Used to be Baptist

[Strongcuppajoe]

Well ok about two or three years ago we started attending a Southern Baptist church (as we live in Tennessee go figure) Well anyway they never really had a class for those who were "new" to religion and as such well most of the topics went over your head during the sermons (used alot of terminology, escatology etc.) After feeling that growth was well somewhat stunted I purchased a book and in the book was a card asking if you wanted to do a mail in Bible study I figured sure why not fill it out and see what it is all about. Well a few weeks later there was a knock at our door and well there was a lady standing there asking if we were still interested in doing the study which of course we were.

Well we started the study and WOW did we learn ALOT and I mean ALOT the woman who gives the study just shows a rock hard faith in Christ that we did not see in the Baptist church (at least the one we attended) time passed and we were just loving the studies and felt like we could keep up with the other church members in discussions and that is when it happened they found out that the study was put on by the Seventh Day Adventists... If you know anything about the SBC then you know they do not like the SDA they told us that the SDA was nothing but a cult and that they would lead us astray as they have their own version of the bible and when I told them that the lessons were coming straight from the KJV and that she taught NOTHING that was not from the KJV they started throwing books at us like Kingdom of Cults or something like that saying the author says that they are nothing but a cult and when I asked her about it she brought the second edition of the book were he stated an apology towards the SDA and that he was of course wrong so I told my pastor that one he refused to believe me. well to make this long story short I have been to a few SDA services and really enjoyed them and also looking into different Baptist churches as well. so I guess we are looking for a new home weather it be SDA or another SBC church God is the one with the answer

[purpleunicorn_Andi]

Well ok about two or three years ago we started attending a Southern Baptist church (as we live in Tennessee go figure) Well anyway they never really had a class for those who were "new" to religion and as such well most of the topics went over your head during the sermons (used alot of terminology, escatology etc.) After feeling that growth was well somewhat stunted I purchased a book and in the book was a card asking if you wanted to do a mail in Bible study I figured sure why not fill it out and see what it is all about. Well a few weeks later there was a knock at our door and well there was a lady standing there asking if we were still interested in doing the study which of course we were.

Well we started the study and WOW did we learn ALOT and I mean ALOT the woman who gives the study just shows a rock hard faith in Christ that we did not see in the Baptist church (at least the one we attended) time passed and we were just loving the studies and felt like we could keep up with the other church members in discussions and that is when it happened they found out that the study was put on by the Seventh Day Adventists... If you know anything about the SBC then you know they do not like the SDA they told us that the SDA was nothing but a cult and that they would lead us astray as they have their own version of the bible and when I told them that the lessons were coming straight from the KJV and that she taught NOTHING that was not from the KJV they started throwing books at us like Kingdom of Cults or something like that saying the author says that they are nothing but a cult and when I asked her about it she brought the second edition of the book were he stated an apology towards the SDA and that he was of course wrong so I told my pastor that one he refused to believe me. well to make this long story short I have been to a few SDA services and really enjoyed them and also looking into different Baptist churches as well. so I guess we are looking for a new home weather it be SDA or another SBC church God is the one with the answer
my advice would be go to several different denominations if you are not really sure what you are looking for. I don't really know anything about SDA, so I don't really have any advice there... Go where God leads you. He may lead you one place right now and a different place later on. I have been southern baptist, methodist, epsicopalion, lutheran, and am currently an anglican... Good luck, and listen to what God tell you you should do....

[notreligus]

I may be accused of picking on the Baptists (I've been a member of a Southern Baptist church), but I think they've got the wrong emphasis sometimes. They want their pastors to all have at least Masters of Divinity degrees from seminaries, and they educate these seminary graduates to speak in theological terms.

I am somewhat familiar with what goes on behind the scenes as I met with a SBC Bible college assistant dean one time. He asked me why I was not trying to get into the Seminary instead since I already had a degree. He further told me that if I wanted to be hired by a large SBC church I would need a Masters degree, at a minimum. That indicated to me that their focus is off. The focus should be reaching the lost, and there are plenty of lost souls sitting in the pews. If they hear alot of theological terms that they don't understand, that is not going to train them in the Word and it is not going to equip them to reach others. Now, I am not saying that pastors should be uneducated, but what I am saying is that they need to shift the emphasis off the intellect and move it toward the condition of the heart. A child can understand that Jesus Christ loves him or her, and that does not have to be put in PhD terms.

[If Not For Grace]

Oh do I feel you! For years I let one or two spiritual abusers who said "cult" to anything other than their dogmatic beliefs keep me from fellowship at local churches.

One real issue that most SCB have never addressed is the handling of adult converts.
People who grew up in the Brick & Mortar churches have no concept of what is was not to. Any more than those of us who did not grow up in that "vacation bible school" atmosphere understand their culture initially.

Perhaps one can enhance the other. I find nothing cultish regarding the little I know about SDA.

I just don't think it has to be a one or the other deal. Bible Study at home vs. Bible study inside Brick and Mortar.

And perhaps it is so that those who did not grow up in Brick & Mortar do need to "catch up" in the historical type study areas.

I heard Paula White say (a non-youth churcher) she spent 2 years in an intense study of God's word when she first got saved.

Give yourself time to grow. I am so glad you found somewhere you could. Just be careful not to reject the SCB brick/mortar because some of them treated you inappropriately.

"forgive them Father, for they know not what they do"

You are to be commended for not giving up and pursuing God and His teachings....That is what He wants all of us to do.

[InDeoHonorium2]

Oh do I feel you! For years I let one or two spiritual abusers who said "cult" to anything other than their dogmatic beliefs keep me from fellowship at local churches.

One real issue that most SCB have never addressed is the handling of adult converts.
People who grew up in the Brick & Mortar churches have no concept of what is was not to. Any more than those of us who did not grow up in that "vacation bible school" atmosphere understand their culture initially.

Perhaps one can enhance the other. I find nothing cultish regarding the little I know about SDA.

I just don't think it has to be a one or the other deal. Bible Study at home vs. Bible study inside Brick and Mortar.

And perhaps it is so that those who did not grow up in Brick & Mortar do need to "catch up" in the historical type study areas.

I heard Paula White say (a non-youth churcher) she spent 2 years in an intense study of God's word when she first got saved.

Give yourself time to grow. I am so glad you found somewhere you could. Just be careful not to reject the SCB brick/mortar because some of them treated you inappropriately.

"forgive them Father, for they know not what they do"

You are to be commended for not giving up and pursuing God and His teachings....That is what He wants all of us to do.
I used to be a member of A baptist church while growing up I do not conseder myself to be baptist though, I never really agreed with much of what they taught and even less with the way they worked....

I posted a few days ago about my experiences and why I quit.

The fact is, if you want to be involved in a church then by all means find one and be involved. It is not about what someone else believes, or how someone else defines or labels each church, it is about what YOU believe and what works for you.
Religion, ALL religion(s) are an invention of Man. God did not invent religion.
If you hold the belief that someday you will stand before God in an afterlife, I can pretty much guarantee you that God is not going to say "Oh I only let Baptists in here" or "Oh I only let Pentocostals in here" God did not invent religions.
or religion either. Man did
So keep that in mind when shopping around for a place to worship.

[Strongcuppajoe]

Oh do I feel you! For years I let one or two spiritual abusers who said "cult" to anything other than their dogmatic beliefs keep me from fellowship at local churches.

One real issue that most SCB have never addressed is the handling of adult converts.
People who grew up in the Brick & Mortar churches have no concept of what is was not to. Any more than those of us who did not grow up in that "vacation bible school" atmosphere understand their culture initially.

Perhaps one can enhance the other. I find nothing cultish regarding the little I know about SDA.

I just don't think it has to be a one or the other deal. Bible Study at home vs. Bible study inside Brick and Mortar.

And perhaps it is so that those who did not grow up in Brick & Mortar do need to "catch up" in the historical type study areas.

I heard Paula White say (a non-youth churcher) she spent 2 years in an intense study of God's word when she first got saved.

Give yourself time to grow. I am so glad you found somewhere you could. Just be careful not to reject the SCB brick/mortar because some of them treated you inappropriately.

"forgive them Father, for they know not what they do"

You are to be commended for not giving up and pursuing God and His teachings....That is what He wants all of us to do.

I may be accused of picking on the Baptists (I've been a member of a Southern Baptist church), but I think they've got the wrong emphasis sometimes. They want their pastors to all have at least Masters of Divinity degrees from seminaries, and they educate these seminary graduates to speak in theological terms.

I am somewhat familiar with what goes on behind the scenes as I met with a SBC Bible college assistant dean one time. He asked me why I was not trying to get into the Seminary instead since I already had a degree. He further told me that if I wanted to be hired by a large SBC church I would need a Masters degree, at a minimum. That indicated to me that their focus is off. The focus should be reaching the lost, and there are plenty of lost souls sitting in the pews. If they hear alot of theological terms that they don't understand, that is not going to train them in the Word and it is not going to equip them to reach others. Now, I am not saying that pastors should be uneducated, but what I am saying is that they need to shift the emphasis off the intellect and move it toward the condition of the heart. A child can understand that Jesus Christ loves him or her, and that does not have to be put in PhD terms.

YES YES this is what we have been going through, With dyanm the thing about the adult converts YES YES I agree they do not want to do anything to help with growth and notreligus the schooling wow you guys hit it right on the head with what we have been feeling. And InDeoHonorium2 you are also correct unfortunately if you mention any other reilgion in the presence of a Baptist you will recieve a look almost to the effect that you have flesh falling off your face, BUT I liked your point that God did not create demoninations he created the church. But the Baptists think that they have the key to the Pearly Gates