Expert: John of AllFaith - 1/14/2009

Question
QUESTION: I am a Christian raised as a Southern Baptist.  Granddaughter of a Southern Baptist Preacher.  In fact my grandparents met and fell in love in the 1930's while they were both attending Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth, Texas.  Both earned their Master's degree in Theology.  Unfortunately, both are deceased and I am unable to ask them this question. I have recently met and fell in love with a wonderful man who is a Missionary Baptist affiliated with the American Baptist Association.  Can you tell me what the differences in doctrine are between Southern Baptists and Missionary Baptists?   


ANSWER: Hi Lee,

I grew up as a Missionary Baptist and as a teen we joined Dr. Charles Stanley's First Baptist Church of Atlanta (he of course was president of the Southern Baptist Convention for many years). My parents have been members there since like 1970.

There are no essential differences doctrinally between the two groups. The differences are more in structure.

Missionary Baptists tend to be more "independent" than Southern Baptists. The Southern Baptist Convention is empowered to make certain demands on local congregations while no such authority exists among Missionary Baptists. Southern Baptists Pastors often must answer more to their boards, regional and national authorities and so on while Missionary Baptist pastors are usually the final authority in all matters of the church and doctrine.

Again as a general statement, Missionary Baptists are often a bit more conservative (doctrinally, politically, culturally etc) while Southern Baptist are, again generally speaking, a tad less so. For instance, it is not uncommon to find Southern Baptists using the new versions of the Bible like the NIV whereas one would seldom find Missionary Baptists who use anything but the Authorized King James.

When it comes to worship, one sometimes finds Missionary Baptist churches to be a bit more prone to "emotionalism" (raising hands, crying during alter calls, etc) than Southern Baptists. Not usually to the degree of Pentecostals, but more than many Southern Baptists (like most Southern Baptists the vast majority of Missionary Baptists do believe in speaking in tongues etc). Likewise Southern Baptists tend to use hymns and choruses (and contemporary Christian music) while Missionary Baptists might use the same but would probably focus more on traditional hymns.

But again as I say, churches, pastors and congregations all vary. I'm speaking in broad generalities here. Individual churches may and do vary.

I would say that as a Southern Baptist you would probably feel perfectly at home in either.

Hope this helps,
~ Pastor John

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: One of the things they practice is closed communion.  This means you actually have to be a member of their church to participate in the Lord's Supper.  The mere fact that I am a believer and I have my heart right with the Lord is not enough to partake in the elements. Why don't they open communion to the whole body of Christ?

Answer
Hi Lee,

This varies.
Some Southern Baptist churches only grant communion to baptized Baptists and most Missionary Baptists will give it to other Baptists (and sometimes to Methodists etc). It varies with the church.

The reason is the warning about taking (and hence allowing others to take) communion when they are unprepared.

I Cor 11:27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

Since many Baptists (of all types) believe that Baptists alone hold to the true doctrine and that there can only be one true doctrine, Missionary Baptists are often very careful about who they allow to partake.

Consider for instance, Baptists, Catholics, Pentecostals, Seventh Day Adventists, etc. all believe they are following the "true Christianity." If there is only One Way to God and One True Doctrine, given the above verses, should a Baptist (a Catholic, etc.) grant holy communion to people they believe are not holding to the truth properly?

Its a difficult question.

When I was pastoring, I encouraged people to look within their own hearts and decide if they were prepared to receive, then I offered communion to all who came forward because Jesus said, "Whosoever comes unto me I will in no wise reject." If he would not refuse them how could I? Not everyone agrees with this approach however.

As I said in my initial post, Missionary Baptists tend to be fairly conservative and strict in their beliefs. To give communion to one who is unpreparedness would violate the biblical principles by their estimation and could even cause them harm.

Hope this clarifies this point for you.

Maranatha,
~ Pastor John