Old Regular Baptist Website

[Daniel H]

We have our official website up and running. It is www.oldregularbaptist.com and we invite you to visit. It is a work in progress but we are proud of it. It is the Indian Bottom Association website. I am Daniel Hughes the webmaster. May God bless you all.

[Me4Him]

Hi Daniel:

I'm a native of SE KY, (Bell county) and quite familar with the Hazard area.

I've notice several "old Regular Baptist" churches in that area and their association HQ building on Rt 194 between Jenkins, Ky and Clay city.

I've ask several what their specific doctrine was regarding the rapture, (pre, mid, post) and the "Mill reign", but was never given a clear answer, are you going to post additional "doctrine" that will answer these question later??

I realize your site is "NEW" and it might take time.

[Daniel H]

I will forward your comment to the moderator of our assocation who makes the final decision as to what goes on the site. Sorry but I am unable to answer the questions myself. Thanks for visiting our site.

[rlvaughn]

Daniel, thanks for posting the link to your web site. You all have done a very nice job.

[Bro. James Reed]

Bro. Daniel,

I was just listening to the singing on the website. It is beautiful, but I do have a couple of questions.

Are they all sung so slow? What is the reason for this?

Are they all lined out? What is the reason?

[rlvaughn]

Bro. James, I noticed that Daniel hasn't been around in a few days, and think I'll take on an attempt to answer your question. I can only speak as an outsider who has read about the Old Regulars, corresponded with a few elders, and listened to some of their singing. So if an Old Regular Baptist online can add to or correct this, I'll welcome it.

In my experience, all Old Regular Baptist singing is slow and lined out. From musical history it appears that part of the reason for this was that when the singing school movement was becoming popular, they rejected the "regular way" of singing (which is basically our shape note singing with note books) to hold on to the "traditional way" of singing (lined-out hymnody from words-only hymn books).

Here is an article kind of related to the subject:
The Regular Singing Controversy

I think this one contains some info also:
Psalmody & Church Music

I would add that probably most Old Regulars believe that using books with tunes takes away from the spirit and the Spirit in the singing. I think you will find also that Primitive Baptist singing in the same general areas as the Old Regulars generally tends to sound more like the Old Regular singing than Primitive Baptist singing in Texas.

[Bro. James Reed]

Having to know the tunes by memory would hamper the spirit for me. That's too much thinking to do on my part.

Also, I can see their point about singing songs more slowly to feel more in the spirit. I know a number of the churches around here sing the songs faster than I prefer, but singing them too slow, as they have done in this case, imo, is not any different than singing the song too fast.

There has to be a happy medium between Speedy Gonzales and Slow Poke Rodriguez. (What can I say? I'm a Looney Tunes fan. )

[Daniel H]

Sorry I have been away for a few days. My wife was having some medical testing done. I truly do not know why the songs are sung slowly. In my experience some churches have a little faster pace with the singing but most are slow. If you note there are no musical instruments that would dilute the harmony of the singing. This is what makes line singing so special. Smithsonian Folkways produced two CD's of our music which was recorded at the Defeated Creek church of which I am a member. I hope this helps answer your question. Thanks. Brother Daniel

[old regular]

All Old Regular Baptist are amillennial or more properly stated realized millennialism. They believe the Church has and will go through tribulation(s).They all believe in Last Day theology, the elect will rise first,those that remain will be changed in a moment of twinkling of an eye, the unbelievers will also be raised that same hour,all these events will take place at the last day. No other view is tolerated to be advocated publicly.The General Assn. of Regular Baptist is Premillennial they however have a different history,and practice from those known as Old Regulars.

[Rob't K. Fall]

As a clarification: The General Association of Regular Baptist Churches was founded by men coming out of the Northern Baptist Convention in the 1930s. In the North, the term Regular Baptist did have a clear historic meaning (though no the same as it had in the South).

Hamilton Square Baptist Church's founding document of 1881 states "We hold to the doctrines and practices commonly held by Regular Baptists."

What these doctrines and practices were and are can be deduced from reading Hiscox's New Directory of Baptist Churches and Wayland's Notes on the Principles and Practices of Baptist Churches.