Expert: Dr. Billy Kryger - 6/30/2007

Question
What is a "free will" Baptist?  What do they believe & how are they different from other Baptists, if they are different?  

Answer
I don't have a lot of experience with this, but I did some research and discovered that the Free Will Baptist Church (or Free Will Baptists) is a group of churches that share a common history, name, and an acceptance of the Armenian theology of free grace, free salvation, and free will, based on the idea of general atonement. Free Will Baptists share similar soteriological views with General Baptists, Separate Baptists and some United Baptists. The autonomous power of the local church is highly valued. The denomination remains relatively rural and is especially strong in the southern United States.

Free Will Baptist Doctrine is distinguished from the majority of Baptist groups (including the Southern Baptist Convention and her offshoots, as well as fundamentalist Baptists) in that Free Will Baptists reject the popular Baptist view of "unconditional perseverance of the saints," (also commonly referred to as the "Doctrine of Unconditional Eternal security" or "once saved, always saved"), which is based on the Calvinist teaching. Instead, Free Will Baptist Doctrine holds to the traditional Armenian position, based on the belief in a General Atonement, that it is possible to commit apostasy, or willfully reject one's faith. Faith is the condition for salvation, hence Free Will Baptists hold to "conditional eternal security." An individual is "saved by faith and kept by faith." The concept is not of someone sinning occasionally and thus accidentally ending up "not saved", but instead of someone "repudiating" their faith in Christ. Free Will Baptists believe that an individual maintains his or her free will to follow Christ, but in the event a believer turns from faith in Christ, there is no remedy for this apostasy (based on an interpretation of Hebrews 6:4-6).

Free Will Baptists also observe The Washing of the Saints' Feet as a third ordinance of the church along with Baptism and Communion, a rite common among other evangelical groups but not practiced by the majority of Baptist denominations.

Additionally, Free Will Baptist congregations believe the Bible is the completed, inerrant word of God, and believe in a primarily literal interpretation of Scripture.

Free Will Baptist congregations hold differing views on eschatology. Traditionally, churches in the eastern part of the country have tended to follow a premillennial interpretation, while western churches often hold an amillennial view. Churches commonly advocate (voluntary) tithing, totally abstaining from alcoholic beverages, and not working on the Sabbath.

Free Will Baptists are involved in mission efforts around the world.