I need some guidance,differentiating between Baptist to non-denominational

[01tj]

I'll start with a back story then what I'm looking for after. I may post this in both the baptist and the non-denominational forums.

I grew up catholic, met a baptist girl in college, got saved then converted to baptist. We went to my wife's baptist church for a few years then her family had some disputes and started going to a different baptist church and we followed short while after. Her family had another issue at our currant church and left but we stayed. Now we do not feel the church is giving our family what it needs so we are thinking about changing churches. My wife wants to go to her families new church but I'm not so sure.

Our currant church is an old baptist church that is fairly small with a mostly elderly crowd. Our biggest issue is that the children's programs are not very strong and the messages really don't seem to be helping us in any way.

We believe that the only way to Heaven is by knowing we are sinners and can only get there by trusting that Jesus died for our sins. Baptist believe this but there is also a non-denominational church in our area that believes this as well. My wife is against going to this church because they only have traditional services a few times a week and meet in small home groups on other days. She feels that there is a chance the person leading the home group may not be qualified to lead the group. They also have a praise band and even though we listen to CCM she has always been taught that that is not the way to worship in church.

I'm looking for scriptural guidance to help us decide between the two. Can anyone give me some info that supports or does not support either Baptist or Non-denominational?

 

[Sketcher]

Grew up in a non-denominational church, went to a campus ministry affiliated with Southern Baptists. I go to a non-denominational church now.

Simply put, Baptists are stricter.

I remember people asking more senior leadership to vet what is now biblestudytools.com, for instance.
I remember that there was more of an emphasis of non-sinful things not being appropriate as an official event in the group's name. (Most of them happened anyway, unofficially.)
I remember that communion couldn't be held at an official event, for some reason unknown to me. Not that Southern Baptists don't take communion, but they were strict about when and where you could take it (I wonder what they would say to the Acts 2 church).
I remember that there were other groups that ours partnered with for internships and ministry who were really strict - for instance, an intern funded by one of them could not work at a grocery store, because grocery stores sell alcohol. This was regardless of whether he was 21 or not.
I remember that due to denominational hierarchy and abuse of that system, if you said something that someone didn't like, they could get you in trouble without confronting you first, in violation of Matthew 18:15-17.
I remember more of an emphasis on gender separation.
I remember that Calvinism and pre-tribulation rapture were more hard-and-fast doctrinal points for them.

I also remember some positives. The people who I interacted with, believe it or not, were full of grace, and liked having a good time - I include the leadership that I interacted with in this. There was more of an emphasis on discipleship than at my church (but that's easier to facilitate in a smaller congregation, my church is large). Most of their doctrine lined up with what I was taught - the Trinity, baptism, sin, salvation, faith, love, grace, wisdom, personal morals, etc. Where I mainly differ with them doctrine-wise is Calvinism (I believe in eternal security, but I also believe in free will), and pre-tribulation rapture (I'm a post-tribber myself). As you could probably guess, I'm looser than some of them in certain matters of practice. But I consider my multi-year experience with them an overall positive.

 

[joshuanazar]

I grew up in Baptist churches and found them to be mostly dead, spiritually speaking. Now I go to a nondenominational church that some might call a holiness church. I don't know. But my experience is that Baptists churches are a lot more traditional and yes, stricter. I have a problem with those things. I hate tradition because tradition in church creates religion and religion kills. And those "strict" churches normally teach more Law than grace and the law puts you in bondage while grace delivers you.

My question is why do you have to be either? I have a close friend who is baptist. When asked why he is baptist, he simply says that is what is written on the sign outside. I go to a nondenominational church, but I do not consider myself nondenominational. I simply consider myself a Christian. I go to a nondenominational church because that is where God wants me. Sometimes I wish I could leave (I still find them a little traditional and it annoys me), but that is not God's plan for me. So I say forget about labels and go wherever you feel God wants you to be.

 

[01tj]

My question is why do you have to be either? I have a close friend who is baptist. When asked why he is baptist, he simply says that is what is written on the sign outside. I go to a nondenominational church, but I do not consider myself nondenominational. I simply consider myself a Christian. I go to a nondenominational church because that is where God wants me. Sometimes I wish I could leave (I still find them a little traditional and it annoys me), but that is not God's plan for me. So I say forget about labels and go wherever you feel God wants you to be.

I also agree with this, the first baptist church I attended was really strict but I felt they were strict based on opinion not Bible. Women could not wear paints or shorts, men could not wear shorts, no CCM, no movie theaters. Our currant church is less strict but definitely feels dead. My in-laws church is closer to our first church but the non-denominational church is even less strict than our currant church.

 

[joshuanazar]

Just remember that there are different churches out there that believe different things, but no church is perfect. I would encourage you to attend a church with the least amount of traditions and rules because God isn't about either of those things.

 

[Sketcher]

I also agree with this, the first baptist church I attended was really strict but I felt they were strict based on opinion not Bible. Women could not wear paints or shorts, men could not wear shorts, no CCM, no movie theaters.

I remember hearing about the no movie theaters thing. The logic being some unbeliever who is also there might assume you are watching a raunchy movie when in fact you're watching a different movie altogether. A bit of a reach. My campus ministry didn't practice that at all, we went to movies all the time. They actually got me going back to movies.

 

[St. Helens]

It is important to remember that there are many different shades of Baptist. The Baptist described thus far in this thread sound like independent Baptist. They are very strict.

There is Southern Baptist, Free Will Baptist, American Baptist, Conservative Baptist and Reformed Baptist.

It depends on what you are looking for in a church. Free Will Baptist and American Baptist will look more like the Non-denominationational church. Emphasis will be placed on works.

The Conservative Baptist Churches still have a comfortable atmosphere without all the legalism. They place more of an emphasis on salvation by grace.

 

[joshuanazar]

I also heard about the movie thing. I heard that they got that law from the verse saying don't sit in the seats of the scornful. As for the baptist churches that I am talking about, they would be free will and southern baptists. Any church that emphasizes works it out of the grace of God. Only grace without works can save us.

 

[Kutte]

I grew up in Baptist churches and found them to be mostly dead, spiritually speaking. Now I go to a nondenominational church that some might call a holiness church. I don't know. But my experience is that Baptists churches are a lot more traditional and yes, stricter. I have a problem with those things. I hate tradition because tradition in church creates religion and religion kills. And those "strict" churches normally teach more Law than grace and the law puts you in bondage while grace delivers you.

My question is why do you have to be either? I have a close friend who is baptist. When asked why he is baptist, he simply says that is what is written on the sign outside. I go to a nondenominational church, but I do not consider myself nondenominational. I simply consider myself a Christian. I go to a nondenominational church because that is where God wants me. Sometimes I wish I could leave (I still find them a little traditional and it annoys me), but that is not God's plan for me. So I say forget about labels and go wherever you feel God wants you to be.

Hi joshuanazar,

Good post. But why call yourself anything related to anything religious? Simply be a Theist.

Kutte

 

[joshuanazar]

A theist can believe in any God. Muslims are theists. I believe and follow Christ so Christian is the best term. Though I do not like how it has been tainted in the worlds eyes by people claiming to be a christian when in fact they are not.

 

[Kutte]

A theist can believe in any God. Muslims are theists. I believe and follow Christ so Christian is the best term. Though I do not like how it has been tainted in the worlds eyes by people claiming to be a christian when in fact they are not.

josthuanazar

I agree. A true Theist does not feel to be bound by any religious preference. One can be a Theist and still accept Jesus Christ and try to follow his teachings. A Theist may find wisdom in what some Hindus have to say. In other words, a Theist simply is non-denominational.

Kutte

 

[joshuanazar]

I don't think that you understood exactly what it was that I was trying to say. Theism is another form of religion, just another label, though a much broader one. I have found very little wisdom in the Hindu religion that tells us that evil is an illusion but that we will also be judged by the evil that we do in this life as if it wasn't an illusion. I do not follow theism or monotheism or anything other than Christ. I like Paul's statement that he strove to know nothing but Christ and him crucified.