Featured Why do you all think what we think

Great post!~

 

Yes they do, same day. You have no idea what you are talking about.

 

Sooooo, a person walks into a Baptist church, says 'I'm interested in being a member of your church' and 'presto', same day, they are now a Baptist! Wow! Never happened in my Baptist church. There were classes, oh, and a baptism to schedule if they were previously baptized but not according to 'Hoyle' (you know what I mean) before they were admitted into membership of our church.

I have read threads on the 'Baptist Only' forums that deal with this subject. Different Baptist churches have different requirements as to how and when a person is deemed a member of a particular Baptist church. Some accept people as members only after they have been baptized in that particular Baptist church, others accept the baptism and transfers of memberships (letter) from other Baptist churches that are from that particular Baptist converntion, etc. Many require inquires to attend membership classes. So, please don't try and tell me that ALL Baptist's churches admit people into the membership of their churches the very day they walk in the door and state they have an interest in becoming a member. It just ain't so and you know it!

 

I think the Apostles Creed presents the sufficient statement of the Christian faith. As for all beyond that, everyone should think and let think, as Wesley said.

 

I am not interested about your experience with the Baptist church, as it did not work. Again, you did not read the post. I said our church. We go by what the Bible says, as in Acts, "they were added daily." It does not say they went through six weeks of communicants class, or x number of times at church, or slowly evolve into a Catholic by osmosis. All Baptist churches in my area are pretty much the same. We go by what Scripture says, not what Pope Peter Paul Mary XXII said. Most Baptist churches accept any Baptism that is nonregenerational and immersion. They accept letters from any other Baptist church or a church of like faith and order.

The fact that you do not know these simple facts makes me wonder if you have ever been to a Baptist church.

 

Most Baptist chuches act immediately upon a public profession of faith and request for membership or for baptism.

Now, these people who come forward are usually known to the church as they have been coming for some time as visitors or with their spouse or parents.

Those who come forward that we have no knowledge about I ask them to meet with me afterwards so I can make sure they understand what our demands for membership are and question them concerning their profession to make sure they mean what we understand to be a proper profession of salvation. However, once that is confirmed we act immediately.

"Teaching them" occurs AFTER baptism and membership (Mt. 28:20; Acts 2:41).

 

So Walter, now that you have the correct doctrine from an ordained brother in Christ, instead of a lowly deacon like me, how do you explain your posts. It is just another example in your long string of wacko theology. Now go play ring around the rosary with the other kids.

 

I stand by my posts. I know what the Baptists churches in the area I grew up practice in the matter of 'adding new members to the rolls'. BTW, I am still on the rolls of the Baptist church in which I grew up in despite informing them I no longer wish to be affiliated.

Here is a difference between Catholic boards and this board. I went to Catholic boards as an inquirer and as a Baptist and NEVER was I attacked, mocked or belittled as I have been on this board. I have been accused of being a liar, deciever, heretic, blasphemer and incinuated that I 'probably never saved to begin with.'

I have been called a 'little Catholic wanna be', told to go 'play ring around the rosary' and so on. Not the behavior of people who claim to have the love of Christ in their hearts. And so, Saturneptune, you get your wish. I will now say goodbye to your bigotry and hatred. Nothing left to see here.

 

So not the same day as Saturneptune states. They usually have been attending a while and understand what the decision they are making.

 

The church action is taken immediately upon their profession of faith and desire to become a member.

As I said, TEACHING them comes AFTER not BEFORE baptism. Note this order is made clear in Matthew 28:19-20 and Acts 2:40-41. Sacramentalist with their catechism class REVERSE the Biblical order and must because they merge salvation with sanctification. In contrast, Baptist believe initial salvation (regeneration/conversion/justification) is a completed action that precedes "good works" or progressive sanctification by "good works" and so we act immediately upon the profession of faith and request for church membership unless there are obvious reasons why we should not. As you can see there was immediate action taken by the church at Jeruslaem (Acts 2:40).

It is obvious you came from a "nominal" (name only) Baptist church because no true Biblical "Baptist" church would retain such a person on its rolls as that would be in clear violation of 2 Thes. 3:6,14, etc.

 

I don't dispute this. In fact, most of the Baptist churches and other Protestant churches in the area I grew are quite liberal. The last Protestant church I attended had been Presbyterian (PCUSA)and left that denomination because of the liberal agenda of PCUSA and eventually affilitated with EV. Free Church.

I recently read that that many SBC churches have many people on their rolls who have long since stopped attending and, even with that, they continue to dwindle as a denomination.

Thanks, Biblicists, for your kind and respectful responses to both my questions and comments. You never mocked me or belittled me in any way and treated me with kindness. Not always the case on this board is it. I may visit the board from time to time but not as a poster. Don't see it as edifying.

 

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In any genuine profession of faith there is a testimony of change or manifestation of the fruits of repentance that are related in the profession rather than a bare statement "I have trusted in Christ as my savior and want to be baptized or be a member of the church."

As I said, if there is any question in regard to their profession or newness to our assembly, I set down with them and probe for these things before baptizing them.

However, I do not place them in a catechism class and require they must be taught all things previous to baptism and church membership as that is placing the horse before the cart according to the specific and clear order given in Matthew 28:19-20 and Acts 2:40-41.