baptist and southern baptist

[tomarin]

can anyone explain the difference to me? are the differences primarily administrative/jurisdictional or theological? is there any difference in the style of worship?

thanks, y’all.

 

[ralphinal]

can anyone explain the difference to me? are the differences primarily administrative/jurisdictional or theological? is there any difference in the style of worship?

thanks, y’all.

The Southern Baptist convention began when a group of Baptists here in the South left the larger group at the time because of the Southern view that slavery was acceptable. I cannot tell you more because, while I know about Southern Baptists, I do not know about Missonary Baptists or other types.

 

[Cairisti]

I was raised Southern Baptist, but I don’t think there is much difference between the two. Worship styles are pretty much the same iirc.

 

[DJgang]

I have noticed though, that some Baptist (Southern Baptists) around here are starting to do away with the Altar Call. We have, what I would consider a Mega Baptist Church, and they do not have an altar call at all.

Not sure if they have removed themselves from the Southern Baptist Convention or not… I’ll have to ask someone out of curiosity.

Then you have Missionary Baptists.

And Primative Baptists (which I believe are predestination types)…

And Independent Baptists…

And… Free Will Baptists…

And… And… And…

 

[Contarini]

can anyone explain the difference to me? are the differences primarily administrative/jurisdictional or theological? is there any difference in the style of worship?

thanks, y’all.

Southern Baptists are the largest Baptist denomination in the United States. “Baptists” are not a denomination but are a broad tradition with many denominations and individual churches–they are one of the most prone to split of all Protestant traditions (which is saying something) because they have a congregationalist polity and are rooted in English Separatism (which considered Anglicanism to be a “daughter of the whore” and nearly as bad as Catholicism). Also, while there are many Baptists who are not fundamentalists, a large number of fundamentalists are Baptists.

The Northern counterpart of the SBC is the American Baptist Churches USA. There are also several black Baptist denominations, and many other predominantly white ones as well, with an assortment of reasons for their separate existence. In the North in particular, the more conservative Baptists have formed various groups separate from the American Baptist Churches. In the South the more extreme fundamentalists find the SBC too liberal, though some of them have changed their attitude in recent years with the conservative swing of the SBC (Jerry Falwell is the most famous of these “Independent” Baptists who came to a more positive view of the SBC before his death). And because of that conservative movement, we now see more moderate/liberal Baptist groups in the South. Baptists are also divided over Calvinism and to some extent (beyond the white/black division) over ethnicity (for instance, the Baptist General Conference is of primarily Scandinavian origin).

Edwin

 

[Ridgerunner]

Baptists vary tremendously, and being averse to having firm doctrinal statements, don’t have many.

But around here, anyway, the major difference is:

Southern Baptists: Believe “Once saved,always saved.”

Other Baptists: Believe you (a) Can lose your salvation, though “saved”. (b) maybe were never really “saved” to start with, though you thought you were.

But one should never assume too much about Baptist beliefs, because of their firm commitment to individual interpretation of the Bible. You often hear them declare “Well, MY Bible says…” So, you can have even a Southern Baptist congregation in one location that holds so-and-so, and another nearby that holds something different. Southern Baptists take a certain self-deprecating humor in saying “I’m not a member of any organized religion; I’m a Southern Baptist.” Though it’s kind of a joke on themselves, there is a kernel of conviction in the rightness of it.

 

[Cardinalsong]

Southern Baptists are the largest Baptist denomination in the United States. “Baptists” are not a denomination but are a broad tradition with many denominations and individual churches–they are one of the most prone to split of all Protestant traditions (which is saying something) because they have a congregationalist polity and are rooted in English Separatism (which considered Anglicanism to be a “daughter of the whore” and nearly as bad as Catholicism). Also, while there are many Baptists who are not fundamentalists, a large number of fundamentalists are Baptists.

The Northern counterpart of the SBC is the American Baptist Churches USA. There are also several black Baptist denominations, and many other predominantly white ones as well, with an assortment of reasons for their separate existence. In the North in particular, the more conservative Baptists have formed various groups separate from the American Baptist Churches. In the South the more extreme fundamentalists find the SBC too liberal, though some of them have changed their attitude in recent years with the conservative swing of the SBC (Jerry Falwell is the most famous of these “Independent” Baptists who came to a more positive view of the SBC before his death). And because of that conservative movement, we now see more moderate/liberal Baptist groups in the South. Baptists are also divided over Calvinism and to some extent (beyond the white/black division) over ethnicity (for instance, the Baptist General Conference is of primarily Scandinavian origin).

Edwin

I never realized there were so many different types of Baptists as well as the reasoning behind them. Thank you Edwin for the info!

 

[Kitty_Chan]

I know they dont like to stand in the sanctuary after the service as its disrespectful.

I also know that my mother would not have known Christ if it wasnt for the Pastor and his wife of a S Baptist. My mom went to a good friend of hers S Baptist church and she really enjoyed having talks with the Pastor and his wife.

When my mom was in hospital they faithfully visited her even though she was not a member. Their love for God got through to my mom and she understood Jesus as something more than a historical figure.

So theres 2 Southern Baptists for you all, oh and of course it would be 3, the friend who invited her to begin with.

 

[Bishopite]

can anyone explain the difference to me? are the differences primarily administrative/jurisdictional or theological? is there any difference in the style of worship?

thanks, y’all.

I was raised Southern Baptist and later in life became conservative Baptist. The former Baptist church I was a member of, is now called a “Bible church.” One distinct difference is the “altar call” we had every week. After the preacher gave his sermon, he would invite those people who wanted to trust Jesus Christ as their personal Savior to go up to the front of the Church next to him and proclaim in front of the public that they had indeed received Jesus.

After I moved away from my parents in another town, I went to a conservative Baptist church were they did not do the “altar calls” at all. It was strange for me not to have them at first, but as time went by, I got used to not having them.

Theologically, their are some Baptist churches that do not accept “once saved always saved” belief as do the Southern Baptist and most Baptist’s in general.

Also, Southern Baptist’s are accountable to the leaders of the denomination who are essentially above the pastor in administrative matters.
In other non-denominational Baptist churches they pastor or elders can be the final say or together they can or the congregation can also have a strong say depending on how the church’s constitution is formulated. So, independent Baptist churches don’t have to fall under any authority that isn’t part of their local church.
This is the affect of sola scriptura, where each pastor or elder board or deacon board or whatever committee of congregation has the final authority on matters of faith and morals. And if a group disagrees with some particular decision the heiarchy has made, they argue, some leave and create their own church. Jesus didn’t have this in mind when He established His Church, nor is Mt 18:15-18 able to work properly with sola scriptura.

 

[allischalmers]

And then there are us Regular Baptist. We are mostly in the northeast but can be found in the mid west and the west coast.
Find out more at www,garbc.org

 

[war_eagle]

can anyone explain the difference to me? are the differences primarily administrative/jurisdictional or theological? is there any difference in the style of worship?

thanks, y’all.

There are several different branches of baptists, but all are unified around a creed called the “Baptist Distinctives”.

There is very little practical difference between them.

 

[war_eagle]

Baptists vary tremendously, and being averse to having firm doctrinal statements, don’t have many.

You’re joking, right? In addition to every individual church having a statement of faith, every state convention and the national convention all have statements of faith. Read the BFM sometime. It’s pretty lengthy.

We recognize various confessions and creeds, so I’m not sure how you came to the idea that we don’t have firm doctrinal statements.

But around here, anyway, the major difference is:

Southern Baptists: Believe “Once saved,always saved.”

Other Baptists: Believe you (a) Can lose your salvation, though “saved”. (b) maybe were never really “saved” to start with, though you thought you were.

Actually, very few Baptists deny the Biblical teaching of eternal security.

But one should never assume too much about Baptist beliefs

…like you just did.

 

[war_eagle]

I know they dont like to stand in the sanctuary after the service as its disrespectful.

I’m not sure where you heard that. Not only do we not consider that disrepectful, it’s all we can do to get people *out *of the sanctuary so that we can prepare for the next service.

 

[allischalmers]

I’m not sure where you heard that. Not only do we not consider that disrepectful, it’s all we can do to get people *out *of the sanctuary so that we can prepare for the next service.

Sounds like my church

 

[Ridgerunner]

You’re joking, right? In addition to every individual church having a statement of faith, every state convention and the national convention all have statements of faith. Read the BFM sometime. It’s pretty lengthy.

We recognize various confessions and creeds, so I’m not sure how you came to the idea that we don’t have firm doctrinal statements.

Actually, very few Baptists deny the Biblical teaching of eternal security.

…like you just did.

I haven’t read every Baptist doctrinal statement, but I have read some of them. The shortest (General Baptist) is one page. The Southern Baptist is more, and it’s hard to count the pages accurately because the way they publish it is intentionally repetitive, but it certainly isn’t voluminous.

I did not pretend to know everything about all Baptists everywhere. I distinctly limited my remarks to “around here”. AROUND HERE, anyway, even the Baptists agree that they don’t agree on very much. But neither does it bother them, particularly, that they don’t.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I’m not sure where you heard that. Not only do we not consider that disrepectful, it’s all we can do to get people *out *of the sanctuary so that we can prepare for the next service.

Just have to ask. Are you from War Eagle, Ark?

 

[Kitty_Chan]

I’m not sure where you heard that. Not only do we not consider that disrepectful, it’s all we can do to get people *out *of the sanctuary so that we can prepare for the next service.

Hmm dont know, all I know at my moms friends church there was a tiny entrance. And after the service they nicely moved everyone out there to chat. They said standing around in the chapel was disrespectful. Maybe its just something they do??

I never took it bad and no one else did, I thought it was just a reverrent thing.

They were small btw only one service.



also could be cultural, Im in Canada??

 

[KarenNC]

In our area, the liberal Baptist church is part of the American Baptist Association. It has regular interfaith services and pulpit exchanges with the Reform Jewish temple, a Jungian Sunday school class, performs holy union ceremonies for gay couples, has a gay/lesbian fellowship, welcomes interfaith couples, holds a Halloween celebration (and calls it that), sponsors weekends with theologians and scholars such as Elaine Pagels, Marcus Borg, etc. It happens to be a very “high” church, liturgically, including things like celebrating Advent, Trinity Sunday, etc.

That is pretty radically different from the practices and actions of the Southern Baptist churches in our area.

 

[Rightlydivide]

In our area, the liberal Baptist church is part of the American Baptist Association. It has regular interfaith services and pulpit exchanges with the Reform Jewish temple, a Jungian Sunday school class, performs holy union ceremonies for gay couples, has a gay/lesbian fellowship, welcomes interfaith couples, holds a Halloween celebration (and calls it that), sponsors weekends with theologians and scholars such as Elaine Pagels, Marcus Borg, etc. It happens to be a very “high” church, liturgically, including things like celebrating Advent, Trinity Sunday, etc.

That is pretty radically different from the practices and actions of the Southern Baptist churches in our area.

That is something else. United Church of Christ, Unitarian, heck Episcopalian but a Baptist. Sounds like a BINO…not that I am a Baptist by any means.

 

[Metaron]

I cannot imagine a high-church Baptist Convention. Maybe just an imitation.