Missionary Baptists

[FaithfulPilgrim]

Is anyone here a Missionary Baptist or have had experiences with them?

In what ways do they differ from other Baptists (especially compared to Independent and Southern Baptists?)

I know they put an emphasis on missionary work, hence the name, and from what I have read, they believe in doing no work on Sundays, though I could be wrong about that.

What are their beliefs, how are they different from other Baptists, and what is their attitude like towards other Baptists and the rest of Christianity?

 

[Southernscotty]

Really no difference at all friend :] Just Missionary involvement :]

 

[tampasteve]

In the south, most "Missionary Baptist" churches are predominantly African American in demographics and history.

 

[Call me Nic]

Does missionary Baptist = soulwinning Baptist?

 

[Southernscotty]

Does missionary Baptist = soulwinning Baptist?

I do not know for sure,
I have been to many around here and they all seem to use the same statement of faith.

 

[twin1954]

IIRC the Missionary Baptists came from a split with what is now known as Primitive Baptists. The split came from what is known as the Black Rock Address. Primitive Baptist tend to be hypercalvinistic and do not believe in the preaching of the Gospel to the lost. Other than that I know little about them.

 

[DeaconDean]

All I can tell you is I was saved in 1974 in a Missionary Baptist church.

But, although its hard to remember, but I think our church was more of an "Independent Baptist" church.

Here again, that was what...44 years ago.

God Bless

Till all are one.

 

[twin1954]

All I can tell you is I was saved in 1974 in a Missionary Baptist church.

But, although its hard to remember, but I think our church was more of an "Independent Baptist" church.

Here again, that was what...44 years ago.

God Bless

Till all are one.

Man your getting old
Of course I remember when we used to say "groovey"

 

[GodIsAlwaysNear]

Yes indeed, in my area there is no large difference. The missionary will simply perform missionary duties.

In Jesus name AMEN

 

[Sovereign Grace]

I am a Missionary Baptist. The church I am in is in the West Virginia Baptist Conference, and we're part of the American Baptist-USA. Yes, some of our ABC ordain women, but our association(Twelvepole Association) does not. I think we have a church or two in WV that does have women Pastors, however.

 

[Radagast]

Is anyone here a Missionary Baptist or have had experiences with them?

In what ways do they differ from other Baptists (especially compared to Independent and Southern Baptists?)

The name comes from a big Baptist divide in the 1800s. Missionary Baptists believed in having mission societies, Sunday schools, and musical instruments in church; Primitive Baptists did not (because none of those things are found in the Bible).

This divide, quite a bitter one at the time, had nothing to do with race -- there were Black Baptists on both sides.

Missionary Baptists became the mainstream. In that sense, almost every Baptist you're likely to meet is a Missionary Baptist, whether they use that name or not.

Primitive Baptists were concentrated in the mountain areas of the Southeast US (see the church pictured). I think there are probably about 100,000 or so left. Many Primitive Baptists still practice a ritual of washing each other's feet. If you find a Baptist church in Appalachia doing that, you've found yourself a Primitive Baptist church (edit: probably -- it seems a few other Baptist churches do that too).

A complicating factor is that Primitive Baptists are strict Calvinists (possibly even hyper-Calvinist) on the subject of Grace. This is no longer a distinguishing feature, because Calvinism is increasingly common among Baptists of ever kind.

 

[MartyF]

The first church I went to who called themselves Missionary Baptist were part of the SBC.

I would say it varies from church to church, but that they are probably similar to other Baptists.

 

[DeaconDean]

Man your getting old
Of course I remember when we used to say "groovey"

4 more years and I can retire!

God Bless

Till all are one.

 

[Sovereign Grace]

Actually, many FWBC’s practice feet washing in their communion services. The Old Regular Baptist do as well.

The Primitive Baptists are hyper-Calvinists because they say the gospel does not save. They also say many will be in heaven, never having heard a thing about the Christ.

 

[DeaconDean]

The Primitive Baptists are hyper-Calvinists because they say the gospel does not save. They also say many will be in heaven, never having heard a thing about the Christ.

My experience has been that most Hyper-Calvinists say what you claim, because the elect are born saved.

God Bless

Till all are one.

 

[Sovereign Grace]

My experience has been that most Hyper-Calvinists say what you claim, because the elect are born saved.

God Bless

Till all are one.

I have heard of some saying that. However, the ones I have personally spoken with(I actually preached in a PB church once and was well received) believe the elect were lost, but God will save them, even w/o the proclamation of the gospel.

#that’sscary

 

[Radagast]

Actually, many FWBC’s practice feet washing in their communion services. The Old Regular Baptist do as well.

I didn't know that, and stand corrected. However, aren't Old Regular Baptists a branch of the Primitive Baptists?

The Primitive Baptists are hyper-Calvinists because they say the gospel does not save.

Do they really say that? I recall them originally saying something quite different:

"it was agreed that we discard all Missionary Societies, Bible Societies and Seminaries ... believing these societies and institutions to be the inventions of men, and not warranted from the word of God. ... This was the first and great decisive stand taken by the Baptists on American soil against worldly institutions, as being necessary for the propagation of the gospel and the salvation of men."

Not that I agree with them, of course.

And I'm guessing that, in the 200 years since the split, Primitive Baptists have headed off in a number of different directions.

 

[Sovereign Grace]

I didn't know that, and stand corrected. However, aren't Old Regular Baptists a branch of the Primitive Baptists?

Sorta. Mates Creek PB association was once called by the ORB name. Sovereign Grace Association of ORBs are the old line ORB. The other ORB Assocs, such as Sardis, New Salem, Northern New Salem, Philadelphia, Old Friendship, Union, and Old Indian Bottom(these fellowship with each other, and their preachers can not preach outside of any church within these six assocs), then there are others ORB assocs that don’t fellowship due to doctrinal differences. But the SGA-ORB, Bethel Association, Thornton Union, and Original Mountain Liberty Association(dissolved a few years ago & Thornton Union has been struggling for years and may be dissolved, but haven’t heard if they have) used to correspond. But SGA had suspended fellowship with Bethel over eschatology. A couple of Bethel’s churches had be preaching pre-millennialism, and SGA is staunchly amil, but they may have resolved the issue.

Sardis was formed by 4 churches pulling out of Mates Creek, ca. 1893, but Mates Creek was ORB at that time.

Indian Bottom(once was only IB until a split in 1961 when Old Indian Bottom was formed) formed from a split in the Sandlick Assoc, which I think was/is PB.

I think some ORBs May have been United Baptist at one time. But most ORBs trace their roots back to New Salem, which was formed in 1825, iirc, and was UB at that time.

Do they really say that? I recall them originally saying something quite different:

"it was agreed that we discard all Missionary Societies, Bible Societies and Seminaries ... believing these societies and institutions to be the inventions of men, and not warranted from the word of God. ... This was the first and great decisive stand taken by the Baptists on American soil against worldly institutions, as being necessary for the propagation of the gospel and the salvation of men."

Not that I agree with them, of course.

And I'm guessing that, in the 200 years since the split, Primitive Baptists have headed off in a number of different directions.

I read a little of the Black Rock address and it appears at least some of the acrimony that caused that massive split, was due to the PBs believing they were sending unsaved ppl out into the mission fields.

But a dear friend of mine who is an old line ORB that is of the PB faith and order told me the gospel does not save ppl. He’s moderator of an old line ORB assoc, and those churches don’t believe the gospel saves.

 

[twin1954]

I grew up in a Primitive Baptist church and even then there were some who didn't believe in the new birth and some who were called Progressives because they had music in the church. They preached election as salvation and joining the church as time salvation. I heard very little of Christ and struggled for years to know what it meant to preach the Gospel. Moreover there was absolutely no assurance in their beliefs.

 

[Radagast]

Sorta. Mates Creek PB association was once called by the ORB name...

Thank you. All that was most informative.