Why I Am a Baptist

In a world where standing alongside a denomination is slowly becoming unfashionable, I chose to retain my label as a “Baptist”.  When I tell other pastors I’m a Baptist there always seems to be a pause.  Maybe I’m self-conscience and have heard all the “when I was a Baptist” jokes.  I even had one person tell me how they grew up Baptist and how his pastor now always asks him where a verse is located in the bible--because he knows he was raised a Baptist.  The sad part of that story is he was laughing about it, I on the other hand was saddened.  Baptist have from the very beginning been about “The Book”.  They were called “people of The Book”.  Baptist have always taken the Word of God seriously and it was Scripture that moved them away from “paedobaptism” (baptizing infants) towards believers baptism.  They were convinced from scriptures that one had to have a personal belief in Christ that was visible and life changing before being baptized. 

Why am I a Baptist?  I’m a Baptist by choice first and foremost.  Three common threads bind Baptist together.  The first is the Word of God, all of it, God breathed without error.  The Baptist believe the Bible is the primary source for everything we need for living a holy life.  If we don’t believe the Bible is true in its entirety--then we can also pick and choose what we want from the Bible.  Baptist believe you must accept all of Scripture or none of it.

Secondly I’m a Baptist because of missions.  Because we believe in the Bible we believe the Great Commission is a command from Jesus Christ to go and baptize and to teach all that Christ command.  Jesus didn’t give the church the “Great Suggestion” but commissioned us to go.  Baptist have grasped this from the very beginning.  It was the drive to spread the gospel that Southern Baptist formed a convention in 1845, of like-minded churches to stand together.  It was the growth of missions that drove the Southern Baptist Convention in 1924 to pool their resources together in the “Co-Operative” program.  Today the cooperative program of the SBC raises money for the purpose of sending missionaries all over the world. We at FBC Rocklin contribute 8% of all monies we receive to this effort. 

Thirdly I’m a Baptist because each Baptist church is its own entity.  We do not answer to higher governing authority, we answer to Christ alone.  Each Baptist church ordains its own ministers, established its own form of government and is led by the congregation of baptized believers.  There isn’t such thing as a second Baptist church, or a third, there is only one Baptist church, each church stands on its own. We choose who we will work with according to the Scriptures and to Christ’s leading, there are absolutely no strings on a Baptist church. 

I am a Baptist for many other reasons as well, but when it’s all said in done I’m a Baptist by choice.  I also recognize Baptist have earned some of the negativity they rightly receive. But I stand with many others who through the years have suffered and stood by the Scriptures when others would not.  Baptist have historically stood firm in the face of intense persecution because of what they believed and have been uncompromising in the pursuit of liberty to follow those beliefs.  As our culture continues to shift we will find ourselves at the battle front and we will have to make a choice.  I’m convinced the world needs more Baptist!  Come join me!