Andersen, Rafe

Name: Rafe Andersen

Email: rafeandersen23@hotmail.com

Home church: Flatonia Baptist Church https://flatoniabaptist.org

Denomination: Southern Baptist

Licensed/Ordained: No

Education/Experience:
• B.A. in Biblical Studies, from Whitefield College (2022)
• Pastoral intern at Flatonia Baptist Church (2018-2019)
• Interim guest preacher at Crossroads Christian Fellowship (2020-2021)

Preaching Approach: While I do love teaching on a wide array of topics, my conviction and passion is the expositional approach to preaching/teaching.

Statement of Faith:

Scripture: I believe the Bible to be the written revelation of God, complete and sufficient in all respects. The Scriptures are “God-breathed,” and therefore fully authoritative in and of themselves and they rely for their authority upon no church, council, or creed, but are authoritative simply because they are the Word of God. As they embody the very speaking of God, the Scriptures partake of His authority, His power, and they are sufficient to equip the man of God in every area of life (2 Tim 3:16-17; 2 Pet 1:20-21).

God: I believe in one true and eternal God, unchanging, unchangeable. I believe God is the creator of all that exists in heaven and in earth. The God who is described in the Bible is unique; He is unlike anyone or anything else in all the universe. God has all power, all knowledge, all wisdom, and is due all glory, honor, and praise. All that comes to pass does so at the decree of God. All things will, in the end, result in the glory of God (Mal 3:6; Gen 1:1; Isa 44:6-8; Jer 37:27; Eph 1:11).

The Trinity: I believe the Bible teaches that there is but one being of God, yet there are three persons who share this one being of God: the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. Each person is fully and completely God; each is described in Scripture as possessing the attributes of God. The Father, Son, and Spirit have eternally existed in the relationship described by the term “Trinity” (1 Cor 8:6; 2 Cor 13:14; Jn 17:1-5; Eph 4:30).

God’s Sovereignty in Salvation: I believe that God, in His sovereign grace and mercy, regenerates sinful men by the power of the Holy Spirit, not by any action of their own, bringing them to new life. God grants to them the gifts of faith and repentance, which they then exercise by believing in Christ and turning from their sins in love for God. As a result of this faith, based upon the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. God’s gift of faith, and the continuing work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the elect, results in good works. These good works flow from true, saving faith; they are a necessary result of faith but are not to be considered necessary to the gaining of justification, which is by God’s grace through faith alone so that no man can boast. (Eph 2:4-7; Titus 3:4-7; Jn 6:35-39, 40, 44; Philip 1:29; Rom 4:4-5, 5:1; Col 3:1-10; Jam 2:14-26; Eph 2:8-10).

Jesus Christ: I believe that Jesus Christ is truly God and truly man, having two natures inseparably united in one divine person without confusion, mixture, separation, or division. Each nature retains its own attributes. In the incarnation, Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, lived a perfect life among us, was crucified, dead, and buried, rose on the third day, ascended to heaven, and will come again in glory and judgment (Heb 4:15; 1 Cor 15:1-4; 2 Pet 4:5; 2 Tim 4:1, 8)

The Holy Spirit: I believe that the Holy Spirit is of one substance with the Father and the Son. He eternally proceeds from the Father and the Son, and He dwells in the hearts of believers, effecting their regeneration monergistically and operating in their sanctification synergistically. (Ac 5:3-4; Jn 15:26, 16; Rom 5:5, 7:6, 8:13; Eph 4:2- 24).

Creation: I believe that God, by the word of His power, created from nothing the heavens and the earth and all that is in them. He further preserves and governs all His creatures and all their actions according to His most holy, wise, and powerful providence. (Gen 1:1; Ps 102:25-27; Gen 8:21-22; Mat 6:26-33; Rom 8:28; Acts 17:22- 30).

Man: I believe that after God made the other creatures, He created man, both male and female, in His own image, but because Adam sinned and woefully fell in his responsibility, he and his posterity entered into a state of moral corruption and moral inability and became estranged from their creator, thus deserving death as the punishment for sin (Gen 1:27; 3:6; Rom 1:12, 15, 19).

Atonement: I believe that because all have sinned, atonement must be made in order for man to be reconciled to God. Jesus Christ made a complete atonement for His people through His substitutionary atoning death on the cross. He imputes His righteousness to all believers securing us full redemption for all who repent of their sin and trust in Him alone for salvation. (Rom 3:23, 25, 5:6-10; 1 Jn 4:10, 2 Cor 5:21).

The Church: I believe that Jesus Christ established His Church, which is made up of all the elect of God. His Church, as an obedient bride, listens to His Word as found in the Bible. All who believe in Christ are placed in His body, the Church. The local expressions of the Church are very important, and each believer should be actively involved in such a fellowship (Eph 5:22; Col 1:18; Rom 1:6-7).

Return of Christ: I believe that Christ is coming again to judge the living and the dead. This promise is found throughout the inspired Scriptures. Till His return, believers are to live lives that bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. The Church is to be busy doing the work of evangelism and discipleship, proclaiming the pure, uncompromised Gospel of Christ by teaching the Word of God (Mat 24:36, 25:31: Jn 5:28-29; Mk 13:26-27; 2 Thess 1:7-10; Rev 22:7).

Brief Biography:

Hello, my name is Rafe Andersen. I am a 32-year-old servant of the Lord that lives in Schulenburg, Tx. I was born again and raised in an SBC church, where God graciously saved me at the young age of eleven. It was in that context in which I felt the call to ministry in my late twenties. Since then, I have been growing in knowledge and sanctification and seeking to use my gifts where the Lord wills. I have taught many Bible studies, served in various ways in the church, and have years of teaching experience to adults and children alike. Taking advice from my pastor, and other godly leaders in my life, I sought formal academic training, and thus graduated in 2022 with a B.A. in Biblical Studies from Whitefield College. I would be honored to serve your church in the teaching ministry of the word of God.

Fees: $150 Preparation/Speaking fee; Travel fee (if over 30 miles); Lodging accommodations (if needed)

Additional Notes: I must be notified at least a week in advance of the opportunity so as to be able to prepare adequately and secure the time off from my job.