A Baptist Baggage Claim

An Introduction

There comes a time in every relationship when you have to come on out with your baggage. Whether you are planning to get married and want your soon to be spouse to know what nonsense you are bringing with you or you have to confess to your new best friend that you at first thought they were foolish, the baggage has to be claimed.

When it comes to being a Baptist church many people are very confused about what could mean. And we would be rightfully confused if we visited a couple handfuls of Baptist churches, we would see as many different Baptists as we visited.

To start with it must be said that the Baptist tradition started in the early-mid 1600’s. This is when the first Baptist confessions (organised collection of beliefs) were written. Also the Baptist tradition has always desired to be locally focused with each congregation not being governed over by a national body but exercising independence while also realised the need to be interdependent. Even with a local focus there has also been a desire to grow outside of the doors; multiplying through evangelism and the healthy planting of new churches.

Below are two summaries of Baptist distinctives.

The Short Version

Baptists are…

  1. Historically Rooted

  2. Locally Grounded

  3. Committed to Multiplication

The Long Version

  1. Sola Scriptura

    1. Scripture is our supreme authority for faith and practice.

    2. Scripture is the primary guide for knowing the church’s nature, structure, and mission.

    3. Sola Scriptura is not to be confused from Solo Scriptura which ignores the wisdom and writings of the visible church that has come before us.

  2. Covenantal Membership and Believer’s Baptism

    1. Covenanting Membership of a local church is a visual and symbolic expression of being a part of the New Covenant.

    2. The position of Believer’s Baptism and Covenanting members are not meant to be a declaration of exclusivity. The Church in it’s many denominational expressions offers necessary diversity to our faith, theology, and practice.

  3. Congregational Polity and the Priesthood of All Believers

    1. Because all believers are equipped and gifted by God to act in priestly ways all believers are also called to take part in the functioning of a healthy church.

    2. This does not negate the necessity of offices prescribed by scripture. Elders being the primary leader set aside by scripture to shepherd local church bodies in faithfulness and Deacons designated to serve.

  4. Separation of Church and State

    1. Churches and associations are not intended to set up “kingdom life” through political/corporate/worldly influence.

    2. Worldly systems are not meant to be sponsored by the Church nor should their actions be washed over with blessing or biblically moralised.

    3. We are not separated from the world or barred on an individual basis from engaging with its structures. Those structures should be influenced through our vocation and corrected when acting unjustly.

  5. The “Great Commission” is a binding New Covenant Command

  6. Reformation Free Church Catholicity and Universal Visible Church

    1. Autonomy of the Local Church while observing and relying on our connectedness to the large “C” Church.

(The shape of this long version is adapted from The Centre for Baptist Renewal.)