I'm leaving the Baptist fold...

Ah, a Dutch Baptist Church,
or are the Baptists English Mennonites?

Anyway, we had a person join our
Southern Baptist Church
from a Mennonite Church and we recognized
their Baptism as being of like faith and order.

May God bless you in your new path.

 

Though I will hate to see you go, I have a question. Why do you have to join a Mennonite church in order to abstain from these things? I attend an Independent Fundamental Bible Believing Baptist Church and we have some couples that abstain from the things you mentioned. SBC to Mennonite, WOW!

 

Timothy, may the Lord Bless you in all your endeavors, and may he never leave your side! I wish you all of Heaven's blessings in your new congregational home.

 

You posted this on Veterans Day of all things. Praise God for the Baptist! If it wasn't for Baptists we would all be speaking Japanese! I am an Independant Baptist and wouldn't give up the SECURITY OF MY SALVATION for any pacifist Mennonite church!

 

I cant understand your reasoning for leaving the Baptist Church. All the things you described which the mennonites refrain from, you can do on your own. As far as the pacifist mennonite stance, I am a veteran of the United States Air Force. I served proudly and had the opportunity to serve as a volunteer youth minister on the base where I was assinged. At 41 years old, if I was needed I would volunteer for service to this nation again in a second. I wish you well my brother in your future. God Bless

 

timothy,

God bless you as you seek to continue to do his will.

 

Timothy,

I don't mean to belittle your decision since I'm sure you made it after much prayerful consideration but I have the same question others have asked you: why can't you do these things on your own?

I mean, if you're not committed to them in your own life, then changing churches seems like more of a "quick fix" than any real solution.

Again, I'm not trying to give you a hard time, I'm just a little puzzled by all of this.

I'm also a little confused about the disctinction between business and recreational use of computers, but that's another story, I guess.

 

Brother Timothy,
As you know we are in a similar situation. We have been visiting with Holdeman Mennonites for a while now. Glad to hear that you have found a church you can call home.

 

Timothy, I would suggest you rethink your decision to change while your children are still so young. You have no idea the trouble you could cause in their spiritual walk. It can be similar to divorce for children. I won't go into all the detail, but I saw all my siblings stray from Christ altogether as my mother went from church to church like a harlot goes from man to man. It teaches children that changing belief is as simple as changing clothes. If suddenly you don't like something... quit and go to another belief system.

I suggest you think about their spiritual walk before continuing on you and your wife's personal desire to change company on Sunday. I think it is better to put up with a few weakness but stay steady and consistent with what you have started building for your family, rather than changing because you decide that the spiritual grass is greener on the other side of the fence.

Your soul is fixed on the Lord and your eternity is assured, but you can't say the same for your children. Could you live with the fact your children decide to leave the next faith when they see a problem with it, maybe giving up on Christ altogether? As parents, we don't have the luxury of packing up and leaving every we see a better opportunity on the horizon. You have more than your own soul to think about with this decision.

Pray some more... Please. Then may God Bless your decision.

 

Dear Timothy,
Years ago I was kicked off a spiritual discussion board because I protested there against the slamming of a revivial that was going on in another Christian denomination. I stated that it could be possible that they were actually kicking against God by doing so. Needless to say, my comments were not appreciated. But what was worse was that the moderator told me that I was not of their faith (I don't want to name the denomination), and a week later I still found myself quite upset/discouraged about it to put it mildly. And it was at that time that the Lord spoke to my heart as with an audible voice and asked me, What do I want to be named, "A "XXX...and HE named the denomination of the board" or "A disciple of Jesus"?
Let me tell you the moment that HE said that to me, my heart soared with joy. Yes, that is what I want to be named, A disciple of Jesus...not the name of a denomination.

As I look at Christian history, I find that the Lord has shown me that many denominations that have arisen... have arisen out of splits, arguments, unreconcililation, and a host of very sad things. And I have also have seen that when a new church starts, usually emphasizing some point, the church does not realize that other points are downplayed. This is what I believe that the Lord has shown me.

God wants your heart. Please don't get this false notion that there is the "right" elitest church bunch out there that does everything right. It is not going to happen in our current state of not getting along with other believers.

However, certainly I believe that most of us can see the One Body of Christ in times of persecution or in the Spirit realm, just not the way things are on earth right now is all.

But having said all that, I am so happy for you and that you have found a place to rest your head. For that I am so happy. I believe that you have much to offer there.

May the Lord bless you always.

 

Interesting that a poster named "Shiloh" would at least imply a problem with a group being pacifist.

 

I am assuming since you are a regular BB poster that you must be changing your position on this one.

 

If I'm not mistaken, were not the first generation of Baptists - pacifists? Probably because of Mennonite influence on Baptists in our early begginnings?

 

Before you go, I'd like to make sure you're aware, Timothy1769, that the Holdemans (Church of God in Christ, Mennonite) are the Landmarkists of the Anabaptist world. IOW, were you aware that they regard themselves as the only true Mennonites? It goes without saying, then, that they have serious doubts (to put it mildly) about the salvation of anyone outside their own denomination, especially if they're not even another kind of Mennonite.

I just didn't know if you knew that already. I have to admit that they do wonderful work with tract evangelism, publishing tracts in dozens and dozens of languages around the world. They also have many other good things about them, such as you've already mentioned, and some you haven't, such as their not being KJVO--but they are far more exclusivist and exclusionist than even the Old Order Amish. So I just want to be sure you're going into this with your eyes wide open. I hope you realize I'm only giving facts, not picking on them. I have a friend who is Holdeman, and a very nice man, but I've never worshipped with him since he is forbidden to attend any outside church.

Anyway, my best wishes go with you.