Overrun with catholics

[Earth Wind and Fire]

Newark Star Ledger (NJ's State & Local News paper) sites a statistic in the Sept. 28th article named "A state of FAITH". 1st it shows the RCC remains far & away the largest religious group in the state, with approximately 3.2 million members.... with a larger number of Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist & Mormon houses of worship & their members growing quickly.

No wonder Baptists Churches are willing to change their names to eliminate the reference to baptist distinctives in order to attract Roman Catholics! It's purely a #'s game. :tear:

 

[billwald]

Same thing is happening in the Christian Reformed Church. Local congregations are ashamed of their denominational names.

 

[targus]

No wonder Baptists Churches are willing to change their names to eliminate the reference to baptist distinctives in order to attract Roman Catholics!

Not sure what you mean by this.

Do you think that Catholics will mistakenly enter a Baptist church if the sign doesn't say "Baptist"?

Wouldn't the lack of a Catholic Mass be a tip off to them?:laugh:

 

[billwald]

People who want a non-denominational generic church might enter if "Baptist" or "CRC" is eliminated from the reader board. Some churches use a "spiritual" name with no "Christian" connotation.

For that matter I have been in a Mormon AM church service that the same theological content and format as a typical Baptist Church.

 

[mont974x4]

Not sure what you mean by this.

Do you think that Catholics will mistakenly enter a Baptist church if the sign doesn't say "Baptist"?

Wouldn't the lack of a Catholic Mass be a tip off to them?:laugh:

I know several people who want to change their church's name to get rid of the Baptist tag. No one expects Catholics to mistakenly come in and worship with Baptists. The idea is to get people to at least visit the church when they normally would just pass on it based on their personal bias and preconceived ideas associated with the word Baptist.

Some will stay in their associations and be listed in the phone book with the other Baptist churches.

I find the practice to be dishonest.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

Not sure what you mean by this.

Do you think that Catholics will mistakenly enter a Baptist church if the sign doesn't say "Baptist"?

Wouldn't the lack of a Catholic Mass be a tip off to them?:laugh:

Ahhhh yea if thats what they want, but there are a ton of pissed off catholics who are searching for another church experience & consider Baptists too different from them.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

I know several people who want to change their church's name to get rid of the Baptist tag. No one expects Catholics to mistakenly come in and worship with Baptists. The idea is to get people to at least visit the church when they normally would just pass on it based on their personal bias and preconceived ideas associated with the word Baptist.

Some will stay in their associations and be listed in the phone book with the other Baptist churches.

I find the practice to be dishonest.

nonetheless it is very active & widespread.

 

[mont974x4]

Sadly, yes, you are correct.

 

[Yeshua1]

nonetheless it is very active & widespread.

My baptist church was founded by an ex catholic baptist, and many of its mebers were ex catholics, and we choose not to place baptist in our name as that title has "bad responses" in our local community among cathics and others!

 

[The Biblicist]

My baptist church was founded by an ex catholic baptist, and many of its mebers were ex catholics, and we choose not to place baptist in our name as that title has "bad responses" in our local community among cathics and others!

That is sad! Of course true Baptists in faith and doctrine .don't change names like a chameleon. The Baptist heritage, faith and practice is completley Biblical and the only thing I would be ashamed of is not being a Baptist

 

[Yeshua1]

That is sad! Of course true Baptists in faith and doctrine .don't change names like a chameleon. The Baptist heritage, faith and practice is completley Biblical and the only thing I would be ashamed of is not being a Baptist

We are not ashamed of it, but have found it easier to speak to cathics and others in our community without using that term, but once saved by God and members, they would definitly know that we are baptists by beliefs and practices!

 

[The Biblicist]

We are not ashamed of it, but have found it easier to speak to cathics and others in our community without using that term.....!

I don't use the term "Baptist" when witnessing to anyone either but we don't take it off our church building. It is a very Biblical term and when it comes to teaching "saved" persons we use it without apology or embarrassment.

 

[Yeshua1]

I don't use the term "Baptist" when witnessing to anyone either but we don't take it off our church building. It is a very Biblical term and when it comes to teaching "saved" persons we use it without apology or embarrassment.

Wec were named some 28 years ago by the founders, so would be little bit late to change now!

 

[The Biblicist]

Wec were named some 28 years ago by the founders, so would be little bit late to change now!

That indicates the founders were not Baptists either or at best quasi-Baptists.

 

[mont974x4]

That indicates the founders were not Baptists either or at best quasi-Baptists.

How's that?

 

[The Biblicist]

How's that?

The only authorized founder of the New Testament church is Christ and the Great Commission is given to the New Testamet church to reproduce AFTER ITS OWN KIND until Jesus comes again. New Testament churches do not refer to "founders" but to the church that authorized their constitution through ordained representatives.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

The only authorized founder of the New Testament church is Christ and the Great Commission is given to the New Testamet church to reproduce AFTER ITS OWN KIND until Jesus comes again. New Testament churches do not refer to "founders" but to the church that authorized their constitution through ordained representatives.

I would agree with that.

 

[mont974x4]

That did nothing to explain your comment about the person who started that church.

The use of the term "founder" may not have been your choice but its technically accurate. I still don't know why you think that proves he wasn't a Baptist.

 

[The Biblicist]

That did nothing to explain your comment about the person who started that church.

The use of the term "founder" may not have been your choice but its technically accurate. I still don't know why you think that proves he wasn't a Baptist.

Properly baptized believers covenant together to become a New Testament congregation under the authority of a preexisting church and/or its ordained representatives. It is these prospective members who select their own name, articles of faith and church covenant. There are no "founders" that arbritrarily select such things. They must demonstrate they are like faith and order with the church that oversees their constitution into a N.T. congregation.

So it is not technically accurate to use "founders" to describe the selection of such things as that is the first actions of self-constitution under the authority of a previous existent congregation.

If by "founders" he means the original membership then one must question the character of the church overseeing and constituting them into a congregation. Why would they reject the name "Baptist" unless that was also the position of the constituting church?

When a group of people reject the historical and Biblical designation of "Baptist" it usually is a strong indicator they are not "Baptist" in faith or order but are some kind of ecumenical hybrid that has departed from historic Baptist faith and practice.

 

[saturneptune]

Regardless of who preserved the church that Jesus Christ established, there is no excuse for hiding or diminishing the word Baptist. It is a label that invites a lost world to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. If there is a denomination that should drop their title, it is the RCC. The name "The Pope's House of Magic Tricks" would be more appropriate.

Why is it Baptist is the only label one hears about hiding or changing their name? Has anyone ever heard of a Methodist or Presbyterian trying to change their name? If one cannot proudly be a Baptist because of everything it stands for, then maybe they should join a denomination that better suits them.