A question about differences

[preacherinblack]

What are the differences between Southern baptists and Methodists?I'm a southern baptist been raised southern baptist most of my spiritual life(i.e when I got saved and, from thenceforth have been southern baptist).

 

[Maid Marie]

Well, I'd say for one Methodists baptize infants but southern Baptist practice believer's baptism.

 

[preacherinblack]

Oh I also got another question how would some one become a member of the united Methodist church?

 

[preacherinblack]

oh and also is the methodist church considered "liberal" (I don't mean to offend by this)

 

[Qyöt27]

Oh I also got another question how would some one become a member of the united Methodist church?

Whether the parish in question would require taking an orientation class first before membership is probably up to them, but I would assume it's fairly common. Basically an adult form of a Confirmation class, since that's pretty much what the process would be (although with a Confirmation class, it'd be more about general Christian living, or at least it was for what I can remember of mine). For an adult that's moving to the UMC from another denomination, it may focus more on Methodist history and distinctives.

oh and also is the methodist church considered "liberal" (I don't mean to offend by this)

Compared to Southern Baptists? Yeah. Compared to Unitarians? No, not really.

Or more correctly, it depends on what you mean by 'liberal'. Theologically or socio-politically? Even that's not a good characterization of it, since the UMC isn't a creedal denomination. So even the goalposts are different.

What the UMC is, though, is a Mainline denomination. So some of its theological positions won't jive with a Fundamentalist understanding of certain topics - to a Fundamentalist, this would paint the UMC as 'liberal', whereas you could just as easily find the argument from the Mainline side that the Fundamentalist position is a recent innovation and not in keeping with the traditional interpretation. This is what underscores many of the theological flash points between Mainline and Fundamentalist denoms, and the UMC is no exception to that.

The Mainline/Fundamentalist divide also influences the politics, since Mainline churches don't exhibit the marriage of politics and religion that occurs in Evangelical and Fundamentalist churches - you'll find pretty much the entire gamut of politics in the UMC. You're not very likely to find Moral Majority types in the UMC clergy, but the laity is a bit like tofu - common trends in the particular region of the country you're in will influence some of those lay positions. Since the UMC isn't creedal, there's not a requirement for its members to adhere to particular theological or political positions (which essentially means that the laity may or may not be well-versed on what the UMC actually teaches, and it's not going to quiz members on their adherence to a particular interpretation and excommunicate them if they don't), and things like the Nicene and Apostles' Creeds are about the only real baseline you'd ever see.

Historically, Methodism (Wesleyanism in general, actually) is an offshoot of the Anglican Church, and retains a great deal of similarity to Anglican theology. So sometimes there's hints of disputes that Methodism isn't truly 'Protestant' in the same way that Lutherans or Presbyterians or Baptists are. We're as Protestant as the Anglicans are, but depending on your view of the Western Church's family tree, Anglicans aren't fully Protestant, and so Methodism isn't either.

One of the most significant places this appears is in the authority of Scripture - Methodism is often considered to be 'Prima Scriptura' (Scripture highest) rather than 'Sola Scriptura' (Scripture only) like the rest of Protestantism. This also means that the Fundamentalist view of Biblical Inerrancy doesn't exist in Methodist theology, since Biblical Inerrancy requires Sola Scriptura. If you do see 'inerrant' used in Methodist circles, it's the old meaning - which is closer to the statement of 'infallible on matters of faith and morality', and not a statement of being literal or scientifically inerrant (scientific inerrancy is firmly rejected).

 

[preacherinblack]

Are there any fundamentalists in the UMC? and what would a fundamentalist be?Also Qyot27 could I send you questions view pm(Personal message )?

 

[Qyöt27]

A recent topic that might help:
http://www.christianforums.com/t7843008/

And there's not much of a reason to PM me, just field the questions here so that everyone else can jump in (also because my Windows installation decided to throw itself off a cliff yesterday, so my ability to respond is limited right now until I get that fixed).

 

[circuitrider]

Preacherinblack,


To join a UM church you need to have been baptized at some time in your life and take the membership vows of the church in a worship service. Some churches ask you to take a new member class before doing so. But it is up to the Pastor to decide membership questions. Unlike the SBC, the local church does not vote on your membership.

The UMC is generally considered middle of the road. We have few persons who would be considered fundamentalists since our doctrine does not include the requirement to believe a lot of things fundamamentalists believe including Biblical inerrancy.

 

[preacherinblack]

Ok thanks for the replies I got more questions.Are there Methodists that believe in O.S.A.(once saved always saved) or P.O.S(perseverance of Saints)?

 

[circuitrider]

Preacherinblack, the possibility of apostasy is part of Methodist doctrine. Once save always saved is basically a Calvinist doctrine based on a form of predestination.

Some Methodist might believe in that but it is contrary to the doctrines of the United Methodist Church.

 

[preacherinblack]

Preacherinblack, the possibility of apostasy is part of Methodist doctrine. Once save always saved is basically a Calvinist doctrine based on a form of predestination.

Some Methodist might believe in that but it is contrary to the doctrines of the United Methodist Church.

Ok how would that apostasy take place and what is apostasy ?

 

[BryanW92]

Preacherinblack, the possibility of apostasy is part of Methodist doctrine. Once save always saved is basically a Calvinist doctrine based on a form of predestination.

Some Methodist might believe in that but it is contrary to the doctrines of the United Methodist Church.

Quite a few Methodists in the south believe in OSAS. It was kind of infuriating when I was a Methodist teaching bible study. But, OSAS isn't really Calvinist either since the OS part implies "making the choice". The Calvinist version would be IGPOS, if we needed an acronym. (Irresistible Grace, Perseverance of the Saints)

 

[SeventhValley]

Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274)Edit

Like Augustine, Thomas Aquinas holds "that one who has been justified by grace stands continually in need of the grace of God, since the justified can turn away and be finally lost."[101]-wikipedia

 

[SeventhValley]

11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 12 Those along the road are those who hear, then the devil comes, and takes away the word from their heart, that they may not believe and be saved. 13 Those on the rock are they who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; but these have no root, who believe for a while, then fall away in time of temptation.



Basically you can always mess up and be forgiven since God will carry you since you are broken. However some Christians will loose faith. Maybe they will make it back to the faith...maybe they will not.

 

[preacherinblack]

Ok thanks for the replys guys.I have been asking all these questions to know a little more about the Methodist denomination and I also have on my dads side aline of Methodists back up to my great or great-great granddad but I myself am Southern Baptist because that's were God saved me at and plus the foods good lol

 

[BryanW92]

Ok thanks for the replys guys.I have been asking all these questions to know a little more about the Methodist denomination and I also have on my dads side aline of Methodists back up to my great or great-great granddad but I myself am Southern Baptist because that's were God saved me at and plus the foods good lol

Methodists have some good food too!

 

[Maid Marie]

Ok thanks for the replys guys.I have been asking all these questions to know a little more about the Methodist denomination and I also have on my dads side aline of Methodists back up to my great or great-great granddad but I myself am Southern Baptist because that's were God saved me at and plus the foods good lol

Methodists have some good food too!

So do Nazarenes!

 

[BryanW92]

So do Nazarenes!

I never ate with the Nazarenes, but there was a lot of women with southern accents there, so I'm going to assume that the food was awesome. (Not that northern women can't cook, but I know what I'm getting when the southern ladies start bringing out the casserole dishes!)

 

[circuitrider]

Quite a few Methodists in the south believe in OSAS. It was kind of infuriating when I was a Methodist teaching bible study. But, OSAS isn't really Calvinist either since the OS part implies "making the choice". The Calvinist version would be IGPOS, if we needed an acronym. (Irresistible Grace, Perseverance of the Saints)

Good point Bryan. Actually what OSAS is is a hybridization of some Calvinist views and some non-Calvinist views into something that fits Southern Baptists but doesn't really fit the two theories all that well.

Preacherinblack, United Methodists believe that we cooperate in the grace God gives us for salvation and that we can resist God's grace. That ability, or free choice, to resist God doesn't end when you become a Christian. You don't suddenly lose your free will.

So apostasy is the doctrine that a Christian can renounce the Christian faith and walk away from God and the offer of God's salvation. If you want reference Book of Hebrews in the NT is a good place to start.

If you want to read a Baptist who believes in Apostasy I'd suggest some of the writings of Dale Moody who wrote extensively on the subject.

 

[preacherinblack]

So would sin be apostasy ? i.e that if you sin you lose salvation ? I think alot of people get mixed up right at this juncture here because if my understanding of this misunderstanding is correct then when we sin we become unsaved.