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Baptist Denominations

Discussion in '2000-02 Archive' started by Ben W, Nov 5, 2002.

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  1. Ben W

    Ben W Active Member
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    Exactly How many Baptist denominations are there? In Australia we have Baptist, Baptist Union(southern baptist) Baptist Independant, Seventh Day Baptist. On the net I have heard of "Free will Baptist, Independant Fundamentalist Baptist, Co-operative Baptist fellowship"

    How many Baptist denominations are members of the World Alliance and how many refuse to join? How many are considering merging with a fellow Baptist denomination?
     
    #1 Ben W, Nov 5, 2002
  2. rsr

    rsr <b> 7,000 posts club</b>
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    rlvaughn could provide you with more comprehensive information. There are some American groups that are not members. The National Association of Free Will Baptists, with 2,400 churches, comes immediately to mind.

    Here is the list of members:

    http://www.bwanet.org/fellowship/member-bodies/member-stats.htm

    [ November 05, 2002, 09:28 AM: Message edited by: rsr ]
     
    #2 rsr, Nov 5, 2002
  3. rlvaughn

    rlvaughn Well-Known Member
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    Ben, first I would direct you to read Baptist groups in the USA to get a feel of the over 50 different Baptist groups in the United States. There are approximately 200 different Baptist bodies in the Baptist World Alliance, from the Southern Baptist Convention with over 40,000 churches to the 2 church Antigua Baptist Convention. Of the over 50 Baptist bodies in the United States, only 14 participate in the BWA (if the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is accepted that will bring the total to 15). In the foreword of Baptists Around the World by Dr. Albert Wardin, Denton Lotz stated that 90% of Baptists belong to the BWA, although I'm not sure how he arrived at the figure. The SBC's presence in the BWA should certainly put the majority of Baptists in it, but, IMO, the 90% figure is too high.

    Though several groups work in friendly cooperation, I don't know of any major mergers that have occurred in recent years among Baptists. We prefer to split!
     
    #3 rlvaughn, Nov 6, 2002
  4. Jim1999

    Jim1999 <img src =/Jim1999.jpg>

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    Baptists are a funny lot. I know one Baptist Church building in Toronto, Ontario, Canada which houses two different Baptist groups. One is a KJO group.....and the other,,,,,,which I know very well, use the KJV for everything.....ironic, isn't it? What a community testimony!

    Cheers,

    Jim
     
    #4 Jim1999, Nov 7, 2002
  5. wjrighter

    wjrighter New Member

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    to;benw
    i may be branded a baptist heretic,but here go's
    so many baptist versions & beliefs; makes me wonder what paul meant in 1cor.12:13-31? i guess what i mean is when we get to heaven;how many baptist churches will there be ? no offence to anyone but ain't we -the christians -building to many of the same kind of churches? point: thom.ga. got probably 30 or better baptist churches for a town of 20k or less. oh well just a thought;bill
     
    #5 wjrighter, Nov 8, 2002
  6. Jim1999

    Jim1999 <img src =/Jim1999.jpg>

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    I would rather see 30 churches of 200 than one church of 6000, so long as they had the same witness.

    When we get to heaven, we better be ready to mow the turf together. I heard they all have adjoining back gardens.

    Cheers,

    Jim
     
    #6 Jim1999, Nov 9, 2002
  7. Ben W

    Ben W Active Member
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    We certainley see a number of groups breaking away from churches to begin their own fellowships. I think it could be good to see some groups that have the same theological doctrine join in together. As it has been stated above Heaven is not segregated into denominations. So I think it is important to look at fellowshiping outside of our denominational boundaries with other like minded Christians. Of 200 Baptist denominations surley there are some that could join forces?
     
    #7 Ben W, Nov 9, 2002
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