Baptist Family History

Mine can be traced to the Church at Ephesus, when John was pastor. However, it is not necessary, or even advisable, to do so. We get our authority from the bible, not from any form of chain-link successionism, in my not entire humble opinion.

 

Our family has a great heritage of Baptist belief and practice (read "This Day in Baptist History" , Vol II --- Jan 8th). However, I agree with you TC, there is no need to have some discernable succession. I have talked with new believers who have no Baptist background, and I don't consider them any less of a believer. I just tell them to start their own Baptist heritage.

 

My Baptist Heritage is easy, I visited a Baptist Church when I was 19. I never heard of Baptists, until I was probably 15.

I thought it would be cool to trace my baptism family tree, Brother John Hamilton baptized me, and I found out who baptized him back on Oklahoma, probably 80 years ago, but the trail grew cold there.

Do you suppose, that if it were possible to trace baptism, that most believer-baptism Christians would be traced back to the apostles? Or did many Christians just come to believe through the Bible and then baptize each other?

 

Mark, if we felt we needed to find a succession link back to the NT (which we don't) it would be pretty tough. Some families such as mine can trace our family's faith back to ancesstors who came to America or some before that. However, most of the records of spiritual heritage are lost or were never written.

What matters is that we have a biblical faith based upon the principles of Scripture. As I stated in my previous post each believer can start his or her own biblical heritage.

"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us."

 

Family Baptist tree, i agree, is not all that important. But what is about baptist history is being able to trace back the heritage of the church.

example: when i was ordained to the full work of the ministry, those Elders which layed hands on me can be traced back to the Elder that came over from Europe AND those men can be traced back to the very beginng of "visible" church. this is important!! it represents the authoruty of the church which has been passed through the ages by the "laying on of hands".

just some thoughts.

Changed like Saul,

Elder Chris Folsom
www.pbsermons.org

 

CF, while I can't say I have a clear line of descent from John B. I believe my faith, baptism, ordination, etc. are still biblical and valid.

"But to as many as received him, to them gave he the power [authority] to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. Which were born not of blood, nor the will of man, but of God."

[ February 22, 2002: Message edited by: Circuitrider ]