What main Factor made you to choose to be a Baptist?

[DaChaser1]

Short Answer: Baptists know and aknowledge we are sinners and are saved by Grace through Faith.

I was raised a Baptists and left Baptist churches in my very early 20s because I couldn't reconcile the 1-point Calvinism that was taught at the time.

I swam around between a pretty big Pentecostal holiness church, independent full-gospel churches which didn't fall into the WOF heresies, and a local Church of God (Cleveland). Over that time my conscience was consistently reminded of a couple of things that pointed back toward Baptist churches. Those points were that I was a sinner and unable to live a life pleasing to God no matter how hard I worked at it. The follow-up to that was my growing awareness of the absolute necessity of Grace for my salvation. I always knew Grace was a crucial element but I saw faith and repentance as parts of the equation where I was the one doing the work. As I began to better understand Grace, there was the realization that the churches I was attending either underemphasized Grace or didn't understand it at all. Not that I fully understand God's Grace, but I was put off by Preachers who felt the need to add caveats when preaching or teaching on Grace.

The Baptist Church I attend has a strong understanding that we are all sinners and we are fully dependent on God's Grace for our salvation. There is no pretense that we can live a holy enough life to be pleasing to God and earn or our salvation like I saw in the Pentecostal churches. The motive for abstaining from sin is love and gratitude for what Christ did for us; for His love, sacrifice and saving grace. That is consistent with my current Baptist church.

When the Lord saved me in college...
Went into Assemblies of God for first decade or so...

Sincere believers, and thankfully more "old school" pentacostals, so not much in WoF and health wealth heresies!

I NEVER bought into second act of Grace, tongues as ONLY evidence etc...

Thankfully, now in baptist church!

 

[nodak]

DaChaser--what do I commonly see in this region?

1. Creedalism--whether it is independent Baptist churches stating all who join their congregation must sign on to YEC, or SBC saying all members must agree to the BFM--usually 2000, a few still to 1963.

2. Elder rule rather than congregational governance. (Not to be confused with elder led. I don't hold to either one but there is a difference.)

3. Loss of church autonomy. Some have taken loans from state conventions (my region is 4 states with 5 conventions that I know of in the SBC) with the caveat that if they cease to be SBC the building forfeits to the convention. Bad move in my opinion. What if the SBC changes in a way that your church does not believe? You are STUCK.

4. Loss of teaching soul competency. There was a time, at least in the SBC churches I was part of, where a calvinist and a dispensationalist would go witnessing together. Not today--gotta fight to death on hills we used to see as not worth dying on. We've forgotten the main thing and are chasing rabbits for the most part.

Now, all that said, I do know of Baptist churches that individually still hold to those things. But they are scarce around here, and you don't see the stress on those things that there used to be any more. Time was those things were what made a Baptist a Baptist in my neck of the woods.

 

[Michaelt]

For me, it didn't just happen. God led my mother to send me to a Baptist church before I was ever saved. The Lord saved me as the result of the preaching and teaching I heard in that Baptist church.

I have attended my current church since 1963, through the providence of God.

The word Christian means different things to different people. It doesn't tell me much. But the term Baptist tells folks the kind of believer I am.

Only flaw in that is that Westboro is a baptist church...

and I don't believe much like those in that baptist church.

 

[Tom Butler]

Only flaw in that is that Westboro is a baptist church...

and I don't believe much like those in that baptist church.

Nor do I and I don't know of another Baptist church which does.

 

[Gina B]

Having moved a lot, it has been a combination of the leading of the Holy Spirit combined with studying doctrine and going with the church that most closely agreed with the Holy Bible.

Somehow, that church always ends up being Baptist, even when I specifically tried to find a non-Baptist one some years ago.

Can't argue with the Holy Spirit. Well, I could, but I'm positive I'd not win, plus it's never a good idea to spat with anyone who has saved your life and who also has the ability to turn you into a pillar of salt or have a whale swallow you. Common sense and all...

 

[Jkdbuck76]

Why I chose to be a baptist?

The Holy Spirit lead me to.


Funny thing is: I swore I'd never be a baptist, nor a deacon, nor a preacher.

 

[Tom Butler]

Why I chose to be a baptist?

The Holy Spirit lead me to.


Funny thing is: I swore I'd never be a baptist, nor a deacon, nor a preacher.

Reminds me of one of my favorite axioms:
Wanna make God laugh? Tell Him your plans.

 

[Jon-Marc]

First, what started me in a Baptist church is the fact that the only person concerned enough about my soul to invite me was a Baptist. Second, the love shown and the acceptance brought me back; those and their correct doctrine (once I learned enough of God's word to know the difference) kept me there.

 

[David Lamb]

First, what started me in a Baptist church is the fact that the only person concerned enough about my soul to invite me was a Baptist. Second, the love shown and the acceptance brought me back; those and their correct doctrine (once I learned enough of God's word to know the difference) kept me there.

Now there's a challenge to us in our witnessing and church life!

 

[Scribe]

I went to a Baptist church growing up with my aunt and uncle, so I was raised a Baptist. After I turned 18, I fell away for a very long time, and when I returned to the Lord I began attending an Assemblies of God fellowship near my house. I attended there for two years and it is a wonderful church with some of the Godliest people I have ever met, but I just never embraced all of their doctrine (speaking in tongues, conditional security, etc.). My wife was never comfortable there either, so she rarely attended with me. When I finally left that church, I was determined to find a place where we could both feel comfortable attending; God has led us to a non-denominational church that teaches Baptist doctrine.

 

[Oldtimer]

First, what started me in a Baptist church is the fact that the only person concerned enough about my soul to invite me was a Baptist. Second, the love shown and the acceptance brought me back; those and their correct doctrine (once I learned enough of God's word to know the difference) kept me there.

It's erie how closely your testimony mirrors mine.

Background: When better half and I married we belonged to different Christian demoninations. Thus, we needed to make a choice. For myself there wasn't much to hold me to my church, for a number of reasons. One quick example -- There's something wrong when church leaders fight over "red" carpet for the center isle in front of the entire congregation.

End result was that we shuffled back and forth for a while, before drifting away from both of them. Then, sporatically attended other churches before stopping going altogther.

or what? from the OP. I believe that God got tired of us being "lukewarm". He sent a messenger, twice in fact, inviting us to a local Baptist church. Of that I have no doubt.

And, the rest of the story:

First, what started me in a Baptist church is the fact that the only person concerned enough about my soul to invite me was a Baptist. Second, the love shown and the acceptance brought me back; those and their correct doctrine (once I learned enough of God's word to know the difference) kept me there