Expert: Rev. Robert Woods - 4/12/2006

Question
Rev. Woods,

Thank you very much for your time.  I stopped going to church a little less than a year ago due to the breaking up of the church.  I miss going and I am concerned about my children not having a church to grow up in.  I am having trouble finding a church for my family.  I was raised Southern Baptist but I have also tried some other demoninations.  After attending a Methodist church for a month I am now sure that Baptist is the church for me.  Can you give me some tips on finding a Baptist church?  There are so many different kinds. What is the difference in Southern Baptist, Freewill, Missionary?  Thank you again for your time.
Tanya  

Answer
BLessings and thank you for your question.  Let's start with a short history lesson on Baptists.
In the US, Baptist constitute 27 groupings and their total membership is about 30 million.  Baptist churches are completely independent, yet bound together by an amazing common allegiance to principles and doctrines.  They claim no founder but Christ, and often claim they have been preaching since John the Baptist.  When the Reformation began in the 16th century, scattered Baptist groups in Europe advocated doctrines that eventually united them.  As the left wing of the Reformation, they were called ANA-Baptists ("to baptize again"), because they immersed (dunked) those who had been baptized in infancy.  They held to a literal application of the Bible, were communal and pacifistic, and opposed capital punishment, taking oaths in court, and the holding of public office. They insisted upon the complete separation of church and state.  Undergoing persecution for their then - radical views, they spread all over Europe.  In Holland a group of Mennonites, followers of the former Anabaptist leader Menno Simons, were teaching Anabaptist principles and took in  a group of British refugees undergoing persecution under James I.  One of their leaders, John Smyth, completely accepted the teaching of the Mennonites.  Smyth and his followers were rebaptized, became Anabaptists, and organized the first English Baptist church in 1609.  However, they remained English and refused to take on all the accoutrements of the Mennonites.  As persecution waned, the English Baptists went back across the channel and began a Baptist church in London.  Although they spread, they divided again, this time over the theology of the Atonement.  The General Baptist churches held that Jesus Christ died for everyone, while others held to the teachings of the Particular Baptist church - following the teachings of John Calvin - that salvation was only for those predestined by God.  The first Particular (British) Baptist Church had its beginning in 1638.  A third group, Immersion Baptist, broke away and in 1644 produced a confession of faith that is still in use by many.  For the first time, these Christians were popularly known as Baptists.  In 1631 Roger Williams went to America, and although he was not a Baptist, established a Baptist church at Providence, RI.  In 1814 Baptists organized the General Missionary Convention of the Baptist Denomination in the United States of America for Foreign Missions.  This step marked the first real denominational consciousness and united the Baptists.  They formed a society for publication as well as for missions and education.  In 1845 came the major split.  Southerners seceded from the union over the issue of slavery and state's rights, and formed the Southern Baptist Convention to carry on the work of their churches.  What was left of the General Missionary Convention formed the Northern Baptist Convention which changed its name to American Baptists Churches USA. The two have remained separated ever since.  Baptists generally agree upon the Bible as the inspired Word of God, the supremacy of Jesus Christ, inherent freedom of individuals to approach God for themselves, salvation by faith through God's grace, two sacraments (called ordinances) of Baptism (adult only immersion) and the Lord's Supper, the independence of the local church, the church as a group of regenerated believers, complete separation of church and state, the immortality of the soul, and the ultimate triumph of God's kingdom.  Because Baptists have had freedom of expression in the pulpit and pew, they are quite democratic.  This means that liberal and conservative doctrines can be preached freely because each church is autonomous.  Local churches license and ordain candidates for the Ministry.

Now you see there are many different types of Baptists.  Let's look at some of them.

Southern Baptists - tend to be conservative or fundamental.  Many are tied up in the past like using only the King James Version.  THey tend to have traditional worship (that is a prelude, announcements and welcomes, hymn, invocation, pastor prayer, offetory hymn, sermon, invitation with hymn. Benediction Prayer.  If you go to a 100 SBC churches, 90 of them would have a service just like this one.  The SBC has a great mission focus both home and foriegn which is sponsored through the cooperative program of giving in each SBC church.  The SBC beleives that the gifts of the Spirit, signs and wonders, healings and miracles, passed away with the original apostles.

What I know about Free Will Baptists comes from the short time I attended one as a child.  Free Will Baptists believe in two ordinances of the church the Lord's Supper and Baptism.  However, unlike other Baptist denomniations, they have a third, the washing of feet. They also stress the nature of "free will" in coming to Jesus or rejecting him over the Calvinistic view of uncondictional election (that is if a man is supposed to be a Christian then he will become one.   Many of their church services are free from the 3 hymns and a sermon format.

Missionary Baptists fall under 2 groups.  The first is in name only, these are usually churches started by other churches in areas other than their own.  THe new church takes on the name Missionary because it is a mission of another church.   

The second group is the Missionary Baptist Convention.  The difference between this group is its view of salvation.  I have taken thier salvation message right off their website  http://missionarybaptistchurches.com/salvation.html
We as Missionary Baptist believe"True"salvation is a personal experience with God.
In order to obtain true salvation there first must be a sense of trouble, conviction, and condemnation set up by God in the heart of the unsaved person. They must pray and seek God and repent of their sins until they know for themselves that God has forgiven and saved them. Man does not convict them and man cannot tell them when God forgives and saves them.
God is all powerful and can save the soul of one seeking Him any place, any time when God's conditions are met. However, we give opportunity for those desiring to seek and find God to come to the front for prayer. The pew sitting in the front facing the congregation is referred to the "mourner's bench".
The unsaved person does not obtain salvation simply by "accepting", "believing", "receiving Christ", "making a decision for Christ", or "being baptized" as many teach today.
It is true that a person must "accept" and "believe" that Christ is who the Bible teaches He is. One must also believe that he is the rewarder of those that diligently seek him. This is a historical belief and is definitely required by one seeking God. When one is saved, he/she receives a new, regenerated soul as stated by Jesus in John chapter 3 and must be under those terms stated to Nicodemus by Jesus Christ, (born again). It is true that a person must "decide" to seek Christ; he/she must be determined to seek until he/she finds Him.
We do not believe in using "Repeat after me" prayers nor in reading scripture passages to them to convince them they have prayed, trusted, or believed. We condemn the practice known as "The Roman Road" and all other "easy believism" practices. These practices substitute a historical belief for a belief from the heart.
We do pray with the person seeking God and we do believe in encouraging them according to the leadership of the Holy Spirit.
When God saves the individual, the individual knows, without anyone telling them - including the preacher, loved ones, or any friend.


There are still many more types of Baptists.  American, National, Cooperative, and Charismatic just to name a few.