About us
A congregation gathered around an open Bible.
Vicenza Baptist Church began in 1989 with a handful of soldiers who wanted an independent, fundamental Baptist church and a place to study the Scriptures together. That work has continued through every rotation since.
Our story
Started by soldiers, sustained by the Lord
In August of 1989, a group of American soldiers stationed in Vicenza began meeting for Bible study. They wanted a church that would preach the Word without apology and stand independent of any denominational board. That small gathering became Vicenza Baptist Church.
Since then the church has served wave after wave of military families, civilians, contractors, and English-speaking neighbors. Members arrive on orders and leave on orders; the ministry stays. Some of our people are here for two years, some for twenty, and everyone is treated as family from the first Sunday.
We are a congregation where the fellowship is personal and new families are welcomed.
“These things write I unto thee... that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.”
What we believe
Our doctrinal convictions, stated plainly
The complete statement of faith of Vicenza Baptist Church.
- The Scriptures
- We believe that the Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired; that it has truth for its matter without mixture of error; that it is and shall remain to the end of the age the only complete and final revelation of the will of God to man; and, that it is the true center of Christian union and the supreme authority by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions shall be tried. By "Holy Bible" we mean that collection of sixty-six books from Genesis to Revelation which does not only contain and convey the Word of God, but is the very Word of God. By "inspiration" we mean that the books of the Bible were written by holy men of old as they were moved by the Holy Spirit of God in such a definite way that their writings were supernaturally and verbally inspired and free from error. Vicenza Baptist Church believes that we have the inspired, infallible, inerrant Word of God preserved in the Hebrew Masoretic Text of the Old Testament, and the Greek Textus Receptus of the New Testament. The King James Version of the Bible is the only English translation from the divinely preserved texts and, therefore, it is the only Bible used by our ministries.
- Ps. 19:7-11, II Tim 3:16-17, II Peter 1:16-21
- One True God
- We believe there is one and only one living and true God, an infinite intelligent Spirit, the Maker and Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth; that He is inexpressible, glorious in holiness, and worthy of all possible honor, confidence, and love; that in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, equal and eternal in every divine perfection and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption.
- Deut. 6:4, John 16:7-15, I John 5:1-8
- The Person and Work of Christ
- We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; and, that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate.
- Isa. 7:14; 9:6; Luke 1:35; John 1:1-2, 14; Acts 1:9-10; 2:18-36; Rom. 3:24-25; 8:34; 2 Cor. 5:19-21; Gal. 4:4-5; Eph. 1:7; Phil. 2:5-8; Heb. 9:24; 7:25; 1 John 2:1-2; 1 Pet. 1:3-5; 2:24
- The Holy Spirit
- We believe the Holy Spirit is a divine person, equal with God the Father and God the Son and of the same nature; that He was active in creation; that in His relation to the unbelieving world He restrains the evil one until God's purpose is fulfilled, and He convicts of sin, of judgment, and of righteousness; that He bears witness to the truth of the Gospel in preaching and testimony; that He is the agent in the new birth; and that He seals, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies, and helps the believer.
- John 16:8-11; Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 12:12-14; 2 Cor. 3:6; Eph. 1:13-14
- The Creation
- We believe in the Genesis account of creation and that it is to be accepted literally and not allegorically or figuratively. We believe that God created the universe in six literal, 24-hour periods. We reject evolution, the Gap Theory, the Day-Age Theory, and Theistic Evolution as unscriptural theories of origin.
- Gen 1:1-2:3, John 1:1-3
- The Devil or Satan
- We believe that Satan was once holy and enjoyed heavenly honors, but through pride and ambition to be as the Almighty, fell and drew after him a host of angels; and that he is now the malignant prince of the power of the air and of this world. We hold him to be man's greatest tempter, the enemy of God and His Christ, the accuser of the saints, the author of all false religions, the chief power back of the present apostasy, the lord of the Antichrist, and the author of all the powers of darkness. He is destined, however, to final defeat at the hand of God's Son and the judgment of an eternal justice in Hell, a place prepared for him and his angels.
- Is. 14:12-17, Matt 4:1-11, John 8:44, Rev. 12:9-10; 20:1-2, 7-10
- The Fall of Man
- We believe that man was created in innocence under the law of his Maker, but by voluntary transgression fell from his sinless and happy state; consequently, all mankind are now sinners, not by constraint but by choice, and therefore are under just condemnation without defense or excuse.
- Gen 1:26-27, 2:7-3:24, Matt. 18:10-14, Rom. 5:12, 6:23, 8:5-8, I Cor. 15:45, Gal. 5:17, II Sam. 12:23, Rev. 20:14-15
- The Atonement for Sin
- We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace through the mediatorial offices of the Son of God, who by appointment of the Father freely took upon Himself our nature yet without sin, who honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and who by His death made a full and vicarious atonement for our sins, thus we have redemption through His blood; that His atonement consisted not in setting us an example by His death as a martyr, but was the voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinner's place, the Just dying for the unjust, Christ the Lord bearing our sins in His own body on the tree; that, having risen from the dead, He is now enthroned in heaven and uniting in His wonderful person the most tender sympathies with divine perfection; and that He is in every way qualified to be a suitable, compassionate, and all-sufficient Saviour.
- Ps. 49:7, Jonah 2:9, Mark 1:14-15, Luke 13:3, 24:46-47, John 1:1-13, 3:16, 18, 36, 5:24, 8:24, Acts 16:31
- Salvation by Grace Through Faith
- We believe that, in order to be saved, sinners must be born again; that the new birth is a new creation in Christ Jesus; that in the new birth the one dead in trespasses and in sins is made a partaker of the divine nature and receives eternal life, the free gift of God; that the new creation is brought about in a manner above our comprehension and is not by culture, nor by character, nor by the will of man, but wholly and solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with divine truth so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the Gospel; and that proper evidence of the new birth appears in the holy fruits of repentance and faith and newness of life.
- John 1:1-13, 3:16, 18, 36, 5:24, 8:24, Acts 4:12, Rom. 3:24, Eph. 2:8-10
- The Church
- We believe that the New Testament church, which is the body and espoused bride of Christ, is solely made up of born-again persons. We believe that such believers are to join together in a local congregation associated by a covenant of faith and fellowship of the Gospel, observing the ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, and exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word; and that its officers of ordination are pastors or elders and deacons whose qualifications, claims and duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures. We believe the true mission of each local church is found in the Great Commission: first, to make individual disciples; second, build up the church; third, to teach and instruct as He commanded. We hold that the local church has the absolute right of self-government, free from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations. We believe that the one and only superintendent is Christ through the Holy Spirit; that it is scriptural for true churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the Gospel; that every church is the sole and only judge of the measure and method of its cooperation; and that on all matters of membership, of policy, of government, of discipline, and of benevolence, the will of the local church is final.
- Acts 13:1-4, 14:27, 15:19-31, 20:17, 28-32; Rom. 16:1; 1 Cor. 3:9, 16; 5:4-7; 12:12-14; 2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 1:22-23; 5:25-27; 1 Tim. 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11; 1 Pet. 5:1-4
- Baptism and the Lord's Supper
- We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion in water of a believer, after salvation, in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, by the authority of the local church, to show forth a solemn and beautiful emblem of our faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Saviour with its effect in our death to sin and resurrection to a new life; and that it is prerequisite to the privileges of a church membership and to the Lord's Supper, which the members of the church by the use of bread and the fruit of the vine are to commemorate together the death and coming of the Lord, preceded always by solemn self-examination.
- Matt. 28:18-20, Rom. 6:4, Matt. 26:26-30, I Cor. 10:16-21, 11:17-34
- The Eternal Security of the Believer
- We believe that all the redeemed are kept by the power of God and are secure in Christ. It is a work of God which guarantees that the gift of salvation, once received, cannot be lost, and believers are eternally secure.
- John 6:37-40, 10:27-30, Rom. 8:1, 8:38-39, I Cor 1:4-8, I Pet. 1:5
- Biblical Separation
- We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord; and, that separation from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices and associations is commanded of God.
- II Tim. 3:1-5; Rom. 12:1, 2; 14:13; I Jn 2:15-17; II Jn 9:11; II Cor. 6:14 – 7:1
- The Return of Christ
- We believe in and accept the Scripture upon this subject at their face and full value. We believe that Christ arose bodily the third day according to the Scriptures; and that He alone is our merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God. We believe that this same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven. Jesus will come in the air for His saints before the tribulation period. After the tribulation, He will return to the earth and reign a thousand years.
- I Thes. 4:13-18, 5:9, Rev. 3:10, & 21
- Missions
- We believe that the command to give the Gospel to the world is clear and unmistakable; and that this commission was given to the churches to go, make disciples, baptize them, and teach them.
- Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; 2 Cor. 5:20
- The Grace of Giving
- We believe that God's method of financing His earthly work, which is the spreading of the Gospel to all nations, the care of the churches, and the support of the ministry, is by the tithes and offerings of His people; that it is to be given to the Lord through His church or storehouse to be distributed as directed by the leadership of the Spirit as the need arises; that the time to tithe is upon the first day of the week; that everyone is accountable to the Lord for one-tenth of his income; and that tithing was instituted long before the law was ever given and was practiced by the early church.
- Gen. 14:20; Prov. 3:9-10; Acts 4:34-37; 1 Cor. 16:2; 2 Cor. 9:6-7; Gal. 6:6; Eph. 4:28; 1 Tim. 5:17-18; 1 John 3:17
Leadership
Who shepherds this church
Pastor Tim Drylie
Pastor
Pastor Tim Drylie was born in Zanesville, Ohio, in November of 1954. He is the second of four sons; both his parents were school teachers. He has stated that he was first convicted of sin when he was four years old. This occurred when someone assured him that he would go to heaven because he was “a good little boy.” The pastor relates that he knew right then that he was in big trouble, because he knew that he was not good. He first remembers receiving a clear presentation of the gospel when he was 15. This occurred when he found a “Chick Tract” that someone had left in the boys’ room of the public high school. When he read it, he knew that he needed Christ. However, there was a problem — repentance. He was already living deep in sin, and did not want to give it up. The next twelve years were a tremendous struggle between the desire to have Christ, and the desire to live in sin. He finally surrendered to the Lord on Easter Sunday of 1982. As he states it, this doesn’t mean he started living a perfect life, but he trusted Christ, and surrendered to live by faith in Him. The pastor had been in the Navy for nine years at that time, having enlisted right after high school. During the first several years he did a variety of jobs including walking Shore Patrol and teaching survival. It was in the sixth year of his career that he requested to be assigned to Seal Training. In September of 1979, he graduated as the honor man of BUD/S Class 104, (Basic Underwater Demolition Seal), and served the remaining 14 years as a Seal. After retiring from the Navy in August of 1993, he finished paramedic training, and worked at night providing 911-service in the city of Portsmouth, VA. At the same time he used his G. I. Bill benefits to attend Bible college during the day. The pastor graduated from Tabernacle Baptist Bible College & Theological Seminary, in June of 2000 with a B.R.E., (Bachelors in Religious Education.) He has continued working towards a Doctorate, while serving as a missionary overseas. Pastor Drylie is a member of Armed Forces Baptist Mission, (AFBM), which is a ministry of Good News Baptist Church, located in Chesapeake, VA. The majority of the members of AFBM are retired military officers and NCO’s. His home church is Tidewater Baptist Temple also located in Chesapeake. In this capacity, he has worked in Petropovlosk andMagadan in Fareast Russia, as well as Heidelberg, Germany, and the Caribbean. He is currently serving as the Pastor of Vicenza Baptist Church in Italy. Hobbies include, playing the piano and guitar; and studying foreign languages.