Does Anyone KNow How Many DIFFERENT Baptist Denominations Out There?

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MGEISING

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This is a very sincere Subject :confused: … since I know of four different couples :mad: that say they are Baptist … but don’t believe in the same “theology”. Can someone SHED some light on this for me? One couple is my inlaws??? I need some direction!!!
 
That’s a good question. I’d like to know, too. I know there are a lot, but who? All I know of are:

Southern Baptist
English Baptist
AnaBaptist (?)

I could really use some help. :o
 
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MGEISING:
This is a very sincere Subject :confused: … since I know of four different couples :mad: that say they are Baptist … but don’t believe in the same “theology”. Can someone SHED some light on this for me? One couple is my inlaws??? I need some direction!!!
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The Baptist World Alliance has 211 different Baptist denominations, not counting the largest in the United States, the Southern Baptist Conference, which left it last month.

So that means there are probably over 211 denominations, and also all the independants not affiliated with it.
 
Bear in mind that Baptist are congregationalist, meaning all authority is maintainted by the local church, the pastor and the congregation. You can have as many different theologies as you do Baptists.

Also, churches associated with the main organizations, such as the Southern Baptist Convention, can change their affiliation at any time. Many decide to become independant, some charismatic independants.
 
Ok, can’t give you info on every offshoot Baptist group, but as for the larger groups…from Separated Brethren (Revised): A Review of Protestant, Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, & Other Religions in the United States, by William J. Whalen. ©2002, Our Sunday Visitor we get figures for denominations in the US:

Southern Baptist Convention - 15,750,000
American Baptist Churches in the USA (formerly northern Baptists) - 1,500,000
National Baptist Convention of the USA, Inc. (mostly African-American) - 5,500,000
National Baptist Convention of American (offshoot of the other NBC) - 3,500,000
Free Will Baptists (anti-Calvinist) - 197,000
United Free Will Baptist Church (black version of above) - no figure cited
National Primitive Baptist Convention - 250,000
Primitive Baptist Churches (white version of above) - 72,000
General Baptists (Arminian) - 72,000
Seventh Day Baptists (date from 1672 in RI) - 5,200
Baptist General Conference (Swedish ancestry) - 134,000
North American Baptist Conference (German ancestry) - 44,000

He also mentions that there are Baptist denominations “serving members of French, Hungarian, Danish, Italian, Finnish, Norwegian, Polish, Romanian, Jewish, Mexican, and Czech ancestry.”

As I mentioned in another thread, I highly recommend this book for background on various denominations.
 
I was walking across a bridge one day, and i saw a man standing on the edge, about to jump off. so i ran over and said “stop! don’t do it!” “Why shouldn’t I?” he said. I said, “Well, there’s so much to live for!” He said, “Like what?” I said, “Well…are you religious or atheist?” He said, “Religious.” I said, “Me too! Are you christian or buddhist?” He said, “Christian.” I said, “Me too! Are you catholic or protestant?” He said, “Protestant.” I said, “Me too! Are you episcopalian or baptist?” He said, “Baptist!” I said, “Wow! Me too! Are you baptist church of god or baptist church of the lord?” He said, “Baptist church of god!” I said, “Me too! Are you original baptist church of god, or are you reformed baptist church of god?” He said, “Reformed baptist church of god!” I said, “Me too! Are you reformed baptist church of god, reformation of 1879, or reformed baptist church of god, reformation of 1915?” He said, “Reformed baptist church of god, reformation of 1915!” I said, “Die, heretic scum”, and pushed him off.

– Emo Phillips
 
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digitonomy:
Ok, can’t give you info on every offshoot Baptist group, but as for the larger groups…from Separated Brethren (Revised): A Review of Protestant, Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, & Other Religions in the United States, by William J. Whalen. ©2002, Our Sunday Visitor we get figures for denominations in the US:

Southern Baptist Convention - 15,750,000
American Baptist Churches in the USA (formerly northern Baptists) - 1,500,000
National Baptist Convention of the USA, Inc. (mostly African-American) - 5,500,000
National Baptist Convention of American (offshoot of the other NBC) - 3,500,000
Free Will Baptists (anti-Calvinist) - 197,000
United Free Will Baptist Church (black version of above) - no figure cited
National Primitive Baptist Convention - 250,000
Primitive Baptist Churches (white version of above) - 72,000
General Baptists (Arminian) - 72,000
Seventh Day Baptists (date from 1672 in RI) - 5,200
Baptist General Conference (Swedish ancestry) - 134,000
North American Baptist Conference (German ancestry) - 44,000

He also mentions that there are Baptist denominations “serving members of French, Hungarian, Danish, Italian, Finnish, Norwegian, Polish, Romanian, Jewish, Mexican, and Czech ancestry.”

As I mentioned in another thread, I highly recommend this book for background on various denominations.
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Are these the numbers of churches in each group? Wow…
 
There are more than one reason for the large number on Baptist sects.
  1. Baptists beleive in “sola scriptura”, nothing but the Bible, no tradition, no creeds officially allowed. But Baptists do have thier own traditions and unwritten but very real creed.
  2. Baptists beleive in “soul soverignity” and the “priesthood of every beleiver”, this combined with “sola scriptura” means that every Baptist is free to, and does interpret the Bible slightly different from the others, one Baptist’s opinion is just as good as any other Baptist’s opinion.
  3. As was mentioned previously the Congregational polity of Baptists. Baptists run the entire theological spectrum, from denying the Holy Trinity to “creationist” fundamentalism. And as far as they are concerned all these opinions are equally Baptist.
 
Mjohn1453 said:
4,293

Wait…

4,294

…

4,295
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:rotfl:

And here I was with a furrowed brow trying to find the words to explain just this idea! Thank you!!:clapping:
 
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