Difference between Methodism and Baptist

[freebornjim]

Hello, for a returning Christian just trying to "tie up loose ends", what are the difference(s) between Methodists and Baptists?

I understand the principle differences like adult immersion baptism vs. sprinkling etc., ancestry from Protestantism vs. Anabaptist movement etc.

I understand that they are both reformed churches but I mean in an everyday sense, what are the differences?

In either, who can receive communion, how is communion different, attitudes/principles toward major issues such as marriage, divorce, children etc.

Style of worship (I know Baptists don't have priests but elders but Methodists have ministers)

Style of prayer, how they pray, type of bibles they use (are there differences as in the difference between Catholic and Anglican bibles?)

Mandatory Sunday attendance or worship by intention?

Salvation beliefs, method of salvation, requirements.

I'm sorry if this can be found out by googling, but I've tried the net, wikipedia etc and can't find basic information, everything is very in depth.

Basically, if Mr Smith were a Methodist and Mr Jones a Baptist, how would their everyday lives (religiously and personally based on religios morals) differ from one another?

Thanks and God Bless

 

[Epiphoskei]

I don't have a lot of in deapth knowledge about Methodism, but as far as Baptists go:

Baptist prayers are typically non-liturgical/extemporaneous. There's no particular Baptist Bible translation: everything from the KJV to NIV to NASB/ESV are used. Services are on sunday, and we are taught to gather together on that day. Salvation is through justification by grace alone through faith alone. Nothing other than faith is required for salvation, specifically, baptism is not considered a prerequisite.

 

[JM]

Methodist vs baptist? - Yahoo! Answers

 

[Vince53]

How do you tell the difference between a Methodist and a Baptist?











A Methodist will speak to you when you meet him in a liquor store.

 

[dies-l]

Isn't a Methodist what you get when you cross a Baptist and a Catholic? That's what my old (Methodist) pastor used to say.

 

[Vince53]

Why do Methodists always take two Baptists with them when they go fishing?








So they won't have to share their beer.

 

[DD2008]

Methodists are 100% arminian. None of them believe in OSAS. Baptists are all calvinistic to a degree because they believe in OSAS. Also methodists have a heirarchy and baptits don't. Methodists practice infant baptism and baptists don't. Methodists are pretty liberal baptists aren't.

 

[dies-l]

Methodists are 100% arminian.

Close enough. Actually, Wesleyan, which is quite similar to Arminian, but not identical.

None of them believe in OSAS.

True, in the sense that, as a church, they do not. Many Baptists don't either.

Baptists are all calvinistic to a degree because they believe in OSAS.

Many Baptists, especially Free Will Baptists don't believe in OSAS.

Also methodists have a heirarchy and baptits don't. Methodists practice infant baptism and baptists don't.

This is probably the main distinction between the two.

Methodists are pretty liberal baptists aren't.

There are liberal Methodists and conservative Methodists. There are liberal and conservative Baptists. Some Methodist congregations are substantially more conservative than a typical Baptist congregation.

 

[JM]

conservative Methodists

Where?

 

[dies-l]

Where?

Outside of the big cities and suburbs, the vast majority Methodist churches are very conservative. Even in many working class suburbs, there is a strong contingent of conservative Methodists.

This actually creates an interesting dynamic within the Methodist hierarchy, because Methodism has an appointment system for its pastors. Theoretically, a Methodist pastor can be assigned to any church within a conference. However, it is generally a bad political move to place a liberal pastor kin a conservative church or vice versa. So, somewhat unofficially, it is understood that pastors who are at all liberal theologically are never going to be assigned to a rural or working class church, and conservative pastors generally know that they will never be assigned to certain very liberal churches.

FTR, my parents were both UMC pastors. My mother is substantially more liberal than I am. My dad was about the same as I am. My father in law is also a UMC pastor, and he is much more conservative than I am (and than most of the people at my Baptist church). Also, there is more than one denomination within Methodism. Free Methodists tend to be considerably more conservative than most UMs.

 

[JM]

How much more conservative is "considerably more conservative?" I'm not trying to give you a hard time, just wondering.

 

[JM]

William Williams & Welsh Calvinistic Methodism

 

[dies-l]

How much more conservative is "considerably more conservative?" I'm not trying to give you a hard time, just wondering.

Not quite sure how to quantify it. If you have read a good mix of my posts, you can form your own opinion of me (I think of myself as solidly middle of the road -- generally orthodox on most issues of faith and morality, slightly left of center politically). My father-in-law's viewpoints on most theological issues tend to fall in line pretty steadily with mainstream conservative evangelicalism (e.g., young earth, strong emphasis on individual salvation, etc.).

Or, to put it another way, he is probably less conservative than most Fundamental Baptists, more conservative than most American Baptists, about the same as what typically comes out of the SBC.

 

[Historicus]

Two other big differences...

- Methodists have the Episcopal form of government (hence the former name of the Methodist Episcopal Church which is the predecessor to the UMC)... we have Bishops, Elders (Presbyters), and Deacons.
- Baptists view the local church as autonomous, and thus associate themselves together into conventions, and associations, whereas Methodists consider themselves "The United Methodist Church" for example, and local unit being a Parish of the larger church.
- Methodists have Sacraments (which are considered means of grace). Baptists view them (Baptism and Communion) as Ordinances.

 

[FreeinChrist]

Two other big differences...

- Methodists have the Episcopal form of government (hence the former name of the Methodist Episcopal Church which is the predecessor to the UMC)... we have Bishops, Elders (Presbyters), and Deacons.
- Baptists view the local church as autonomous, and thus associate themselves together into conventions, and associations, whereas Methodists consider themselves "The United Methodist Church" for example, and local unit being a Parish of the larger church.
- Methodists have Sacraments (which are considered means of grace). Baptists view them (Baptism and Communion) as Ordinances.

I think Methodists are more liturgical as well, while Baptists are ...an't find the word....plainer in style of worship.


Both sets of my grandparents lived in the same town - one set was Methodist and the other Baptist. The two churches had occasional social events - which included softball and lots of good food. Good memories.

 

[Vince53]

There were four country churches in a small Arkansas town:
The Presbyterian Church, the Baptist Church, the Methodist Church and the Catholic Church. Each church was overrun with pesky squirrels.

One day, the Presbyterian Church called a meeting to decide what to do about the squirrels. After much prayer and consideration they determined that the squirrels were predestined to be there and they shouldn’t interfere.

In the Baptist Church the squirrels had taken up habitation in the baptistery. The deacons met and decided to flood it. The squirrels escaped somehow and there were twice as many there the next week.

The Catholic group got together and decided that they were not in a position to harm any of creation. So, they humanely trapped the squirrels and set them free a few miles outside of town. Three days later, the squirrels were back.

But — the Methodist Church came up with the best and most effective solution. They baptized the squirrels and registered them as members of the church. Now they only see them on Christmas and Easter.

 

[actionsub]

Two other big differences...

- Methodists have the Episcopal form of government (hence the former name of the Methodist Episcopal Church which is the predecessor to the UMC)... we have Bishops, Elders (Presbyters), and Deacons.
- Baptists view the local church as autonomous, and thus associate themselves together into conventions, and associations, whereas Methodists consider themselves "The United Methodist Church" for example, and local unit being a Parish of the larger church.
- Methodists have Sacraments (which are considered means of grace). Baptists view them (Baptism and Communion) as Ordinances.

Again, let it be noted that not all Methodists belong to the United Methodist denomination. The Free Methodist Church is conservative almost to the point of being fundamentalist. There are also some smaller Methodist groups, like the Evangelical Methodist church in the midwestern US, and a federation of the old Southern Methodist denomination composed of SM churches that chose not to become part of the UMC in the 60s.

Our family doctor when I was growing up was Methodist. He said some of his upscale peers made fun of it saying that Methodists were nothing more than Baptists who could read...let it be noted that I was Baptist when he told me that...

 

[student ad x]

Hello, for a returning Christian just trying to "tie up loose ends", what are the difference(s) between Methodists and Baptists?

Hey Jim,
You have quite a few things thrown into your post , I'll answer a few.

I understand the principle differences like adult immersion baptism vs. sprinkling etc., ancestry from Protestantism vs. Anabaptist movement etc.

....errmm, you might get some opposition from some by lumping modern Baptists in with the Anabaptist movement.

I understand that they are both reformed churches but I mean in an everyday sense, what are the differences?

Style of worship (I know Baptists don't have priests but elders but Methodists have ministers)

Baptists have either deacons (I'd say a majority of the SBC) or elders (many of the "reformed" Baptists church have elders), some have both (the American Baptist Church I was a member had both elders & deacons).

Thanks and God Bless

You're welcome. Here are a couple links to help out with the Baptist history etc:
BAPTIST DISTINCTIVES - BAPTIST ACRONYM
Baptist: Definition from Answers.com

God bless

 

[FreeinChrist]

There were four country churches in a small Arkansas town:
The Presbyterian Church, the Baptist Church, the Methodist Church and the Catholic Church. Each church was overrun with pesky squirrels.

One day, the Presbyterian Church called a meeting to decide what to do about the squirrels. After much prayer and consideration they determined that the squirrels were predestined to be there and they shouldn’t interfere.

In the Baptist Church the squirrels had taken up habitation in the baptistery. The deacons met and decided to flood it. The squirrels escaped somehow and there were twice as many there the next week.

The Catholic group got together and decided that they were not in a position to harm any of creation. So, they humanely trapped the squirrels and set them free a few miles outside of town. Three days later, the squirrels were back.

But — the Methodist Church came up with the best and most effective solution. They baptized the squirrels and registered them as members of the church. Now they only see them on Christmas and Easter.

 

[JM]

The Gospel Witness here