Expert: Rev. Robert Woods - 3/19/2005

Question
Hi Rev. Woods,

First of all, I'd like to thank you for all the questions you've answered for me in the past. Though Catholics and Baptists obviously don't agree on all issues, I want to say that I respect you and I appreciate that you are not anti-Catholic. Unfortunately, I know a pastor of an Alliance church who has nothing good to say about Catholics, doesn't call them Christians, and seems filled with hatred for the Catholic church. I don't sense that in you. My question is this: What is the difference between Fundamentalists and Evangelicals? The Alliance pastor I know has a very low opinion of Fundamentalists, but the distinction is not clear to me.

Thank you!

Answer
Blessings and thank you for your questions.

Evangelicals are those who believe that a person must be "saved" or have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  They believe in the Scriptures as the only written word of God.  Evangelicals include Baptists, Independent Churches, Congregational Churches, Charismatic and Pentecostal churches, Christian Missionary Alliance, and others.
Evangelicals tend to be conservative in their theology and political leanings.

Fundamentalists are those who are more legalistic in their view of Christianity.  To them, if drunkeness is a sin, then one shouldn't drink at all.  They have a very literal view of Scripture.  There are branches of Fundamentalists in most of the Evangelical churches today.  Fundamentalists are strong political conservatives.

I am a Conservative, Charismatic, Evangelical Christian.

I hope this answers your question.