![Page 1: Baptist Final - Revised.docx · Web view2019. 8. 16. · She also thinks you must believe wholeheartedly in God and trust him (personal communication, October 4, 2014). Jessica](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022071604/614052231664f1518558ae29/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
The Baptist Religion Allen 1
`
The Baptist ReligionLogan Allen
The University of Kentucky
Abstract
![Page 2: Baptist Final - Revised.docx · Web view2019. 8. 16. · She also thinks you must believe wholeheartedly in God and trust him (personal communication, October 4, 2014). Jessica](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022071604/614052231664f1518558ae29/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
The Baptist Religion Allen 2
The Baptist religion has been in the mix of branches of religion since the seventeenth century.
They have their own set of beliefs, as does every other religion. They are a denomination of the
Christian religion. They believe in the word of God and they believe the sacred text known as the
Bible. They have their own holiday traditions, prayers, and worship ceremonies. While having
similar beliefs as other Christian religions, the Baptists also have things that set them apart and
make them one religion.
Baptist Religion
When someone says Baptist religion what do you think? Maybe a Christian religion or
maybe John the Baptist? The Baptist religion, in fact, was not named after John the Baptist. They
were given their name from their opponents in other religions and it has stuck with them to this
![Page 3: Baptist Final - Revised.docx · Web view2019. 8. 16. · She also thinks you must believe wholeheartedly in God and trust him (personal communication, October 4, 2014). Jessica](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022071604/614052231664f1518558ae29/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
The Baptist Religion Allen 3
day (McBeth, 1979). It is commonly know that Baptist is one denomination of the Christian
religion. That is very true, however, there is much more to the Baptist religion than what some
think. They do have a Christian based religion and Christian based beliefs but that is not only
what the Baptists believe. The Baptists have their own history, beliefs, and practices that are part
of their religion outside just the Christian beliefs.
The Baptist religion is controversial when it comes to a certain date when Baptist was
considered a denomination. It is generally accepted that the religion started in the early 17th
century (McBeth, 1979). The Baptist movement was caused by separation of the Church of
England. John Smyth helped form the Baptist congregation. First there were only five Baptist
churches in different parts of England around 1926. However, this was growing rapidly. By
1644, there was said to have been forty-seven Baptist churches and by 1660 there were over
20,000 Baptists in England. Roger Williams first arrived to America in 1631 and with him he
brought the Baptist practices (Weber, 1907). By 1938 the first Baptist church in America had
been established by Williams with the help of Ezekiel Holliman (Buschart, 2008). By 1907 the
Baptist religion had grown to a large number of approximately 5,736,263 Baptists in the world
(Weber, 1907). As the Baptist religion continued to grow, it too broke into two smaller groups,
both having the same major beliefs and practices, but they each have minor differences.
Today, there are two types of Baptists General Baptists and Particular Baptists. General
Baptists were the original Baptist, like John Smyth (Buschart, 2008). General Baptists believe
that Jesus died for every single person who believes in him. Particular Baptists came to existence
a generation after General Baptists, mainly led by John Carver. Particular Baptists believe Jesus
died for a certain selection of people, the people who met standards of the church, and followed
the set rules (McBeth, 1979). This difference is the only thing that separates the Baptist religion
![Page 4: Baptist Final - Revised.docx · Web view2019. 8. 16. · She also thinks you must believe wholeheartedly in God and trust him (personal communication, October 4, 2014). Jessica](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022071604/614052231664f1518558ae29/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
The Baptist Religion Allen 4
into two different types. Some people may not even realize there are the two groups because
there are not separate churches for the two groups. They all gather in a Baptist church it is just a
small personal belief. Their other beliefs are the same.
Many different religion see God in many different ways. Baptists believe God is the
greatest of the great, that nothing or no one can be greater than God. Baptists believe in the
concept of God being three people in one (Draper, 2000). Another Baptist, Kayla Campbell sees
God as an omnipresent. She sees him as the Almighty, the three beings in one. The three beings
she recognizes in God are the Holy Father, Son of God, and Holy Spirit. She believes God is the
only thing that can stop someone from being sent to hell. She also thinks you must believe
wholeheartedly in God and trust him (personal communication, October 4, 2014). Jessica
VanWinkle, daughter of a Baptist preacher said, “God is my creator, the person I seek for refuge
and strength. I vision him as all powerful and knowing. My peace!” (personal communication,
October 5, 2014). Baptists believe it impossible to define God because he is so great and
powerful. They believe people are taught incorrectly about God when shown images in bible
school or as a child. They think the images causes people to attach God to the images instead of
the great spiritual being they believe he is. When people are asked to describe God they usually
describe a picture they have seen at some point in their life and they neglect the bigger things
such as his spiritual being and him being the Almighty (Mullins, 1912). The Baptist also believe
God is the only person that can invite you into heaven and keep you from going to hell.
Baptists want to live their life the way the Bible tells them to and the way God wants
them to. They believe if they are a follower of God they will go to heaven when their time in our
world comes to an end. What is heaven exactly? Baptists see heaven as a place but not
necessarily a place with a specific location or a specific detailed look. People imagine heaven in
![Page 5: Baptist Final - Revised.docx · Web view2019. 8. 16. · She also thinks you must believe wholeheartedly in God and trust him (personal communication, October 4, 2014). Jessica](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022071604/614052231664f1518558ae29/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
The Baptist Religion Allen 5
many different ways but a common ground is that it is a place that God resides in and a place of
afterlife. Heaven is a place with no pain or hurt (Mullins, 1912). So if someone does not follow
the word of God or believe in him, what happens to them after life on Earth? Baptists believe
these people will be sent to hell. Hell is endless punishment. Hell is where people go when they
abuse human freedom (Buschart, 2008). Baptist believe their guide to life lies in the Bible. If
they follow the Bible they will get into heaven.
The Bible is the Baptists’ sacred text. Baptists are sometimes referred to as “people of the
book” (Bushart, 2008). For a Baptist, the Bible is God’s truth (Draper, 2000). The Bible is their
guide to living and tells them what they have to do to be accepted into living and also to live
their life the way God expects people to. Buschart show’s an example of that when stating the
bible verse, "All scripture is God-breathed [that is, inspired] and is useful for teaching, rebuking,
correcting, and training in righteousness” (Bushart, 2008). Not only is the Bible itself important
but also how people personally interpret the word of God. In today’s Baptist world many focus
on the New Testament (McBeth, 1979). Interpreting the messages in a Bible is more of a
personal preference rather than a strict guideline, some take the literal meaning of the readings
and some find a much deeper meaning. VanWinkle said she looks for a deeper message but often
has a hard time finding one. She likes to seek help from the preacher or bible study teachers to
understand a deeper meaning (personal communication, October 5, 2014). Beyond the power of
scripture there is power of prayer.
Some religions have prayers they are required to say daily, however, Baptists may pray
however and whenever they feel the need to. Baptist believe in the miracles of God and the
power of God. Praying to God is their way to talk to him and connect with him on a more
personal level than just Sunday service. Kayla stated that she likes to pray when she feels like
![Page 6: Baptist Final - Revised.docx · Web view2019. 8. 16. · She also thinks you must believe wholeheartedly in God and trust him (personal communication, October 4, 2014). Jessica](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022071604/614052231664f1518558ae29/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
The Baptist Religion Allen 6
she needs to talk to God and she also likes to pray before meals to thank God for the blessings
she had received that day (personal communication, October 4, 2014). Besides using prayer
when they feel the need to, Baptists use prayer during church service too.
Service, a time of gathering in the Lord’s House. There are thousands of Baptist churches
all over the world. Baptists believe that each of their local churches are empowered solely by the
members of that church. They feel as if no one outside that church can have a say of what goes
on during service, each church is their own independent congregation (Draper, 2000). There are
services on Sundays, the Lord’s day, and bible studies and smaller services on Wednesdays. For
a Baptist service there is no strict dress code, but one should dress respectfully. Some churches
may ask for certain things not to be worn during service for example, some churches ask that
people not wear shorts to church (personal communication, Oct. 5, 2014). This is something that
varies throughout Baptist churches all over the world. Like in any religion there are people who
take service very seriously and attend more than once a week, and there are the more casual
people that attend the usual Sunday morning service. VanWinkle, for example, is a more serious
member of the church. She attends service on Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and Wednesday
evening (personal communication, October 5, 2014). Campbell on the other hand is more of a
casual church member. She attends service once a week, on Sunday mornings (personal
communication, October 4, 2014). Service typically begins with a Bible study, or Sunday school,
an hour before actual service start. After Bible study the actual Sunday service begins, first the
church prays together. The prayers are lead by the preacher. After the praying, the church sings
hymns and greets those sitting around them (Buschart, 2008). Next the preacher preaches his
sermon, usually a preacher trying to send a life lesson or a good message. Finally, service ends
![Page 7: Baptist Final - Revised.docx · Web view2019. 8. 16. · She also thinks you must believe wholeheartedly in God and trust him (personal communication, October 4, 2014). Jessica](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022071604/614052231664f1518558ae29/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
The Baptist Religion Allen 7
with an alter call (personal communication, Oct. 5, 2014). On certain Sundays, members of the
church will receive communion during the alter call.
Baptists, of course, do receive communion like many other Christian denominations, but
they only receive communion if there is a fifth Sunday of the
month or every first Sunday of each month. It is the choice of the
current preacher (Buschart, 2008). In communion, the bread given
to the members of the church symbolizes the body of Jesus Christ,
the body he sacrificed for all the people of the world (Mullins,
1912). The wine symbolizes the blood shed, the suffering, and the
death of Jesus Christ (Buschart, 2008). You can see in the picture, retreived from
betweenthetimes.com, the wine and crackers used for communion. Sometimes during service
there may be a ceremony for welcoming and recognizing a new member of the church.
Baptism is the welcoming of a new member into the church. When the New Testament
became a big part of the Baptist religion they changed their beliefs to believing in immersion,
which is fully body submersion in the water (Buschart, 2008). For Baptist, baptism is a cleansing
of all sins, and a union with Jesus Christ in his death and resurrection. Baptism may only be done
once for an individual (Mullins, 1912). As a Baptist, one gets baptized when they decide they
want to invite God into their hearts. When the time of baptism comes, the preacher invites the
person up to the front of the church and the church welcomes the new member. After that the
person is baptized in the water and the ceremony finishes with the preacher saying a blessing for
the person. Baptists also believe that once someone is baptized and saved they are always saved
(personal communication, Oct. 5, 2014). Campbell shared her baptism experience with me
saying “I was baptized when I was 8 years old. The ceremony started with prayer, then the
![Page 8: Baptist Final - Revised.docx · Web view2019. 8. 16. · She also thinks you must believe wholeheartedly in God and trust him (personal communication, October 4, 2014). Jessica](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022071604/614052231664f1518558ae29/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
The Baptist Religion Allen 8
preacher and I stood in the water together. The preacher said special prayers as he dunked me
underwater to cleanse me of my sins” (personal communication, Oct. 4, 2014). Once baptized,
one is officially a member of the Baptist church. Besides baptism there is one other instance of a
special service: holidays.
Baptists celebrate holidays just like other religions. They celebrate all holidays, including
Halloween. They do not, however, take part in any ghost activity or ghost related things during
halloween because they do not believe in that. They believe once someone dies they are with
God (personal communication, Oct. 5, 2014). On Christmas Eve, Baptists all over the world
gather with their families at their local church.
This is to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Another
special holiday tradition is a special Easter
service celebrating Jesus Christ's resurrection
(personal communication, Oct. 4, 2014). On the
left you can see a picture of a Christmas Eve
service retrieved from
http://www.petalumabaptist.org/. Those are the only Baptist holiday traditions, yet many Baptist
family have their own traditions based around these holidays and beliefs, but they do not apply to
the whole church. Baptists have their own way of expressing their relationship with God.
While Baptists are part of a much larger religion, the Christian religion, they have much
deeper meaning than what is surfaced. The number of Baptists in the world has been growing
since the seventeenth century and will not stop anytime soon. They will continue their practices
and reaching out to God. Being a smaller denomination of a larger religion does not take away
from their own history, beliefs, and practices.
![Page 9: Baptist Final - Revised.docx · Web view2019. 8. 16. · She also thinks you must believe wholeheartedly in God and trust him (personal communication, October 4, 2014). Jessica](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022071604/614052231664f1518558ae29/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
The Baptist Religion Allen 9
References
Buschart, D. (2008). Religion Library: Baptist. Retrieved from http://www.patheos.com/Library/Baptist/Origins.html
Draper, J. T. (2000, Oct.). What is a Baptist. Retrieved from http://www.baptist2baptist.net/b2barticle.asp?ID=226
McBeth, L. (1979). Baptist Beginnings. Retrieved from http://www.baptisthistory.org/baptistbeginnings.htm
Mullins, E. Y. (1912). Baptist Beliefs. New York City: Baptist World Publishing Company.
Weber, N. (1907). Baptists. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved October 10, 2014 from New Advent: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02278a.htm
![Page 10: Baptist Final - Revised.docx · Web view2019. 8. 16. · She also thinks you must believe wholeheartedly in God and trust him (personal communication, October 4, 2014). Jessica](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022071604/614052231664f1518558ae29/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
The Baptist Religion Allen 10