The following distinctives define Yokohama International Baptist Church as a fellowship of believers in Jesus Christ:

1. Biblical Authority - We submit to the Bible, God's Word, as the final authority in all aspects of our lives, our doctrine, and our church practices.

2. Gospel Centered - We strive to view and live all of life in light of the gospel, so that the good news of salvation by grace through Jesus Christ shapes all aspects of our life not only as the gathered church, but in our life lived out to the world around us.
 
3. Expositional Preaching - We believe that the best way to equip believers in the church is to preach the Word of God in such a way that we "bring out of the text what is there and expose it to view." [John Stott, Between Two Worlds]

4. Congregational Rule - We give the final authority to decide matters of primary concern in the church to the members of the church who function together in unity under the ultimate authority of Jesus Christ.

5. Elder Leadership - We follow the leadership of a plurality of male Elders who are accountable to the congregation and responsible to shepherd the church under the Chief Shepherd, Jesus Christ.

6. Baptist Identity - We are an unapologetically Baptist church that subscribes to a Baptist confession of faith (Baptist Faith and Message 2000) in the Reformed tradition.

7. Kingdom focus - We cooperate with other Gospel-centered churches and missionaries of various denominations and traditions in order to see new believers come to follow Christ and new churches formed to further the gospel and build the kingdom.

The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 sets forth teachings and beliefs upon which we agree as members of this Church. We also find much agreement with the historic Baptist statements of the Second London Confession of 1689 and the New Hampshire Confession of Faith.

BFM2000 English and 日本語