, “Abstaining from the appearance of evil” and “presenting their bodies a living sacrifice unto God” ; they should seek to have “the mind of the Lord Jesus” and “follow in His steps.” Romans 12:1,2; James 4:4d; I John 2:15,16, II Corinthians 6:14-16