Shared Responsibility

We are a reality minded church.  We recognize that people are not all alike, and we try to provide a variety of programs and approaches to meet their differing needs.  We embrace change and the opportunities it brings to serve God in new and exciting ways.  We have explored new approaches in worship and we have incorporated computers, drama, and hands-on experience in our educational programs.  We see a continuing need for downtown churches that serve their entire communities, including the areas in which they are located.

We are an accountability-minded church.  We see the church as accountable to God and to the community in which it exists, the church staff as accountable to God and to the church family, and each member of the church as accountable to God and the community of faith in which we live.

We are a fiscally-responsible church.  We emphasize not equal gifts but equal sacrifice by every member.  We seek to develop and fund a challenging yet practical budget every year.  We have had a productive Foundation for benevolence and building programs since 1974.  We pay our bills on time and pay off construction loans as quickly as possible to save interest.

One need not agree with every one of the beliefs expressed in the above statements to be a member of FBC Athens.  We are not a creedal church.  The statement seeks to provide for members and prospective members a summary of positions taken by the church in the past and hopes expressed by church members for the future.