Southern Baptists and Alien Immersion

I received the following article from the Landmark Southern Baptist GroupList, and Ben Stratton:

 

LifeWay Research, a division of LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention, conducted a study in spring 2008 among a representative sample of 778 Southern Baptist pastors.  These pastors were asked about several doctrinal questions that often dominate Southern Baptist debates.  Particularly interesting were the results on baptism.
 
Pastors were asked about their church’s practice of receiving members who were baptized in other churches.  Some of the results include:
 
1.  If the prospective new member had been immersed after conversion in another church that does not believe in eternal security, 26 percent of Southern Baptist pastors said they would not require baptism.
 
2.  If the prospective new member had been immersed after conversion in a church that believes baptism is required for salvation, 13 percent of Southern Baptist pastors said they would not require baptism.
 
3.  If the prospective new member had been baptized by sprinkling or pouring after conversion, 3 percent of Southern Baptist pastors said they would not require baptism prior to admittance into membership.
 
4.  If the prospective new member had been baptized as an infant by sprinkling, pouring or immersion, 1 percent of Southern Baptist pastors said they would not require baptism.
 
While this study was only of a small sample of Southern Baptist pastors (There are over 2400 Southern Baptist churches in Kentucky alone.) I was pleased with the results.  Notice that 74% of the pastors surveyed said they would reject the immersions administered by Assembly of God or Free Will Baptist Churches.  Even better 87% of pastors surveyed said they would reject the immersions administered by groups such as the Churches of Christ.  And only 1% to 3% are following the route of John Piper and allowing pedobaptists to become members of Southern Baptist churches. 
 
Overall I was very pleased with these results.  While it is true that Southern Baptists have a number of churches and especially younger pastors who are weak on church truth, this survey shows that the majority of Southern Baptist churches are still sound on the doctrine of baptism.  It also sounds how diligent we must be grounding our churches in the faith that was once for all delivered unto the saints.  Jude 1:3
 
Who is coming into our churches?  Will there be any sure way to know what is believed by “Baptist” churches?  Are we just cooperating with all “evangelical” churches?  That seems to be the guideline nowadays.  Rather than Scripture.  Let’s just baptize everybody by proxy, then we can increase our numbers. :) .
-Tim A. Blankenhsip

The King is Coming

The title of this post was the theme of our Barry County Southern Baptist Associational Annual meeting.  We had four sessions beginning Monday evening with the preaching of the Annual sermon by Hubert Conway, interim Pastor of Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church in the Northeast part of our Association. 

The meeting was held at the Arnhart Baptist Church, and was well attended.  The songs, the singing, the sermons were all great, encourageing, and uplifting as well as challenging.  Every message was a reminder of the coming of our Lord.

Last night Dr. Stan Norman from SBU in Bolivar spoke on the final judgment of the Great White Throne, and challenged us to have the heart of Paul concerning our witness and testimony.  Paul wrote in Romans, “I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:”  Romans 9:1-3 (KJV).  To wish ourselves accursed for the sake of another soul.  That is challenging.

Would we, are we as Baptist, and as Christians willing to be willing to endure the fires and torment of hell, so that one soul or many souls might be saved?  Would I, if I could, give up my salvation for a lost soul to enter heaven for eternity?  I am still thinking about that one.

If we had the heart of Paul and of Jesus Christ there would be a great influx of souls coming to faith in Christ, as the Spirit of God would be moving in great power and glory to Christ.  Let’s think hard and pray long and diligently concerning our hearts and the souls of the lost in our communities, and around the world.

-Tim A. Blankenship

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.