About Covenant
A congregation of the Word
A Reformed Baptist congregation in Warrenton, Virginia. Our mission is to glorify God by making and maturing disciples of Jesus Christ.
Who we are
Covenant is an ordinary church. We believe the Bible, and we preach through it verse by verse. Our worship is God-centered, reverent, and joyful, and we desire to be a loving and caring community that sees lives changed by the gospel. On Sunday mornings we gather for classes at 9:30 and worship at 10:30 at Auburn Middle School in Warrenton. You don’t need any church background to join us. OurPlan a Visit page has the practical details for your first Sunday.
We are a confessional Reformed Baptist church. Here is what that means.
Our confession
We subscribe to the Second London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689, believing it to be a faithful expression of the doctrine taught in the Scriptures. Its thirty-two chapters cover God and His Word, creation and covenant, Christ the Mediator, the Christian life, the church, and the world to come. We teach through it, and we commend it to anyone who wants to know precisely what this church believes.
“This ancient document is the most excellent epitome of the things most surely believed among us. … It is an excellent, though not inspired, expression of the teaching of those Holy Scriptures by which all confessions are to be measured.”
A summary of our faith, in the five solas of the Reformation:
- 1
Scripture Alone (Sola Scriptura)
We affirm the inerrant Scripture to be the sole source of written divine revelation, which alone can bind the conscience. The Bible alone teaches all that is necessary for our salvation from sin and is the standard by which all Christian behavior must be measured.
2 Timothy 3:14–4:2; Isaiah 8:20; Psalm 19, 119; 2 Peter 1:3, 20–21
- 2
Christ Alone (Solus Christus)
We affirm that our salvation is accomplished by the mediatorial work of the historical Christ alone. His sinless life and substitutionary atonement alone are sufficient for our justification and reconciliation to the Father.
John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Colossians 1:13–2:17; Hebrews 1–13
- 3
Grace Alone (Sola Gratia)
We affirm that in salvation we are rescued from God’s wrath by His grace alone. It is the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit that brings us to Christ by releasing us from our bondage to sin and raising us from spiritual death to spiritual life.
Ephesians 2:1–10; Titus 3:3–7; 2 Timothy 1:9; Romans 11:6
- 4
Faith Alone (Sola Fide)
We affirm that justification is by grace alone through faith alone because of Christ alone. In justification Christ’s righteousness is imputed to us as the only possible satisfaction of God’s perfect justice.
Romans 4–5; Luke 18:9–14; 2 Corinthians 5:21
- 5
To God Be the Glory Alone (Soli Deo Gloria)
We affirm that because salvation is of God and has been accomplished by God, it is for God’s glory and that we must glorify Him always. We must live our entire lives before the face of God, under the authority of God, and for His glory alone.
Isaiah 43:7; Romans 11:36; Ephesians 1:3–14
Ministry convictions
Confessional and Creedal Christianity
We are committed to the historic Christian faith revealed in Holy Scripture and expressed in the creeds of the church universal (the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, the Athanasian Creed, and the Definition of Chalcedon) and in the confessions and catechisms of the Reformation. We embrace the Second London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689 as our Confession of Faith.
Bold and Clear Teaching of the Gospel
We want to be unashamedly clear about the Gospel, as a church and as individual Christians.
Christ-Centered Expository Preaching
We are committed to being a church that consistently and firmly preaches the Scriptures.
Biblically Regulated, God-Centered Worship
We are committed to the biblically regulated, reverent, and joyful worship of the Triune God.
Ordinary Means of Grace Ministry
Our priorities focus on what God, in the Bible, declares essential for His people’s spiritual well-being, growth, and salvation: the Word of God, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and prayer are central to our ministry.
Serious Focus on Missions
We are committed to establishing biblical churches in North America and around the world to reach people with the saving message of Jesus Christ.
Loving and Caring Fellowship
We are committed to caring for one another through fellowship, prayer, and encouragement, desiring to strengthen families and individuals to grow into conformity to Christ.
“Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.”
Leadership
Covenant is shepherded by a plurality of elders who share responsibility for its doctrine, worship, and pastoral care.
Pastor Steve Clevenger
Steve Clevenger has been Covenant’s pastor since September 2002. He was ordained to the Gospel ministry in 1990 and served churches in Arkansas and Louisiana before coming to Virginia. Recordings of his sermons are available in the sermon archive.
Missions
We support the Overseas Ministry Fund through the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London, which supports pastors in the foreign field (list of supported works), and FirstLove Ministries. Through the church’s regular giving we also support the church-planting labors of Pastor Samuel Rai in Nepal.
Resources & documents
The 1689 Confession (PDF) →
Download the Second London Baptist Confession of Faith, the doctrinal standard of our church.
Church constitution (PDF) →
The constitution of Covenant Reformed Baptist Church.
Sermon archive →
Hundreds of sermons preached at Covenant since 2006, searchable by passage and series, on SermonAudio.
Covenant Theological Center →
In partnership with Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary, we provide seminary-level training for CRBC men aspiring to serve as pastors, elders, teachers, and church planters. With the approval of the church eldership and acceptance by the seminary, classes are tuition-free (students cover enrollment fees and textbooks). Contact us for more information.
Each Sunday at 9:30 AM our equipping classes study the Old and New Testaments, church history, systematic theology, and Christian essentials. All ages are welcome to attend and participate.
