Which Baptists are the Same or Similar?

The IFB may disagree that they are the same as the SBC, because I feel most of them think the SBC is not as fundamentalist. But, I disagree, especially since the conservative resurgence.

I just wanted to make that note because I was the one who said we seem very close, because I seem to agree with Dr. Bob on almost every doctrine.

To compare your churches beliefs with the Southern Baptist Faith and Message (SBC beliefs), go here http://www.baptist-church.org/beliefs.html and read the 2000 version. It has three updated versions side-by side for comparison. The updates were to take into account new social issues effecting us today.

I think you will find the "freewill" Baptist to be one of the most different. I believe that the Freewill Baptist may not believe in eternal security, but it may be another independent Baptist.

We typically accept members from all main Baptist churches by letter, except those from the one that does NOT believe in "eternal security". This, of course, is an option of our local church. Unlike many people think, the SBC does NOT take orders from the convention. The churches are independent and the convention is to serve the churches and pool money to train and send out missionaries.

Missionary Baptist, I believe, sends out individual missionaries and don't believe in pooling their money. Again, a minor doctrinal difference.

Landmarkers believe they can trace their roots to the New Testament Church, but their doctrine is relatively similar.

If you are from one of these churches, please correct me if I am wrong.

 

Phillip, there is an error on your page. On the final column, Man III is repeated twice and salvation is not listed.

 

In the multi-page list of "How do we Count the Baptists," "A" (ECUMENICAL MAINLINE) would probably be willing to accept most of us, but wouldn't attract many of us.

"B" (CONSERVATIVE EVANGELICAL) are all pretty much alike and like most of us - "Gen. Conf." is Swedish, and CBA is now about 4 groups - started with good churches leaving the old Northern convention (now ABC). "7th Day" obviously limits its outreach for those of us who worship on Sunday, but otherwise wouldn't be much different - a bit legalistic.

"C" "SEPARATIST FUNDAMENTALIST" - some of the state fellowships are part of a larger grouping, but some of these groups would not accept one another's baptisms (about like the Anabaptists in Holland in the 1500's, who baptized more people than the total population of Holland for a few years.) (Mioque, you can read about it in Dosker if you think that's just my "Landmarkism.")

Under "II," REGULAR BAPTISTS (SOUTHERN-ORIENTED),
note that there are now SBC churches in all 50 states and most if not all Canadian provinces, and missionaries in over 150 countries - not quite "Southern-oriented" any more; this is not your father's Oldsmobile! Alliance & CBF are in the process of developing their own annuity plan, or joining the ABC plan, and when that is done our SBC "left wing" will be those of us who are not committed pre-trib rapture folks using Scofield notes & Larkin charts.

In the long lists of "LANDMARK MISSIONARY BAPTISTS" and "SEPARATIST FUNDAMENTALISTS," most are compatible in doctrine, but not in practice; again, many would not honor one another's baptisms or ordinations.

Many of Group III, "BLACK BAPTISTS," are dually aligned with SBC and/or some other largely white group, and most of the National conventions are doctrinally like either Southern or American Baptists. For example, in Kentucky, all the NBC groups have one joint office and work closely with the (SBC) Kentucky Baptist Convention, and we honor one another's letters and ordiinations if the occasion arises. I've been involved in the ordination of some National Baptist pastors and preach often among them, have even taught in their annual (KY) Sunday School Conference.

Among "PRIMITIVES,", "GENERALS," and "FREE-WILLS,"
there is little outside fellowship; General & Free-Will both are Arminian, hold possible loss of salvation, and are pretty much immersed shouting Methodists or Nazarenes more than our usual idea of "Baptists." Note that "Two-Seed-in the-Spirit Predestinarians" are really properly under "Primitives," and so are the Duck River (TN) folks.

Category VI, "REFORMED/SOVEREIGN GRACE BAPTISTS,"
differ from the Primitives in a stronger emphasis on sending missionaries, differ from Sovereign Grace Southern Baptists (a growing group) in not wanting centralized convention-type operations.
Diane is right on when she points out that each Southern Baptist church sets its own parameters.

For a helpful summary of more details, see Frank Mead's "Handbook of Denominations" from Abingdon Press (Methodist, but unbiased in its information on each group, lengthy section on Baptists - even longer than this post!)

Happy New Year - Charles - Ro. 8:28

(By the way - I may be missing it, but I don't see the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism in that excellent list, which I've copied to file. ABWE was in the news a while back when some of their missionaries were killed in a plane crash in South America - first time I'd heard of them, but they have an excellent web site. I'll tag it later.)

 

It's <www.abwe.org> - just checked it again. I didn't want to go look and risk losing that long post! - Best - Charles - Ro. 8:28