Baptist Vs Non Denominational: Difference in Teachings?

[bbbbbbb]

Indeed. That's one reason I have settled in the Lutheran Church. They seem to maintain a more traditional liturgy, at least in this area. I'm sure there are others too though, I know it's not just the Lutheran Church.

I live in a very Lutheran city. Many of the ELCA churches here have added a contemporary service and at least one (the largest) Missouri Synod church has a contemporary service. We even have a (wannabe) Lutheran mega-church which is frightfully similar to its non-denom competition.

 

[tampasteve]

I live in a very Lutheran city. Many of the ELCA churches here have added a contemporary service and at least one (the largest) Missouri Synod church has a contemporary service. We even have a (wannabe) Lutheran mega-church which is frightfully similar to its non-denom competition.

Interesting, I guess it depends where one is. There are WAY more Baptist than Lutherans here. There are literally 5 Baptist churches within 3 miles of me.

 

[bbbbbbb]

Interesting, I guess it depends where one is. There are WAY more Baptist than Lutherans here. There are literally 5 Baptist churches within 3 miles of me.

I checked the phone book just now. There are about as many Baptist churches as Lutheran churches listed, but the Baptist churches are considerably smaller than the Lutheran churches, so they are considerably less prominent.

 

[DeaconDean]

About 10 years ago, I was invited by a guy my wife worked with to a week long fellowship and Bible study at a "local" Non-Denom church.

I do agree that in many ways, they are similar. I was raised in a Baptist church way back in the 1960's. So I have a more "traditional" viewpoint and taste in music. If you like contemporary music, fine God bless you. I like traditional hymns from the "Church Hymnal" and I prefer Southern Gospel.

That said, it was on the second day of going to that church that the speaker that that night said something that made me close my bible and turn the service off.

I was taught and I believe that the church building is God's house. But the speaker that night got up in front of the church and bragged about him donating land for a church to be built and bragging about being its pastor. Fine, but its what he said next that turned me off. He started to brag that that was his church, and that they couldn't get rid of him because his name was on the deed to the land the church sat on.

I don't care who you are, that is not right.

I did not go back the other 3 nights.

God Bless

Till all are one.

 

[bbbbbbb]

About 10 years ago, I was invited by a guy my wife worked with to a week long fellowship and Bible study at a "local" Non-Denom church.

I do agree that in many ways, they are similar. I was raised in a Baptist church way back in the 1960's. So I have a more "traditional" viewpoint and taste in music. If you like contemporary music, fine God bless you. I like traditional hymns from the "Church Hymnal" and I prefer Southern Gospel.

That said, it was on the second day of going to that church that the speaker that that night said something that made me close my bible and turn the service off.

I was taught and I believe that the church building is God's house. But the speaker that night got up in front of the church and bragged about him donating land for a church to be built and bragging about being its pastor. Fine, but its what he said next that turned me off. He started to brag that that was his church, and that they couldn't get rid of him because his name was on the deed to the land the church sat on.

I don't care who you are, that is not right.

I did not go back the other 3 nights.

God Bless

Till all are one.

I hope, and believe, that is the exception rather than the rule.

It reminded me of an incident in my own life. I was making work trips to eastern Tennessee and got to know one of the staff members at the site I was working at. He was a friendly, outgoing Christian and invited me to stay over one weekend and visit his Baptist (Southern) church. On Sunday we went to the church. The Sunday School class was good. It was about personal evagngelism and I was a bit surprised that none of the members there knew any non-Christians.

The sermon that morning was about the annual election of deacons. After talking about deacons for a few minutes, the pastor launched into a description of his role in the church. He demanded absolute, unquestioning obedience to everything he said. He stated, "As Moses was to the children of Israel, so I am to you. Every word that proceeds from my mouth must be obeyed." If I had not ridden with my friend and his family I would have walked out of the church then and there. Afterward, in the car, my friend's wife asked me how I like their church. I told her that I appreciated the Sunday School class. She clarified her question and asked me in particular how I liked the sermon. When I told her that I had problems with it and considered it to be unbiblical, she was really perplexed with me. She told me that the form of church I attend (Plymouth Brethren) could never possibly work without a strong pastor like theirs.

 

[DeaconDean]

The sermon that morning was about the annual election of deacons. After talking about deacons for a few minutes, the pastor launched into a description of his role in the church. He demanded absolute, unquestioning obedience to everything he said. He stated, "As Moses was to the children of Israel, so I am to you. Every word that proceeds from my mouth must be obeyed." If I had not ridden with my friend and his family I would have walked out of the church then and there. Afterward, in the car, my friend's wife asked me how I like their church. I told her that I appreciated the Sunday School class. She clarified her question and asked me in particular how I liked the sermon. When I told her that I had problems with it and considered it to be unbiblical, she was really perplexed with me. She told me that the form of church I attend (Plymouth Brethren) could never possibly work without a strong pastor like theirs.

To be honest, I had to walk away from my church for much the same reasons.

The pastor we voted in, started out well, but it didn't take long to see we (deacons) had made a mistake.

He wanted a music director, but wanted absolute say so over not only the music chosen, but how it was sung and played.

He started to run the Sunday School, without consulting the Sunday School director (me).

He started to stick his nose in the offering plate. He demanded that he be given a detailed list of:

1. Who tithed that day in church
2. How much they gave

He started to demand, that's right, demand that a minimum of $2000 per week be in the offering plate. Now look, 75% of our church members were senior citizens, on a fixed budget. I had to count the offering plate every Sunday, I knew how much came in, and I knew who gave and what amount. But it wasn't my business, I could care less. But to demand that some members give more than they could...

When I started going to church there there were about 40 members who came on a constant basis. By this time, it had grown to around 80.

2 Sundays ago, there were 10 members who showed up for the Sunday night service.

The right pastor is a blessing, but its sad to watch this church slowly die. And its heading that way.

God Bless

Till all are one.

 

[Daniel Marsh]

Hi,

So I previously was a member of a Baptist church growing up (which I don't remember much of) now that I am older and maturing in my christianity I have finally found a church that fits It's a non denominational church and I was wondering what are the main differences because I may be speaking out of ignorance but I see very little other then preaching style. Are they teaching different things?

I would google the name of the church to see what repretation it has. I would also ask around the neighborhood it is located in. The worse you can do is get non-believers interested in checking out that church for themselves.

 

[bbbbbbb]

To be honest, I had to walk away from my church for much the same reasons.

The pastor we voted in, started out well, but it didn't take long to see we (deacons) had made a mistake.

He wanted a music director, but wanted absolute say so over not only the music chosen, but how it was sung and played.

He started to run the Sunday School, without consulting the Sunday School director (me).

He started to stick his nose in the offering plate. He demanded that he be given a detailed list of:

1. Who tithed that day in church
2. How much they gave

He started to demand, that's right, demand that a minimum of $2000 per week be in the offering plate. Now look, 75% of our church members were senior citizens, on a fixed budget. I had to count the offering plate every Sunday, I knew how much came in, and I knew who gave and what amount. But it wasn't my business, I could care less. But to demand that some members give more than they could...

When I started going to church there there were about 40 members who came on a constant basis. By this time, it had grown to around 80.

2 Sundays ago, there were 10 members who showed up for the Sunday night service.

The right pastor is a blessing, but its sad to watch this church slowly die. And its heading that way.

God Bless

Till all are one.

I agree. Leadership is such an essential component of a healthy church, and I mean both the pastor and the deacons. I was in a church once where I suspected the pastor was inspecting the offering, so I simply reduced my offering and gave it in cash. I plummeted from being high on his list of great members to being the most despicable. He was also sending money via the church treasury to his bone-idle son-in-law. The treasurer had a wet noodle for a spine, but I helped him finally stand up to the pastor and confront him about his illegal money laundering. We both ended up leaving the church. I am grateful that I am now in a church with leadership I can trust.

 

[Tangible]

I... at least one (the largest) Missouri Synod church has a contemporary service. We even have a (wannabe) Lutheran mega-church which is frightfully similar to its non-denom competition.

Kyrie eleison! Yes, these unfortunately exist and multiply, despite the best efforts of Confessional congregations and synodical leadership. The Church Growth movement is a cancer.

 

[bbbbbbb]

Kyrie eleison! Yes, these unfortunately exist and multiply, despite the best efforts of Confessional congregations and synodical leadership. The Church Growth movement is a cancer.

I agree most heartily! Kyrie eleison!

 

[FireDragon76]

God's work is free and good and it saves us, wholly and entirely apart from anything and everything we could ever even fathom doing. That includes "making a decision to follow Jesus"--which itself is a work of human will, and therefore is a matter of Law, not Gospel.

-CryptoLutheran

Amen. By my own strength and reason, I don't think I could be a Christian. Why would I? The Christian world is a mess, the Church is a leaky barque indeed. It literally takes a miracle for anybody to be a Christian.

 

[Major1]

Hi,

So I previously was a member of a Baptist church growing up (which I don't remember much of) now that I am older and maturing in my christianity I have finally found a church that fits It's a non denominational church and I was wondering what are the main differences because I may be speaking out of ignorance but I see very little other then preaching style. Are they teaching different things?

Unless you posted some of those teachings.......how would we know how to answer you?

If you care to list some I would be honored to speak to them.

 

[tampasteve]

Unless you posted some of those teachings.......how would we know how to answer you?

If you care to list some I would be honored to speak to them.

I am not sure she is going to reply. The original post was from 2012 and she has not been on the site since 2013...

 

[Major1]

I am not sure she is going to reply. The original post was from 2012 and she has not been on the site since 2013...

Thanks for the info. I should have seen that!

 

[tampasteve]

haha, yeah, partial zombie threads

 

[Major1]

Amen. By my own strength and reason, I don't think I could be a Christian. Why would I? The Christian world is a mess, the Church is a leaky barque indeed. It literally takes a miracle for anybody to be a Christian.

I think it takes faith.

 

[Major1]

haha, yeah, partial zombie threads

Tampa????? I am down I-4 in Deland

 

[tampasteve]

Tampa????? I am down I-4 in Deland

Ha, Florida is representing! There are a couple others from FL too, Spring Hill, Lake Placid, Cape Coral...probably some more too

 

[klutedavid]

I was raised Nazarene, Baptist, married Catholic, tried Lutheran to meet in the middle - discovered the Spirit Filled life, went to Methodist - Finally a non-denominational church was where I settled. Don't go by the church and all the legalism involved. Just ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and you will be fine. When it all boils down to it - the relationship with Jesus is what you want rather than the church rules. If you are happy there and don't feel any leading to leave - then you are where you belong.

Hello Sharon.

What a journey.

 

[Major1]

Ha, Florida is representing! There are a couple others from FL too, Spring Hill, Lake Placid, Cape Coral...probably some more too

Lake Placid? Is that the place where the big alligator ate the cows and all those people????