Mainstream Alabama Baptists join like minded persons, from across four centuries of history, in support of basic freedoms and religious principles championed by the very first people identified as Baptists. These freedoms are currently under assault from within the ranks of contemporary Baptists.

Our mission is twofold.

One focus is on preserving our heritage. We seek to inform Baptists and others concerning the freedoms historically claimed by Baptists, and the challenges currently being made to them.

Many Christians now look upon the separation of church and state as an evil instead of a good, seemingly oblivious to the lack of freedom in nations with established religions, both contemporary and historical. These envision the United States as a "Christian Nation" where government supports Christianity and Christians determine policy We are thankful for Baptists like Roger Williams, Isaac Backus, John Leland and a host of others who championed and insisted on religious freedom for all.

The Southern Baptist Convention has forsaken the sole and supreme authority of the Bible. By adopting a statement of faith as "an instrument of doctrinal accountability", the convention has given it the status of a creed, something that must be believed. The convention excludes from employment or participation any Bible believing Baptist who does not accept this man made document. Also, the ability of individual Baptists to read the Bible and, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, understand it, is compromised. The concept of the priesthood of the believer insists that no one may presume to tell an individual Baptist or church how they must interpret scripture. We lift up the Bible as the only authority in faith and practice.

Local Baptist churches have traditionally chosen to cooperate in missions and evangelism with other churches, joining associations and conventions for this purpose. This cooperative effort has included churches which often did not agree on certain practices or scripture interpretations. Such cooperation embraced the autonomy of the various churches. Cooperative missions is currently being fragmented because of the unwillingness of some to share responsibility with any who do not conform in every detail to themselves. The exclusion of a church from cooperation does not invalidate that church’s autonomy, but insistence upon conformity before cooperation certainly challenges the concept of the free association of autonomous churches.

Our second focus is encouraging Baptists to continue more than two centuries of cooperative missions. Baptist, who often disagree on practices and Bible interpretations, have worked together to spread the gospel throughout the world. Mainstream urges Baptists in Alabama to continue this tradition of cooperative missions in the midst of diversity by supporting the Alabama Baptist State Convention and their local association. We encourage messengers to the state convention and to the local associations to support leadership which is committed to inclusion rather than exclusion, leaders who are willing to involve individuals from all supporting churches in the life and work of the organization.