Beliefs and Convictions
A full statement of faith is provided in the catalog and on the church website, but here are some convictions that shape the type of training that we will offer students who come to prepare here at Hawaii Baptist College
The Fundamentals of the Faith
We stand unapologetically for the fundamentals of the faith. We are a fundamentalist Bible College. Sadly, the liberal media uses the term "fundamental’ to refer to extremist and terrorist groups, but that is really not an accurate use of the term. The term simply means basic or foundational. One might talk about the fundamentals of baseball, and by that we mean the basic skills and rules necessary to have a real baseball game. Similarly, the fundamentals of our faith are the basic tenants of our faith that cannot be compromised without taking away from what Christianity really is. The fundamentals are essential to our salvation and to our faith. There are five fundamentals of the faith which are essential for Christianity.
- The Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ (John 1:1; John 20:28; Hebrews 1:8-9).
- The Virgin Birth (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23; Luke 1:27).
- The Blood Atonement (Acts 20:28; Romans 3:25, 5:9; Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 9:12-14).
- The Bodily Resurrection (Luke 24:36-46; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, 15:14-15).
- The Inerrancy of the Scriptures themselves (Psalms 12:6-7; Romans 15:4; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20).
These cannot be negotiated. Students will be taught these and will also be taught that our churches should not cooperate with churches that do not adhere to these truths and that there should be separation from those who deny the faith.
Distinctively Baptist
We believe there are a set of Bible doctrines that distinguish us as Baptists. Students will be taught these distinctive teachings as found in the Bible. They will be taught Baptist history as well as how and why Baptist churches operate the way that they do. Students will grow beyond a mere surface loyalty to the Baptist way to a deep seated conviction that the Baptist way is the Bible way. They will appreciate from history and the Bible what a privilege it is to be called a Baptist. Students will grow to appreciate as Baptists the conviction that the local church is the Biblical institution God has established to carry out his work today.
The King James Version
Ko’olau Baptist Church uses the KJV in all of its’ ministries; therefore, it is the Bible used at the College and it is the Bible the students will be taught to use both in private study and in English speaking ministries.
Biblical Ministry Methodology
These are days in which worldly pragmatism is the driving fad for ministry methods in churches, but we believe there is no heavenly power in that approach. True crowds in some instances can be attracted with worldly entertainment and other schemes, but the crowd will not be grounded in the truth and in many cases the crowd will tragically remain unsaved. Students will be taught to resist the urge to commercialize Christianity and church ministry, and to stick with studying and obeying God’s Word.
We believe the divinely ordained method for winning the lost is preaching both publicly and privately (I Cor. 1:18). We believe God is mighty to save and that the Holy Spirit still convicts men of their sin and of the truth of the cross when the Gospel is presented to them. Students will be taught the answer to ministry is to go and tell the lost of Christ and to organize and challenge others to do the same. Students will be taught that prayer is a key to seeing the blessings of God and the power of God displayed in their personal lives and ministries. They will be taught that God’s method for funding his work is not through worldly yard sales, fundraisers, etc., but through the free will offerings of God’s people. The urgent need in these last days is for young men and women to go out to do God’s work in God’s way by God’s power.
Our commitment to teaching Biblical methodology is not to say that we are opposed to top organization, quality printed materials, functional and clean facilities, and other practical necessities of ministry. To the contrary these all have value and we should strive to give our best to God’s work in all the physical and ascetic features in the church, but we must always remember the power is in preaching, praying, and going.
Glorifying God Through Christ Honoring Music
At Hawaii Baptist College students will be taught the value of glorifying God through Godly music. They will be taught that Christian rock and other worldly music forms are not Christ honoring and do not best edify believers. In fact they will be taught how injecting worldly music is actually harmful to personal spiritual development and advancement of a church that is valiant for the truth. Students will be taught to vigorously stand for this position, but at the same time they will be taught to not use this standard as a basis for developing religious pride in their heart.
Fervent in Spirit
We believe we are to have a passion for the things of God. It is our goal to encourage our students to have a passion for daily prayer and Bible reading. We desire students to be excited about knowing God and walking with Him. We want them to embrace wholeheartedly the abundant life that comes from knowing and serving Christ.
We believe that students must develop a passion for winning the lost through personal soul-winning, and after winning a soul, students will be trained in the importance of following up by teaching new believers basic lessons for growth from the Bible. Students will constantly be reminded of the difference between talking about witnessing and actually witnessing.
The Family
Some of the prospective students that will attend Hawaii Baptist College will already be married, but perhaps most will be single, but will one day be married. Everyone needs to learn about God’s plan for the home, and how to establish a healthy, happy, Christian home. Because of the critical importance of marriage and child rearing, Biblical family values will be emphasized throughout the students’ time here. We believe God’s servants will need to be especially equipped to minister to others in this area.
Love for Our Brothers and Sisters in Christ
We believe genuine love for our fellow Christians is a mark of being a disciple of Christ. Kindness, graciousness, courtesy, and respect for our fellow Christians will be insisted upon. It is our hope that students will make lifetime friends while here and make lifetime commitments, and strive to aid one another as they venture from this place to serve the Lord. There may be times when differences of opinions between truly born again believers or practical restraints prevent working together, but regardless love for all brothers and sisters in Christ is clearly a New Testament command.
A Vision for Reaching the World Through Missionary Endeavor
Students will constantly be challenged to consider the great unreached people groups throughout the world. They will be presented detailed information about various nations. Students will learn about the necessity of cross-cultural ministry in today’s world. Studying in Hawaii, which is both ethnically and culturally diverse, will give students tremendous exposure to different people who need the Lord. This should be a great place for developing cross-cultural witnessing skills.