What is the difference between all of the various Baptist denominations?
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Baptist Denominations
- Thread starter FriendofSpurgeon
- Start date
Tom Butler
New Member
The Handbook of Denominations lists around 30 different Baptist groups in America. I don't have the book handy, but I remember some of them.
Today, Southern Baptists and Independent Baptists are doctrinally pretty similar. Their difference is organizational mainly. Many Independents years ago broke away from the SBCs because it was moving toward liberalism. Some have returned following the Conservative Resurgence.
Free-Will and General Baptists are admitted Arminians. Lot's of similarities with SBC, etc, but big difference is that they don't believe in eternal security.
Landmark Baptists tend to be pretty solid biblically, but they hold to Landmark ecclesiology.
Primitive Baptists are what the rest of us call Hyper-Calvinist--that is, God elects, and men may be saved independently of the gospel.
Reformed Baptists are strongly predestinarian, but are evangelical in their outlook.
American Baptists split with the Southern Baptists over slavery. They were once named Northern Baptists. With some exceptions, they tend to be more moderate.
There are the Two-Seed-In-The-Spirit Predestinarian Baptists. Don't know what they believe. The Seventh-Day Baptists meet on Saturday, but as far as I can tell, are otherwise doctrinally sound.
Then there's the story of the man who arrived in a strange town to be greeted by two identical Primitive Baptist churches across the street from each other. Curious, he stopped by the local coffee shop and asked questions. "Wal," said a local, "they had a split. The church on the left side of the street believes that when it comes to footwashing, the same person that washes ought to dry. The church on the other side of the street believes that the same person ought not to wash and dry--that a different person should dry."
Today, Southern Baptists and Independent Baptists are doctrinally pretty similar. Their difference is organizational mainly. Many Independents years ago broke away from the SBCs because it was moving toward liberalism. Some have returned following the Conservative Resurgence.
Free-Will and General Baptists are admitted Arminians. Lot's of similarities with SBC, etc, but big difference is that they don't believe in eternal security.
Landmark Baptists tend to be pretty solid biblically, but they hold to Landmark ecclesiology.
Primitive Baptists are what the rest of us call Hyper-Calvinist--that is, God elects, and men may be saved independently of the gospel.
Reformed Baptists are strongly predestinarian, but are evangelical in their outlook.
American Baptists split with the Southern Baptists over slavery. They were once named Northern Baptists. With some exceptions, they tend to be more moderate.
There are the Two-Seed-In-The-Spirit Predestinarian Baptists. Don't know what they believe. The Seventh-Day Baptists meet on Saturday, but as far as I can tell, are otherwise doctrinally sound.
Then there's the story of the man who arrived in a strange town to be greeted by two identical Primitive Baptist churches across the street from each other. Curious, he stopped by the local coffee shop and asked questions. "Wal," said a local, "they had a split. The church on the left side of the street believes that when it comes to footwashing, the same person that washes ought to dry. The church on the other side of the street believes that the same person ought not to wash and dry--that a different person should dry."
That story reminds me a bit of the one where a passing boat landed on a remote island, only to find a single shipwreck victim on the otherwise unpopulated island, who was living there.Tom Butler said:Then there's the story of the man who arrived in a strange town to be greeted by two identical Primitive Baptist churches across the street from each other. Curious, he stopped by the local coffee shop and asked questions. "Wal," said a local, "they had a split. The church on the left side of the street believes that when it comes to footwashing, the same person that washes ought to dry. The church on the other side of the street believes that the same person ought not to wash and dry--that a different person should dry."
He was very happy to be rescued, and as he was gathering his small handful of belongings, the rescuers noticed there were three buildings that he had obviously built, and inquired about the buildings. "This is where I live!" he said commenting on the first building. And pointing to the second, down the path a small distance, he said, "That is where I go to church."
When one rescuer asked about the third, located across the path from the second, he responded, "That one is where I used to go to church!" :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
Ed
Last edited by a moderator:
Tom Butler said:Today, Southern Baptists and Independent Baptists are doctrinally pretty similar. Their difference is organizational mainly. Many Independents years ago broke away from the SBCs because it was moving toward liberalism. Some have returned following the Conservative Resurgence.
Do you really see them as that similar? My experience is that, while they hold similar views on key doctrines, they are very different in the life of the church.
Tom Butler
New Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom Butler
Today, Southern Baptists and Independent Baptists are doctrinally pretty similar. Their difference is organizational mainly. Many Independents years ago broke away from the SBCs because it was moving toward liberalism. Some have returned following the Conservative Resurgence.
When I say some Independent Baptist churches have returned, I'm thinking of two in particular. Thomas Road Baptist (Dr. Falwell's church) affiliated with the SBC.
And one big independent Baptist church in my city has done the same thing. My impression is that they're not the only ones. They may do things differently, but then again, you'll find that this is true even among SBC churches.
Originally Posted by Tom Butler
Today, Southern Baptists and Independent Baptists are doctrinally pretty similar. Their difference is organizational mainly. Many Independents years ago broke away from the SBCs because it was moving toward liberalism. Some have returned following the Conservative Resurgence.
FriendofSpurgeon said:Do you really see them as that similar? My experience is that, while they hold similar views on key doctrines, they are very different in the life of the church.
When I say some Independent Baptist churches have returned, I'm thinking of two in particular. Thomas Road Baptist (Dr. Falwell's church) affiliated with the SBC.
And one big independent Baptist church in my city has done the same thing. My impression is that they're not the only ones. They may do things differently, but then again, you'll find that this is true even among SBC churches.
Understand your comments. My thoughts are ...
IFB churches tend to be much more conservative doctrinally, more likely to be pretrib/premil, more likely to be Arminian, much more conservative in worship/music, more likely to be KJVO/KJVP, strict in clothes (esp for women) and hair (esp for men), and strict regarding lifestyle issues (music, theatre, alcohol, etc).
SBC churches may be conservative doctrinally but are less dogmatic, may have various end-time views, various A/C views though the SBC F&M is pretty Calvinistic, have various worship/music styles depending on the church, more likely to use other translations than the KJV, and be less dogmatic on lifestyle issues.
While this is a generalization (thus, there will always be exceptions), isn't this true for the most part? How do the other Baptist denominations fit??
IFB churches tend to be much more conservative doctrinally, more likely to be pretrib/premil, more likely to be Arminian, much more conservative in worship/music, more likely to be KJVO/KJVP, strict in clothes (esp for women) and hair (esp for men), and strict regarding lifestyle issues (music, theatre, alcohol, etc).
SBC churches may be conservative doctrinally but are less dogmatic, may have various end-time views, various A/C views though the SBC F&M is pretty Calvinistic, have various worship/music styles depending on the church, more likely to use other translations than the KJV, and be less dogmatic on lifestyle issues.
While this is a generalization (thus, there will always be exceptions), isn't this true for the most part? How do the other Baptist denominations fit??
thegospelgeek
New Member
My Parents were Old Regular baptist and I am somewhat familar with them. Are Primitive Baptist the same as Old Regular? If they differ, how so?
FriendofSpurgeon said:Understand your comments. My thoughts are ...
IFB churches tend to be much more conservative doctrinally, more likely to be pretrib/premil, more likely to be Arminian, much more conservative in worship/music, more likely to be KJVO/KJVP, strict in clothes (esp for women) and hair (esp for men), and strict regarding lifestyle issues (music, theatre, alcohol, etc).
SBC churches may be conservative doctrinally but are less dogmatic, may have various end-time views, various A/C views though the SBC F&M is pretty Calvinistic, have various worship/music styles depending on the church, more likely to use other translations than the KJV, and be less dogmatic on lifestyle issues.
While this is a generalization (thus, there will always be exceptions), isn't this true for the most part? How do the other Baptist denominations fit??
My IFB church is neither calvinist nor Arminian.
AJ
ajg1959 said:In fact, I dont remember ever hearing about a IFB church that is Arminian, but I do know of at least two that are calvinistic.
But the vast majority, I believe, are neither.
AJ
Perhaps this may be better said -- that IFB churches are closer to an Arminian view of salvation than a Calvinistic one. In other words -- conditional atonement, universal atonement and resistable grace. Would you agree with that?
Tom Butler
New Member
FriendofSpurgeon said:Perhaps this may be better said -- that IFB churches are closer to an Arminian view of salvation than a Calvinistic one. In other words -- conditional atonement, universal atonement and resistable grace. Would you agree with that?
You may be right, but I doubt if any IFB church would ever call itself Arminian. To Baptists of any stripe, Arminians are those who do not believe in eternal security and/or espouse some kind works salvation.
Most Baptists churches would say (except for those who wouldn't) that they are not Calvinist, but they're not Arminian either. It's a matter of understanding what you mean by those labels.
Tom Butler said:You may be right, but I doubt if any IFB church would ever call itself Arminian. To Baptists of any stripe, Arminians are those who do not believe in eternal security and/or espouse some kind works salvation.
Most Baptists churches would say (except for those who wouldn't) that they are not Calvinist, but they're not Arminian either. It's a matter of understanding what you mean by those labels.
Thanks Tom -- understand.
Tom Butler
New Member
FriendofSpurgeon said:Understand your comments. My thoughts are ...
IFB churches tend to be much more conservative doctrinally, more likely to be pretrib/premil, more likely to be Arminian, much more conservative in worship/music, more likely to be KJVO/KJVP, strict in clothes (esp for women) and hair (esp for men), and strict regarding lifestyle issues (music, theatre, alcohol, etc).
SBC churches may be conservative doctrinally but are less dogmatic, may have various end-time views, various A/C views though the SBC F&M is pretty Calvinistic, have various worship/music styles depending on the church, more likely to use other translations than the KJV, and be less dogmatic on lifestyle issues.
While this is a generalization (thus, there will always be exceptions), isn't this true for the most part? How do the other Baptist denominations fit??
To me, this is a pretty reasonable description of IFB and SBC folks. Over the years, though, I have noticed that a couple of IFB churches in my area have become less so than before. The ones I have in mind are indistinguishable from Southern Baptist churches. .