Missionary Baptists

[RickardoHolmes]

Some would find this interesting, but I attend a Missionary Baptist church though I am a confirmant in the Episcopal church The Pastor at the MBC is such a great guy, a one of a kind in a good way. The people there are welcoming friendly and joyful.
What I noticed though are two things. I am going to ask if this is common at all Missionary Baptist churches or just this one.
First, there are designated dress codes it would seem. For example, on the first Sunday of the Month, (Communion Sunday) The Men all wear black and the ladies all wear white. Along the way, there will be certain days where everyone wear a certain color, not to mention a "college" day where everyone wears college jerseys or clothing, a "pro football day" (the pastor is a huge 49ers fan) It would seem that I often arrive dressed differently than everyone else. Is this common in Missionary Baptist churches?

Second question regards the communion. They have communion on the first Sunday of the month only, as opposed to every service like at the Episcopal or Catholic churches. The way they distribute it is different as well, at least to me. Everyone upon entering is handed a small plastic pack on entering the church that day. The packet contains a tiny vial of grape juice and a small very small wafer. Everyone celebrates together, and this is held after the service would ordinarily be over There is no wine and no coming to the altar rail The sacrament is done quickly and I guess efficiently
I have nothing else by which to compare this. I was just curious if this is a Baptist thing or not

I do truly enjoy how joyful and loving the people there are. That is why I go so often.

 

[David Lamb]

Some would find this interesting, but I attend a Missionary Baptist church though I am a confirmant in the Episcopal church The Pastor at the MBC is such a great guy, a one of a kind in a good way. The people there are welcoming friendly and joyful.
What I noticed though are two things. I am going to ask if this is common at all Missionary Baptist churches or just this one.
First, there are designated dress codes it would seem. For example, on the first Sunday of the Month, (Communion Sunday) The Men all wear black and the ladies all wear white. Along the way, there will be certain days where everyone wear a certain color, not to mention a "college" day where everyone wears college jerseys or clothing, a "pro football day" (the pastor is a huge 49ers fan) It would seem that I often arrive dressed differently than everyone else. Is this common in Missionary Baptist churches?

Second question regards the communion. They have communion on the first Sunday of the month only, as opposed to every service like at the Episcopal or Catholic churches. The way they distribute it is different as well, at least to me. Everyone upon entering is handed a small plastic pack on entering the church that day. The packet contains a tiny vial of grape juice and a small very small wafer. Everyone celebrates together, and this is held after the service would ordinarily be over There is no wine and no coming to the altar rail The sacrament is done quickly and I guess efficiently
I have nothing else by which to compare this. I was just curious if this is a Baptist thing or not

I do truly enjoy how joyful and loving the people there are. That is why I go so often.

I have never heard of a group called "Missionary Baptists." Perhaps it is an American grouping. Here in the UK, most Baptist churches are missionary minded. (They don't all wear certain colours of clothes, or dispense the emblems at the Lord's Supper in little packets, though!)

 

[RickardoHolmes]

The Missionary Baptist movement in the US is predominantly black, and I am predominantly white, and I will say that I have never ever met a nicer, friendlier, more loving group of people at any church that was not part of an Arizona or California cult.

I even did something I said I would never do: I started attending Bible study, and when I cannot go in person, I watch it on youTube

My friend, the pastor there, runs a Bible study like I have never seen. Every other Bible study I have ever attended, has for lack of a better word, stunk. I said I would never ever waste my time with one again.
BUT he told me to try his, that I may change my mind
So instead of the "This is what the Bible says you have to believe this this is what it means you have to believe this" garbage that I have always heard, his approach is different. It may be historical talking about the world events at the time the story in the Bible was written. More often, he starts with an issue in the world today, something going on and refer back to a Biblical story of someone who had to deal with a similar problem in another time or place.
I even purchased a Side by Side Greek/English new Testament to use

Now along those lines, I even encountered a person there who did not know that the New Testament gospels were written in Greek. I don;t know what language she thought they used, maybe Middle English, but this is an attempt to bring scholarship into the congregation. And practically all the Bible studies I ever attended mostly for a brief time, lacked scholarship But that is something the Reverend always works into his lessons. And it makes it more interesting.

I am looking forward to spending more time with them this year and hopefully fostering some new friendships.

 

[actionsub]

Second question regards the communion. They have communion on the first Sunday of the month only, as opposed to every service like at the Episcopal or Catholic churches. The way they distribute it is different as well, at least to me. Everyone upon entering is handed a small plastic pack on entering the church that day. The packet contains a tiny vial of grape juice and a small very small wafer. Everyone celebrates together, and this is held after the service would ordinarily be over There is no wine and no coming to the altar rail The sacrament is done quickly and I guess efficiently
I have nothing else by which to compare this. I was just curious if this is a Baptist thing or not

More of an overall "evangelical" thing, not limited to Baptists.

 

[David Lamb]

More of an overall "evangelical" thing, not limited to Baptists.

Being handed a small vial of grape juice and little piece of bread on entering the church building is not something I have ever come across in 55 years as a Baptist.

 

[HantsUK]

The packet contains a tiny vial of grape juice and a small very small wafer.

We had something similar in my church during Covid, when we could start meeting together in person but still with restrictions. I assumed these packages were of Anglican origin.

But we are back to "normal".

Communion is typically celebrated on the first Sunday of the month. When I was growing up, communion was tacked onto the end of the service as an optional extra. I think that most churches now make it part of the service. In my church (Baptist) it is often in the middle, before the sermon, but sometimes at the end. We sometimes are served while seated and sometimes we go to the front to be served.

Dress code - yes, you need to be clothed. Dress code has much more to do with your social background than church. Many people want to make Sunday special, so dress differently from the rest of their week.

 

[RickardoHolmes]

Dress code - yes, you need to be clothed. Dress code has much more to do with your social background than church. Many people want to make Sunday special, so dress differently from the rest of their week.

I always dress nicely when I go on Sundays But the thing I notice is that the men wear black, the ladies wear white on the First Sunday of Every Month Now they dress colorfully and nicely and sometimes ever=n have THEME days like where everyone wears their college or football attire on Sunday a year, but I was wondering if it was more of a Black-Church thing or a Missionary Baptist thing? I felt like it would be rude to ask them.

 

[actionsub]

Being handed a small vial of grape juice and little piece of bread on entering the church building is not something I have ever come across in 55 years as a Baptist.

The "portable pre-packaged" Communion was initially developed by the Southern Baptists for use in mission settings. I'd used them as a truckstop chaplain.
During the pandemic and following, their use has mushroomed with other manufacturers getting in the game. The quality's improved since then; those old SBC-manufactured ones had a VERY short shelf like before the grape juice turned into vinegar.

 

[RickardoHolmes]

I was at Bible Study there Wednesday night and during the time that people in the audience are speaking (testimonials) one lady mentioned how friendly everyone there is, how she had been coming for 2 years and was not a member but felt like she was part of the family

Afterwards, I talked to her and pointed out that I have been coming off and on for 4 years but am not a member and I agree with what she was saying about friendly people Then someone asked me why I am not a member yet?

I did not get into a discussion of membership, which I do not like. In fact, I joined a church where I had been attending (also) for several years a year ago and am now having regrets so I am not looking to ever be a :member" of a church again, but as for being present and celebrating , yes I can go for that .

 

[RileyG]

Being handed a small vial of grape juice and little piece of bread on entering the church building is not something I have ever come across in 55 years as a Baptist.

(Posting in fellowship)

That was common in one of the Baptist Churches I know of. I don’t know who they are affiliated with.

 

[RileyG]

I was at Bible Study there Wednesday night and during the time that people in the audience are speaking (testimonials) one lady mentioned how friendly everyone there is, how she had been coming for 2 years and was not a member but felt like she was part of the family

Afterwards, I talked to her and pointed out that I have been coming off and on for 4 years but am not a member and I agree with what she was saying about friendly people Then someone asked me why I am not a member yet?

I did not get into a discussion of membership, which I do not like. In fact, I joined a church where I had been attending (also) for several years a year ago and am now having regrets so I am not looking to ever be a :member" of a church again, but as for being present and celebrating , yes I can go for that .

God bless you!