Do you have Questions for a Southern Baptist?

[Tommy999]

Hi lanman87,

I think you articulate the Southern Baptist perspective very well in your posts.

My wife used to teach at a Southern Baptist elementary/junior high and it had high academic standards.Their kids knew their Bible and memorized verses better than any other denomination I knew of. They took their academics seriously and tested well above their non-denominational school peers in my city in all subjects,so I was impressed by that.

Question:
What is the Southern Baptist belief on whether people of other Christian denominations like Catholics, Orthodox, Anglicans, Methodists, Lutherans can be “saved” outside of a “altar call” scenario? The altar call seemed to be the prescribed way to express faith in Christ for the first time, but is it the only way to come to know Christ as Savior? I don;t think it is.

Also, some people at that SB church where my wife taught who were from other denominations who had already been baptized were made to be baptized again when they converted to became Baptists. Why was that? This even was the case for people who said they already accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior and repented of their sins in their other faith tradition.

Outside of the altar call, which is presumably is a time for non-Christians to come to Christ, where in the SB church service do people confess their sins either individually or as a body? I assume they believe it is a personal thing you do in private, but I don’t know for sure.

 

[USMC_Convert]

Quick question, as I have heard it many times but am hoping for more of an official position, what is the actual belief about pre-destination. I’m sure you well know what Calvin thought about it and so can you expand on this subject a little for me. Thanks! Also welcome! Hope to have many good discussions with you!

 

[ffg]

Southern Baptist (and almost all Protestants) don’t believe in Baptismal regeneration. (debate is not the purpose of this post so if you want slam protestant belief please start another thread).

Honestly, the only thing I was ever taught about children is that there is an age of accountability that can be different for all children. I’ve seen different arguments for this belief. Here is a link to a short article about SB understanding of “what happens to infants when they die”.

Keep in mind that in many areas there is no official southern baptist doctrine. Southern Baptist are made up of independent churches who agree to work together to spread the gospel, help the poor, minister to prisoners and so forth. Southern Baptist (for the most part)don’t break fellowship over disputable issues.

What is baptismal regeneration?

We are on the same page about debate.

Sorry if something seemed debate-y, I guess I wrote out what I was able to learn about the earlier question.

That brought me to wondering if parents spend much time worrying until their kids are baptized.

Have you ever ran into a situation where you were spreading the Gospel, and another SB comes wandering along to join in but teach differently on disputable issues?

If so, what was your reaction?

 

[lanman87]

What is the official postion on the Blessed Mother?

Southern Baptist do not have an official position on Mary.

The only official doctrinal positions of the Southern Baptist Convention are in the Baptist Faith and Message. This statement, or creed if you will, was voted on by messengers from the Southern Baptist Churches in 2000.

Here is a link to the Baptist Faith and Message

However, 99.9% of Southern Baptist, like most protestants, would say the Catholic doctrines of Mary are in error.

 

[omgriley]

Hey, lanman87!

Thanks for making yourself available for questions on your beliefs. An old friend of mine is a Reformed Southern Baptist. During some of our conversations, he seemed to indicate that because of his baptism in the Christian faith, he cannot sin. The example I posed was what if he had walked into his bedroom one day and found his wife in bed with another man. Could he have a temporary lapse in judgement attack the man? His answer was that neither his wife would cheat, nor he would attack because of their Christian faith. Looking back, I think he was ascribing to a “once save always saved” belief. Is that something all Southern Baptists believe? And if so, what your scriptural justification for it?

 

[steve93]

No, When I was a child 40 years ago I heard some elderly folks say something to that effect, but that isn’t what the Southern Baptist Church teaches.

All Southern Baptist churches are independent and set their own schedules. Most offer communion quarterly, some monthly and a few weekly. The church I attended as child had communion every time there was a 5th Sunday in a month.

My particular church has communion quarterly and Christmas Eve and Maundy Thursday.

What do you mean they are independent? The SBC functions as a denomination, does it not?
I was Baptist from 17-21 and never heard such a thing.

 

[Brassring]

Do Southern Baptists have the prohibition against dancing, or is that more of an unaffiliated Baptist thing?

If the Southern Baptists do have this prohibition, could you provide a little of the reasoning there?

 

[lanman87]

Hello and in all seriousness friend:

Do you ever find attending your Southern Baptist church to be petty and childish? My in-laws are Southern Baptist and they begged my wife and I to attend a service with them, so we did. I went in the sanctuary before them and chose a seat and sat down. Almost immediately I was tapped on the shoulder and told ,“this is our seat”. I look up to see a slightly older couple. Looking around, most of the pews are empty and I couldn’t fathom why someone wanted my seat in particular. I stood and looked around before the gentleman offered a ,“this is where we always sit”. He then proceeded to charge into the pew, pushing me back and sitting down. Ok…

At the same service, they talked of a fundraiser for the local zoo. Without warning, a parishioner dressed in a gorilla costume, lumbered and grunted down the center aisle, ran to the altar and fumbled the pastor while everyone laughed and hollered. Ok…

Finally, they had big super sized screens built into the walls to show lyrics to the hymns which you sing to. Ok, that was cool, but then the cool factor left, when they began showing scenes from the Empire Strikes Back with Darth Vader giving some nonsense to Luke about "fatherhood. Ok…

In all seriousness, do you really think these sorts of going-ons is looked kindly upon by God?

I guess childish and petty are in the eye of the beholder. But to answer your question. I’ve been in Southern Baptist services where I thought, “This is really cheesy” and I’ve been in Southern Baptist services where I’ve seen the Holy Spirit move 100’s of people to their knees in repentance and prayer.

Keep in mind each SBC is independent. They are not directed on how to “have church”, what to preach about, what or how to sing and so forth. Some churches are traditional in that they have choirs, sing hymns and have a traditional order of worship. Some are contemporary in that they have a band, sing contemporary music and change the order of worship from time to time.

But I do think God created humor and delights in our laughter.

 

[Memaw]

As a former evangelical I assume you already know the answer to the question.

However, for the benefit of others… It is due to the fact that no infants were baptized in the New Testament. Southern Baptist maintain that everyone in the New Testament who was baptized did so after believing in Christ.

What about the “households” that were Baptized? Did they leave out the babies and little ones not old enough to understand. Just because those in the “household” weren’t listed by age, doesn’t mean they were excluded!! God Bless, Memaw

 

[lanman87]

Quick question, as I have heard it many times but am hoping for more of an official position, what is the actual belief about pre-destination. I’m sure you well know what Calvin thought about it and so can you expand on this subject a little for me. Thanks! Also welcome! Hope to have many good discussions with you!

Most Southern Baptist aren’t Calvinist and don’t believe in pre-destination. However, there is a movement in the Southern Baptist community to bring Calvinism back into mainstream Southern Baptist thought.

Most of the discussion about Calvinism are considered secondary issues. As long as they aren’t hyper-Calvinist, (who don’t believe in evangelism) then it is mostly just debate. I do, however, know of instances where Calvinist pastors where fired from Southern Baptist Churches because the majority of the church members disagreed with the Pastor.

 

[Vonsalza]

Here’s one;

What is the Southern Baptist’s justification for dividing the body of the congregation during worship? The kids go one place and the adults go to the sanctuary, why?

 

[USMC_Convert]

Most Southern Baptist aren’t Calvinist and don’t believe in pre-destination. However, there is a movement in the Southern Baptist community to bring Calvinism back into mainstream Southern Baptist thought.

Most of the discussion about Calvinism are considered secondary issues. As long as they aren’t hyper-Calvinist, (who don’t believe in evangelism) then it is mostly just debate. I do, however, know of instances where Calvinist pastors where fired from Southern Baptist Churches because the majority of the church members disagreed with the Pastor.

Interesting, other SB’s that I’ve heard have preached pre-destination, I guess it’s a church by church thing. Which brings me to my next question, if there is no real concrete “dogmas” what does one do, just jump from church to church until you find one that conforms to your liking? I’m sorry I don’t want to come off rude, I guess what I am saying is if someone asked a Catholic what the Church believes, whether they were in Africa, Europe, Texas or NY the dogmas would always be the same.

What are the Southern Baptist dogmas, core beliefs, things that no matter what will never change…?

 

[lanman87]

What do you mean they are independent? The SBC functions as a denomination, does it not?
I was Baptist from 17-21 and never heard such a thing.

Each church is independent. It chooses its own pastor and deacons. It is not told by the denomination on what to preach or teach or how to “have church”.

Southern Baptist Churches choose to form associations with other churches for the sake of spreading the Gospel and ministering to the world at large. These associations, usually by county or region, work together to form a state convention. Every church has the right to send two representatives to the Southern Baptist Convention, which is held annually.

The Southern Baptist Convention does not direct the affairs of the local churches and any proclamations made at the convention are considered non-binding on Southern Baptist Churches.

The purpose of the Convention is allow churches to cooperate in missions. The SBC has two main mission organizations. The International Mission Board and the North American Mission Board.

If a local church goes off the rails (so to speak) and did something obviously against the teachings of scripture (say hire a homosexual pastor) then the local association can vote to remove them from the association, and therefore, from the Southern Baptist Convention.

 

[lanman87]

Interesting, other SB’s that I’ve heard have preached pre-destination, I guess it’s a church by church thing. Which brings me to my next question, if there is no real concrete “dogmas” what does one do, just jump from church to church until you find one that conforms to your liking? I’m sorry I don’t want to come off rude, I guess what I am saying is if someone asked a Catholic what the Church believes, whether they were in Africa, Europe, Texas or NY the dogmas would always be the same.

What are the Southern Baptist dogmas, core beliefs, things that no matter what will never change…?

See the Baptist Faith and Message, which is as close a you get with a dogmatic document from Southern Baptist.

 

[lanman87]

Here’s one;

What is the Southern Baptist’s justification for dividing the body of the congregation during worship? The kids go one place and the adults go to the sanctuary, why?

Honestly, it is for convenience. The children get age based teaching, the adults get adult teaching without kids interrupting the services and parents can focus their attention on the worship and teaching.

Not all churches do this.

 

[Belshazzar]

Welcome, and these are probably some of the more interesting threads!

I hope to see a long one!

Remember, there are a lot of lurkers, so questions that seem silly, might be for a bigger purpose than simply for the asker.

Why ‘Southern’?

as opposed to ‘Northern’?

Take care,

Here’s the difference between a Northern Baptist and a Southern Baptist.

Northern Baptist: “There ain’t no hell.”

Southern Baptist: “The hell there ain’t”

 

[lanman87]

Do Southern Baptists have the prohibition against dancing, or is that more of an unaffiliated Baptist thing?

If the Southern Baptists do have this prohibition, could you provide a little of the reasoning there?

No, Now they will not hold a dance but Southern Baptist aren’t prohibited from dancing. Southern Baptist are however, taught, that because we are followers of Christ, we should behave differently than the world. Therefore, if we choose to dance it should be in a way that Glorifies God and not in a way that stirs up lust or in-proper sexual desire.

In other words, have fun, but not too much fun.

 

[USMC_Convert]

See the Baptist Faith and Message, which is as close a you get with a dogmatic document from Southern Baptist.

Section 5 states: “All true believers endure to the end. Those whom God has accepted in Christ, and sanctified by His Spirit, will never fall away from the state of grace, but shall persevere to the end. Believers may fall into sin through neglect and temptation, whereby they grieve the Spirit, impair their graces and comforts, and bring reproach on the cause of Christ and temporal judgments on themselves; yet they shall be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.”

So if let’s say you had someone who truly believed but went out and persecuted a group of people, did horrific and awful things and then died, that person is saved even though they have committed so many sins?

 

[ffg]

Thanks for the article.

I think I found the answer to baptism regeneration in the short article.

“We don’t baptize infants regardless of our beliefs concerning original sin and inherited guilt because we don’t hold to baptism as a means of conferring grace and salvation.”

Is this where you were aiming?

I have to think about (and do a little research on) that ‘inherited guilt’ term that seems to accompany each mention of OS in the article.

Thinking out loud a bit - (for the benefit of any audience)

The CC does not claim that we have guilt because of another’s sin, but we can be affected. That can be tangibly seen, say drunk driving accidents.

OS would be our share in the effects of the first sin, which happen to be separation from God, fairly significant, but we are not guilty of the first sin.

We are guilty of our own sins.

Baptism then heals the separation and does cleanse any personal sin up to the point of the baptism.

So, I think that ‘inherited guilt’ term is possibly what is leading people in the direction that seems to be known as ‘age of accountability’.

The irony is that those who hold this concept actually share in similar thought as those who believe in infant baptism because it seems the two sides might agree that ‘guilt’ is not a part of the equation.

Take care,

 

[Thom18]

I’ve heard a theory that John the Baptist was the founder of the Baptist church. Is that a common held belief?

And how often does your particular Church offer Communion?

Thanks.

Ha! I think I would have believed that myself just over a year and a half ago.