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how to become a baptist?

Armchair Apologist

Well-Known Member
During my lifetime I have seen many preach. There are those whose passion for what they are saying is evident in their voice. Then there are those who sound angry because of the yelling. The latter I don't care for.
Passion is good. We ought to be passionate about certain things and when we express such in a passionate manner, such is often transferred to the listeners. Good preachers understand this.

There are also those whose theatrics get in the way of the message they are trying to preach and some think of "red-hot, flames from your nostrils, plaster off the walls, best Billy Sunday pose" antics as 'preeching' but devoid of any substance, it is all meaningless nonsense!

Best thing I could tell any young preacher is to be adequately studied, prepared, and prayed up and the passion will come naturally. Avoid the needless drama.
 
Passion is good. We ought to be passionate about certain things and when we express such in a passionate manner, such is often transferred to the listeners. Good preachers understand this.

There are also those whose theatrics get in the way of the message they are trying to preach and some think of "red-hot, flames from your nostrils, plaster off the walls, best Billy Sunday pose" antics as 'preeching' but devoid of any substance, it is all meaningless nonsense!

Best thing I could tell any young preacher is to be adequately studied, prepared, and prayed up and the passion will come naturally. Avoid the needless drama.
these guys aren't young !
 

Martin Marprelate

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Yes, and I think I am correct in saying that most of those early General Baptists were led astray into Unitarianism. Perhaps somebody who knows history better than I do could confirm or deny this.
You are correct. The early General Baptists disappeared into either Quakerism or Unitarianism. They were revived around the end of the 18th Century by a group led by a chap called Dan Taylor who left Methodism after becoming convinced of Believers’ Baptism. He wrote of his predecessors, "They devalued Christ and He devalued them."
 

JonC

Moderator
Moderator
To begin with, what about the 1644/1646 and 1689 London Baptist Confessions?
A lot of such topics play roles in Baptist history (not as a defining point of what it means to be Baptist but differences within Baptists over non-baptist distinctive doctrines).

In the US we saw Baptist churches adopting some doctrines of the Methodist Church (for a time the Methodist denomination was the largest denomination in the US, Presbyterian being the second). This led to a debate within Baptist churches.

Probably the most famous conflict was between RBC Howell and Graves (over Landmarkism). Both sides were Baptist.

Howell fought against the hyper-Calvinist of Daniel Parker. Both were Baptist.

WB Johnson argued agsinst the Penal Substitution Theory of Atonement. Johnson was a very influential Baptist and the 1st president of the SBC (at a time many in the SBC had adopted PSA). All involved were Baptists.

We (Baptists) are a diverse group. But one of our distinctives demands this.
 

Foxmeister

Active Member
You are correct. The early General Baptists disappeared into either Quakerism or Unitarianism. They were revived around the end of the 18th Century by a group led by a chap called Dan Taylor who left Methodism after becoming convinced of Believers’ Baptism. He wrote of his predecessors, "They devalued Christ and He devalued them."
My 7th great granduncle was George Fox, the founder of The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). He was raised in the Church of England. He believed it had become a hollow, politically driven institution that prioritized outward rituals over true inner faith.
 

Armchair Apologist

Well-Known Member
these guys aren't young !
I was actually describing a young version of myself along with a bunch of other "Preacher Boy" buddies I went to institute with back in the 1980s. Some have grown up and matured while others have not. There are a number of "Fat Slob" preechers out there who are around my age and still acting like the 20-something version of myself! One has a "famous" name of which I will not mention but I am truly embarassed for him. Sad thing is that he has a good bit of influence over the up and coming 20-something "Preecher Boyz" who think that such amounts to "Good preachin'!"
 

Armchair Apologist

Well-Known Member
A lot of such topics play roles in Baptist history (not as a defining point of what it means to be Baptist but differences within Baptists over non-baptist distinctive doctrines).

In the US we saw Baptist churches adopting some doctrines of the Methodist Church (for a time the Methodist denomination was the largest denomination in the US, Presbyterian being the second). This led to a debate within Baptist churches.

Probably the most famous conflict was between RBC Howell and Graves (over Landmarkism). Both sides were Baptist.

Howell fought against the hyper-Calvinist of Daniel Parker. Both were Baptist.

WB Johnson argued agsinst the Penal Substitution Theory of Atonement. Johnson was a very influential Baptist and the 1st president of the SBC (at a time many in the SBC had adopted PSA). All involved were Baptists.

We (Baptists) are a diverse group. But one of our distinctives demands this.
It was just a quickie response to John of Japan regarding Calvinism's contribution to our Baptist history. Debate amongst the General and Particular Baptists have raged on throughout our history. Both (for better, for worse) have influenced our doctrine and the way we do evangelism and world missions and it would be unfair to dismiss either of these out of hand.

I would say that much of what we would call "Modern American Baptists" has been heavily influenced by the Second Great Awakening where an emotional "experience" and "passion" often overrode the more rigid scholastism of those who may have been more theologically astute but "dry as cracker juice" in their public appeal. Methodist "Circuit Riding Preechers" didn't need any formal education aside from being reasonably literate and a passion to "preach the plaster off the walls" ("bark off the trees, skin that rabbit, tree that coon," etc.). Restorationists also played a big part in what a "Modern American Baptist" and this certainly was not a good thing as it undermined the importance of proper training of pastors who could then properly train and instruct their congregations and such is why your average Baptist is ripe pickin' for any cult that comes around!

My pastor and I have been discussing the influences of the "Young, Restless, and Reformed" crowd and how much of this was in response to such anti-intellectualism that has crept into Baptist thinking over the years. For this, I would say that the "YRR" crowd brings many good things but as with anything else, it tends to over-correct and thus requiring further correction in the other direction but so goes Church History until our Lord returns right?
 
I was actually describing a young version of myself along with a bunch of other "Preacher Boy" buddies I went to institute with back in the 1980s. Some have grown up and matured while others have not. There are a number of "Fat Slob" preechers out there who are around my age and still acting like the 20-something version of myself! One has a "famous" name of which I will not mention but I am truly embarassed for him. Sad thing is that he has a good bit of influence over the up and coming 20-something "Preecher Boyz" who think that such amounts to "Good preachin'!"
ooohhhh beeee carrrefulllll about how you talk about the "Brethren" ! Jon might think you're not saved !
 
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