One of my first experiences in church, once I became an adult was an issue over Baptist heritage. My friend, the man who brought me to a Baptist Church the first time, had loaned me a book by John R. Rice. Rice wasn't a strong Baptist though he was a strong Fundamentalist and thus accepted by the better part of those Fundamental Baptists I was aware of. Rice's book seemed to cast doubt on local church authority which led me to speak to my pastor. After a conversation with him, and reading The Trail of Blood, I became interested in Christian heritage and Baptist heritage in particular.
One of those lessons I learned is that Baptists don't agree on Baptist heritage.
- There are those who believe squarely that Baptists had their beginnings with John Smythe in England in the early 1600's and
- There are those who believe (as did the author of the trail of Blood) that Baptists trace their roots through Anabaptists to John the Baptist
The two camps tend completely deny the veracity of the other's view. In truth there is some veracity to both schools of thought.
- It is undeniable that some Baptist congregations had their beginning with Smythe but
- It is equally undeniable that others can trace their roots much further back. It is not an either or situation but a both situation
And herein lies one great rub amongst those who claim the broader title of Baptists. We keep trying to tie our lineages together when in fact we are two separate systems of spiritual faith as diverse as Methodists would have been to Presbyterians a century ago. These two schools, even if each claims to be fundamentalist, are unique, diverse, and in very many respects, incompatible.
Notice that I did not say un-christian. I am not advocating that we oppose one another but only that we acknowledge that we are not the same. The distinctives between us are, I believe, important enough to demand that we remain separated lest those distinctives be lost altogether.
- There are distinctives in the ordinances
- There are distinctives in heritage
- There are distinctives in doctrine
- There are distinctives in emphasis
The melding of our respective camps, whether it be out of a desire to present unity in the world or a misunderstanding of our relationship given we claim the same name, has only served to create
- Confusion among the outside world
- Division within the Baptist community and
- Compromise of important doctrines
I am thankful for those Baptists who, while being charitable, have begun to call Baptists to separate and identify their family of faith within the broader camp called Baptists.
Marvin McKenzie
In the fields
