Bible Question: I HAVE BEEN ATTENDING FAITH BAPTIST CHRUCH AND WAS THINKING ABOUT CHANGING MY LETTER, WHEN I NOTICED THERE WASN'T EVER AN INVITATION AT THE END OF THE SERVICES. WE ASKED AND IT WAS EXPLAINED TO US WE WOULD HAVE TO BE REVIEWED BY A GROUP OF 3 ELDERS AND THEY DECIDE IF WE ARE TRULY SAVED BEFORE WE COULD JOIN. MY QUESTION IS: I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS PRACTICE IN A BAPTIST CHURCH DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY INSIGHT ON THIS, OR IS THIS SOMETHING I NEED TO LET ALONE. THANK SANDRA |
Bible Answer: Hi, Sandra :: I am a Baptist and belong to a local church that is a Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) church. What you have described is foreign to the practices of the church of which my wife and I are members. But there are, as you may know, a number of communions that call themselves Baptists and their doctrines and practices often vary widely. Unfortunately, there is an extreme diversity among modern Baptists and thus the moniker "Faith Baptist Church" doesn't give us much to go on I'm afraid. So I would hesitate to comment further unless you are able and wish to supply additional information that might serve to "pin down" just what this church teaches and whether it is a totally independent local church or attaches itself to one of the many different denominational branches that have the word "Baptist" as part of their name. Sanda, are you absolutely sure that the information you were given about three elders deciding whether a candidate for church membership was saved accurately represents the doctrinal position of this church? Is this Faith Baptist by any chance a congregation of the Primitive Baptists? --Hank |