Pinson: How to make a Baptist_111703

Posted: 11/14/03

PINSON:
How to make a Baptist

By Marv Knox

Editor

LUBBOCK–Despite their diversity, Baptists are made from the same recipe, Bill Pinson told seminar participants at the Baptist General Convention of Texas annual session.

Pinson, the BGCT's executive director emeritus, presented 400 years of Baptist heritage, beliefs and polity in 30 minutes during a breakout session at the convention's meeting in Lubbock.

He compared the recipe for making a Baptist to the ingredients in cornbread, noting regional influences may change the precise flavor, but the end result still is cornbread.

The same is true for Baptists, he added, noting seven ingredients are vital for being a Baptist. They are:

The Lordship of Jesus Christ. Jesus is Lord over all personal and denominational life, he stressed.

“The Bible as the sole written authority for faith and practice.”

“Salvation by grace alone through faith alone–not by baptism, church membership, good works, sacrament or anything else–and the security of the believer.”

The priesthood of the believer. This trait implies individual privilege and responsibility, but it also involves priesthood of believers, corporately exercising this principle as a group.

Believer's baptism. Baptists historically have baptized only individuals who have made public personal decisions to follow Christ, he noted. However, unlike Baptists today, early Baptists practiced baptism by sprinkling, not immersion, until they “got it right.”

Symbolic understanding of baptism and the Lord's Supper. Pinson said he is somewhat disturbed when people say these Baptist ordinances are “merely symbolic,” noting: “They're not merely symbolic. They're more than that. But they're not sacramental, either.”

Religious freedom and separation of church and state, which have been Baptist distinctives since their earliest years, both in England and in America.

Baptists also share common polity, or the way they practice church, Pinson reported, citing four items:

A born-again church membership. Baptists insisted on counting as members of the church people who have had a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, he said.

For this practice, they were persecuted, he added. Kings and other church leaders despised this Baptist practice because it undermined their control over the people.

Congregational church governance. Baptists' governance isn't exactly democratic, because, although members vote and make decisions democratically, God is the head of the church, he said, calling Baptists' practice “Theo-democratic.”

Local-church autonomy. “Every church is independent,” Pinson said. “Everything (whether it's state or national in scope) relates to the local church.”

Voluntary cooperation. This principle has enabled Baptists to accomplish many things, he said, noting both parts of the term are important. “Baptist cooperation is voluntary; it is not coerced. And it is cooperative; we do together what no one can do separately.”

Because of their beliefs and practices, Baptists have made two significant contributions to the religious world, Pinson stressed.

“Baptists led the way in the struggle for religious freedom,” he said.

For example, Early American Virginia Baptist pastor John Leland was instrumental in working with James Madison to secure guarantees for religious liberty in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, he explained.

“Baptists also led the way in missions advance,” he added.

While many early Baptists believed God would save those people God chose to save and therefore they didn't need to do missions, since 1792, Baptists have been world leaders in taking the gospel around the globe, he said.