Baptist and Methodist - Advice Requested

[Ffion Eleri]

Hi all,

I am a christened and raised Methodist Christian, attending a Methodist church for the first ten or so years of my life - however, due to my parents' non-believing, and several other issues, it has taken me almost eight years to rediscover God, scripture, and the Bible.

My boyfriend is a Literalist Baptist - I was just wondering what differences in faith we would come across as a result of our denominational differences? I am learning, almost from scratch, about His love and the lessons of the Bible. I want to be the best Christian and best girlfriend that I can be. I fear that I am uneducated, and I genuinely want to learn and talk with people about faith, God, and life.

Many thanks for reading

 

[9Rock9]

I am not too familiar with Methodism, but I think a big difference is over predestination. I think Methodists tend to be Arminian while Baptists leaning Calvinist?

However, there are a broad range of views among Baptists with some being complete five point Calvinists, and others being Arminians, but most are somewhere in between.

Another thing is that some Baptists, especially Southern Baptists, believe in a doctrine called eternal security where the regenerated believer cannot lose their salvation. If someone claims they are saved but later renounces the faith, it is assumed they were never actually saved in the first place.

I think Baptists tend to be a little less liturgical compared to Methodists.

I'm not sure what Methodists believe about the End Times, but most Baptists hold to some for premillennialism, though there are some that are Amillennial.

I think these are the main differences between the two denominations, with most other differences being relatively minor.

 

[actionsub]

As a former Baptist who's been in a Methodist church for the last decade or so, I can break some of these down:

I am not too familiar with Methodism, but I think a big difference is over predestination. I think Methodists tend to be Arminian while Baptists leaning Calvinist?
However, there are a broad range of views among Baptists with some being complete five point Calvinists, and others being Arminians, but most are somewhere in between.

Methodists are definitely Arminians. There was a flank group of Calvinists in the early days of Methodism under George Whitefield, but they've faded away.

Another thing is that some Baptists, especially Southern Baptists, believe in a doctrine called eternal security where the regenerated believer cannot lose their salvation. If someone claims they are saved but later renounces the faith, it is assumed they were never actually saved in the first place.

The majority of Baptists hold to this belief. The exception here would be the Free Will Baptist and General Baptist denominations who are distinctly Arminian up to the point of rejecting eternal security outright.

I think Baptists tend to be a little less liturgical compared to Methodists.

Baptists are definitely less liturgical. Methodists, OTOH, are all over the map with regards to liturgy. Some are very high church, with others being indistinguishable from Baptist services.

I'm not sure what Methodists believe about the End Times, but most Baptists hold to some for premillennialism, though there are some that are Amillennial.

Officially, Methodists (along with other Wesleyan denoms) are amil. While you may find "Left Behind" and Hal Lindsey books in the church library at First UMC, that's their story and they're stickin' to it.

I think these are the main differences between the two denominations, with most other differences being relatively minor.

But the BIGGIE here is baptism. While an immersed Baptist could join a Methodist church no questions asked, a Methodist sprinkled as an infant (or even as an adult) is considered an invalid baptism and will have to be immersed to become a member of a Baptist church.

 

[9Rock9]

As a former Baptist who's been in a Methodist church for the last decade or so, I can break some of these down:

Methodists are definitely Arminians. There was a flank group of Calvinists in the early days of Methodism under George Whitefield, but they've faded away.



The majority of Baptists hold to this belief. The exception here would be the Free Will Baptist and General Baptist denominations who are distinctly Arminian up to the point of rejecting eternal security outright.



Baptists are definitely less liturgical. Methodists, OTOH, are all over the map with regards to liturgy. Some are very high church, with others being indistinguishable from Baptist services.



Officially, Methodists (along with other Wesleyan denoms) are amil. While you may find "Left Behind" and Hal Lindsey books in the church library at First UMC, that's their story and they're stickin' to it.



But the BIGGIE here is baptism. While an immersed Baptist could join a Methodist church no questions asked, a Methodist sprinkled as an infant (or even as an adult) is considered an invalid baptism and will have to be immersed to become a member of a Baptist church.

You're correct. I neglected to mention baptism because it's already an obvious difference.

 

[actionsub]

You're correct. I neglected to mention baptism because it's already an obvious difference.

True, but the Baptists will never let you forget about it!