Baptists and other denominations - what's the difference?

[Jennifer615]

Hi there, please excuse my ignorance. What is the difference between what the Baptists believe and what other denominations believe? Are the differences just minimal?

Also, there seem to be so many denominations under the Baptists umbrella. There are the

Baptists
Strict Baptists
Baptists Union
Southern Baptists
Ana Baptists
Brethren (liberal kind)
Exclusive Brethren (in Australia)
Mennonites
Amish
Beachy Amish
and so many more I can't think about. What are the differences?

Also, I was surprised to learn that the Quakers were also under the umbrella. I was under the impression that they are not really a Christian religion, but more a free-thinking, accepting religion that believes in the "God within" and doesn't necessarily believe that Jesus was the Son of God.

Sorry, I know I have asked alot of questions here. Could someone give me some information. Thanks and God bless.

 

[JM]

How are Quakers under the Baptist umbrella, wouldn't they be more of a pre-Methodist group?

 

[Gold Dragon]

Hi there, please excuse my ignorance. What is the difference between what the Baptists believe and what other denominations believe? Are the differences just minimal?

Also, there seem to be so many denominations under the Baptists umbrella. There are the

Baptists
Strict Baptists
Baptists Union
Southern Baptists
Ana Baptists
Brethren (liberal kind)
Exclusive Brethren (in Australia)
Mennonites
Amish
Beachy Amish
and so many more I can't think about. What are the differences?

Also, I was surprised to learn that the Quakers were also under the umbrella. I was under the impression that they are not really a Christian religion, but more a free-thinking, accepting religion that believes in the "God within" and doesn't necessarily believe that Jesus was the Son of God.

Sorry, I know I have asked alot of questions here. Could someone give me some information. Thanks and God bless.

There are three similar but distinct groups in this forum and the list you provided.

Baptists which includes Strict Baptists, Baptists Union, Southern Baptists
Anabaptists which includes Mennonites, Amish, Beachy Amish
and Quakers



These groups share many similarities including congregationalism, separation of church and state and a rejection of infant baptism, with historical beginnings around in the 1500s and 1600s around England and the Netherlands in similar political and religious climates. Although they hold many reform theologies, they did not directly come from the protestant, reform traditions of Luther and Calvin.

Some Quakers and Anabaptists groups are also known for communal living, pacifism and rejection of modernization.

I have not done any research about the Brethren and Exclusive Brethren.

 

[mesue]

I'm an Independent Baptist.

I don't know what catagory that falls under I think the Saved, Blood- Bought, Child of God, Created for His Pleasure- Catagory
(like most everyone else)

 

[Crazy Liz]

Excellent post, GD!

I would like to add that in earlier discussions about who belongs here, other Free Church Protestant denoms (that are not Charismatic or Pentecostal, since they have a separate forum) such as Evangelical Free, Covenant and Salvation Army also fit under this umbrella. These denominations also share the distinctives GD mentioned of separation of church and state, and rejection of infant baptism. I don't think the Salvation Army is congregational, but I think they still fit better here than anywhere else.

 

[Gold Dragon]

Excellent post, GD!

I would like to add that in earlier discussions about who belongs here, other Free Church Protestant denoms (that are not Charismatic or Pentecostal, since they have a separate forum) such as Evangelical Free, Covenant and Salvation Army also fit under this umbrella. These denominations also share the distinctives GD mentioned of separation of church and state, and rejection of infant baptism. I don't think the Salvation Army is congregational, but I think they still fit better here than anywhere else.

Thanks. I'm not sure of Evangelical Free or Covenant denominations, but I think the Salvation Army has a Methodist origin an probably fits in the Wesleyan forum.

 

[Crazy Liz]

Thanks. I'm not sure of Evangelical Free or Covenant denominations, but I think the Salvation Army has a Methodist origin an probably fits in the Wesleyan forum.

You may be right about the Salvation Army. I was thinking about the fact that, like the Quakers, they traditionally don't practice water baptism at all.

The Covenant and Evangelical Free denominations are more or less like Swedish Baptists.

 

[kyzar]

Hey Jeniffer 615

I am poudly part of the Brethren church (the liberal kind, although I am in Australia!)

I am not precisley sure what the other denominations belive, but here's essentially what we do here:

We are sinners,
Christ Died so everyone who asks can be saved,
Once we are saved we are baptised (maybe not straight after but at some point) so as to show the world that we are saved (an outward expression of an inward faith)...

Thats pretty much it... there are more detailed things... If you want to knwo exactley what we belive, email me iarazmatazi1@hotmail.com and i'll send you our statement of faith...

 

[jenptcfan]

Most of the differences between baptists are small.

For instance, one group might support missions by sponsoring one specific missionary family for a set period of time, whereas another group might pool all of the "association's" money and spread it out to various foreign missionaries.

Some baptists will only use the KJV of the Bible, others believe it's perfectly fine to use other versions. In some baptist churches, the women don't wear pants, in others they do.

All in all, the small differences between the different types of Baptists don't affect salvation and aren't really anything to cause a great concern.

 

[fwarren94551]

A most interes†ng question, Jennifer. Thanks for posting it! I learned a lot from the responses! And thanks to the responders too!