About Us
Emmanuel Baptist Church is a warm and welcoming community of believers located in the heart of Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
Our mission is simple - to share the gospel of Jesus and make a positive impact on the lives of those around us. We believe in the power of faith and community, and we strive to create a place where everyone knows and loves Jesus Christ.
Pastor
James Bixler grew up on the property of Emmanuel Baptist Church as his father and grandfather were pastors throughout his whole life.
On December 4, 1988, Bro. James, as he is affectionately referred to, was born again. Through attending Williamsport Christian School his entire life and his involvement in the bus ministry at church and other related ministries, God worked in his heart and called Bro. James to preach in his senior year of high school. Studying youth ministries at Crown College in Knoxville, Tennessee, prepared Bro. James for his work with teens at Emmanuel Baptist Church. He graduated from college in 2004, where he received a Bachelor of Biblical Studies Degree.
After graduation from college, Bro. James has fulfilled many responsibilities over the years including maintenance work, athletic director basketball coach, as well as soccer coach. He has also taught in the Williamsport Christian School. Pastor James now serves as the Pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church
On September 18, 2009, Bro. James married Heidi Boyce. She likewise has been a great blessing as they have served together in music and with the teens, as well as supervising the nursery. The Bixlers have four precious daughters - Katelyn, Morgan, Reagyn, and Gracyn.
Our Beliefs Shape Everything
It's the way we think, act, speak, and love one another. It's in the way we raise our families, love our community, and seek the good of others before ourselves.
We believe that the Holy Bible was inspired by God (II Timothy 3:16-17). We believe that the scriptures are inerrant, infallible, and God-breathed. We believe that the King James Version of the Bible is the preserved Word of God for the English-speaking people (Psalm 12:6-7). The Bible is our sole authority for faith and practice.
We believe that there is one true and living God (Genesis 1:1; Psalm 90), which exist in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (I John 5:7). They are co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, and co-equal in power and in glory.
We believe that Jesus Christ, eternal with the Father, was begotten of the Holy Ghost in a miraculous manner. He was born of Mary, a virgin, as no other person was ever born (Matthew 1:23). He became man without ceasing to be God (John 1:1, 14). He became flesh yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). The Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His finished work on the cross as a substitutionary sacrifice (Romans 5:8; II Corinthians 5:21) and our justification was made sure by His victorious resurrection from the grave after three days and nights (Matthew 28:6; Romans 3:24-25; I Peter 1:3-5). He ascended physically and literally to be seated at the right hand of God (Acts 1:1-11; Hebrews 1:3). There he ever liveth to make intercession for us (Hebrews 7:25).
We believe the Holy Spirit is a divine person, eternal and equal with God the Father and God the Son (John 4:24). He convicts of sin, of judgment, and of righteousness (John 16:8-11). Likewise, He bears witness of the truth (John 16:13). He is the supernatural agent of the new birth (Titus 3:5). He seals, guides, teaches, and helps the believer (John 14:7, 15:26-27; Ephesians 1:13, 4:30).
We believe that Satan was once holy and enjoyed heavenly honors; however, through pride and ambition to be as the Almighty, he fell and drew after him a host of angels. He is now the prince and power of the air and the unholy god of this world (Ezekiel 28:12-17; Isaiah 14:12-25; II Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2). His eternal end is everlasting torment in the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:10).
Man was created in the likeness and image of God (Genesis 1:26). God created man for His pleasure (Revelation 4:11). In Adam's sin, the race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and was alienated from God (Romans 3:22-23, 5:12).
We believe that the clear message of salvation is repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 20:21). We believe in order for one to be saved, he must be born again (John 3:3). This new birth is the new creation (II Corinthians 5:17) in Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12; I John 5:12). We believe salvation is "by grace through faith" plus nothing minus nothing (Ephesians 2:8, 9; Titus 3:5). Salvation cannot be obtained by works. We believe Jesus Christ died for all men (I Timothy 2:3-6; Hebrews 2:9); therefore, the saved are declared righteous before God through the merit of our Lord Jesus Christ (justification) (Romans 3:21-26). We believe that once one receives Jesus Christ as His personal Savior, eternal life is his present possession (I Peter 1:3-5).
We believe that a New Testament church is a congregation of baptized believers (Acts 2:41). The true mission of the church is found in the "Great Commission", which instructs us to win the lost, to baptize converts, and to teach and instruct as He commanded (Matthew 28:18-20). We hold that the local church has the absolute right of self-government, and that Christ is the only Head of the church (Colossians 1:18). We recognize the ordinances of baptism by immersion in water and the Lord's Supper as pictures of the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 2:41,42, 8:36-39; I Corinthians 11:23-29).
We believe that all saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Lord and Savior; and, that separation from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices and associations is commanded of God (II Corinthians 6:14-7:1; I John 2:15-17).
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is coming again in the air at any moment to catch up all born again believers (Acts 1:11; I Thessalonians 4:15-17). The unbelievers will be left behind to go through a seven year period called the Tribulation (Revelation 4-19; II Thessalonians 2:6-12). After the Tribulation, Christ will visibly return to the earth to set up His kingdom for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:1-7). After this, the unbelievers will stand before the Great White Throne Judgment to be judged and cast into the lake of fire separated from God forever (Revelation 20:11-15), while the believers spend eternity in fullness of joy in the presence of God forever (Revelation 21:1-5).