Which Reformed Denomination?

[squeakyclean1]

I was born and raised in a christian reformed church, one in NY, and the one I go to now in IL...both really cool. However I go to a Nazarene school and church while I'm at college, but still CRC at heart.

 

[Imblessed]

Have a question. Does any of you know if the American Baptist Conference is in any way reformed? I just found out our church is a member of the ABC---I think that's the name of it anyway. But I also just found out today that my pastor is teaching very reformed ideas--so far!
He was teaching on total depravity and unmerited favor today. And I'm sure he teaches OSAS--I'm not sure if you can call that perserverance of the saints or not, if there is any difference...

I don't know about the limited atonement, and really I don't think it would matter much--I'm just so happy he's teaching total depravity!!!

 

[BWB]

Have a question. Does any of you know if the American Baptist Conference is in any way reformed? I just found out our church is a member of the ABC---I think that's the name of it anyway. But I also just found out today that my pastor is teaching very reformed ideas--so far!
He was teaching on total depravity and unmerited favor today. And I'm sure he teaches OSAS--I'm not sure if you can call that perserverance of the saints or not, if there is any difference...

I don't know about the limited atonement, and really I don't think it would matter much--I'm just so happy he's teaching total depravity!!!

I know of the American Baptist Convention (ABC), but am not familiar with what they believe. A google search turned up a North American Baptist Conference (NAB), to that could be what you mean, too. Sorry I can't answer your question.

 

[BWB]

I attend a PCA church at college, but am not actually a member of any church. That seems to be the most popular option other than 'other'; I wonder why. I chose the church because they have a college ministry connected with Campus Crusade for Christ, which I am also involved in, know most of the college students from college anyway, and because the teaching in the sermons are based heavily on scripture.

 

[Knight]

Have a question. Does any of you know if the American Baptist Conference is in any way reformed? I just found out our church is a member of the ABC---I think that's the name of it anyway. But I also just found out today that my pastor is teaching very reformed ideas--so far!
He was teaching on total depravity and unmerited favor today. And I'm sure he teaches OSAS--I'm not sure if you can call that perserverance of the saints or not, if there is any difference...

I don't know about the limited atonement, and really I don't think it would matter much--I'm just so happy he's teaching total depravity!!!

The website is:
www.abc-usa.org

There is no denominational teaching on this because there is no denominational government. As far as I can see the denominations exists as a resource while specific points of doctrine are on a church-by-church basis.

 

[Imblessed]

The website is:
www.abc-usa.org

There is no denominational teaching on this because there is no denominational government. As far as I can see the denominations exists as a resource while specific points of doctrine are on a church-by-church basis.

thank you, i'll check that site out. Actually I'm glad to see that. I was at first disappointed when I found out our church "belonged" to a national group. Tim, our pastor said we belonged for the resources, the abilities you get as a group that you don't have as a 'single', if you know what I mean. Part of it, was for him at least, the ability to help in church plants....without our church "getting the credit" for it, or being "responsible"....if that makes sense. Anyway, I will check out that site.....

 

[Knight]

thank you, i'll check that site out. Actually I'm glad to see that. I was at first disappointed when I found out our church "belonged" to a national group. Tim, our pastor said we belonged for the resources, the abilities you get as a group that you don't have as a 'single', if you know what I mean. Part of it, was for him at least, the ability to help in church plants....without our church "getting the credit" for it, or being "responsible"....if that makes sense. Anyway, I will check out that site.....

From the looks of things this is a denomination in name only. Not that I have any problem with denominations.....

 

[Gabriel]

I am a Ruling Elder in the PCA. In case you didn't figure that out already.

 

[Imblessed]

I see what you mean about the ABC. It's more of a group of independent "baptist" denominations getting together and forming a group--strength in number and all that. I can deal with that. What I'm uncomfortable with(and this is strictly my own opinion) is churches that belong to a denominationl group that dictates what they can and cannot teach in the individual churches. I'm being very vague here, but I guess a case in point is if a denominational bigwig decides to change a policy and say that, say... gays can become priests or something like that...who did that recently? It caused a huge rift in the denomination, with split offs and such....
Obviously, there are beliefs which causes one to claim Baptist, or Quaker, or Catholic, etc etc... but "baptists" covers such a large group of people-- southern, free will, open bible, etc etc---that to claim to be a baptist is hardly informative anymore....
I'm rambling, and don't know if I'm making ANY sense at all, so I'm going to stop while I'm ahead....lol

God Bless

 

[Knight]

I see what you mean about the ABC. It's more of a group of independent "baptist" denominations getting together and forming a group--strength in number and all that. I can deal with that. What I'm uncomfortable with(and this is strictly my own opinion) is churches that belong to a denominationl group that dictates what they can and cannot teach in the individual churches. I'm being very vague here, but I guess a case in point is if a denominational bigwig decides to change a policy and say that, say... gays can become priests or something like that...who did that recently? It caused a huge rift in the denomination, with split offs and such....
Obviously, there are beliefs which causes one to claim Baptist, or Quaker, or Catholic, etc etc... but "baptists" covers such a large group of people-- southern, free will, open bible, etc etc---that to claim to be a baptist is hardly informative anymore....
I'm rambling, and don't know if I'm making ANY sense at all, so I'm going to stop while I'm ahead....lol

God Bless

Which is exactly why any denomination has to submit to the word of God.

There can be difference of opinion on the non-essentials but there must be unity in the essentials.

I could turn your case around and argue that corruption is even more likely in a church that does not have a denomination over it. Don't get me wrong, I am a member of a non-denomination church myself. However, the argument could be made.

 

[Imblessed]

Which is exactly why any denomination has to submit to the word of God.

There can be difference of opinion on the non-essentials but there must be unity in the essentials.

I could turn your case around and argue that corruption is even more likely in a church that does not have a denomination over it. Don't get me wrong, I am a member of a non-denomination church myself. However, the argument could be made.

LOL, I totally agree with you. Corruption can and does happen in non-denominational churches. BUT-- isn't that where we, as the congregation need to be reponsible and hold our leaders responsible for sticking to the truth? I think each church should be held accountable by the congregation. Like the Bereans, we should search the scriptures ourselves and make sure what we are hearing lines up with what's being taught in the bible.
Part of the problem I see with "denominations" per se, is the tendency for the people within the church to take what's being said by the leaders as absolute, simply because they believe that the "national church" says it's so, so the minister/preacher/priest says it's so, so it must be so. "No need to check for truthfullness ourselves, after all, the leaders wouldn't be saying it if it wasn't approved by the main group. And they all have degrees and must be smarter than us laymen...." see where I'm going with this? Does it make sense?

Yes, there are plently of big non-denominational preachers out there who are so popular that people take what they say as "TRUTH" anyway, so go figure, yet, I feel that it doesn't happen so often...

Again, my personal opinion, could be right or wrong on this....

Of course, this is getting totally off topic, sorry.... but I do appreciate the link, and the discussion!

 

[Imblessed]

ooops, double post...

 

[JM]

Other: I'm a Baptist who believes the teachingsofthe Bible, well expressed by French theologian John Calvin who believe dinstrict predetermination.

I'm not a Reformed Baptist, maybe a Particular Baptist, I don't know. I tend to make a distinction between the Church and Israel when reading the Bible...which places me in a different group...

In the early 1600's two distinct Baptist groups emerged in England. The first were the General Baptists and within twenty years, the Particular Baptists were on the scene. The terms General and Particular immediately identified their doctrinal differences. Gen-eral Baptists believed in a 'General' (or universal) atonement and were thus Arminian. The Particular Baptists held to a Particular Redemption and atonement and were Calvinistic. All Baptist historians are in agreement on this distinction in England in this time period.

Reformed/Sovereign Grace Baptists seek to return to the Puritan heritage of the Regular Baptists of the seventeenth century, a classical period in Baptist development, and recover their theology and ecclesiology. They, by and large, endorse the First London (1646), Second London (1689), and Philadelphia (1742) Confessions of Faith. They oppose, on the one hand, the evangelistic techniques of modern evangelicalism as too superficial and, on the other hand, reject the hyper-Calvinism and anti-missionism of the Primitive Baptists as too sterile.

Sovereign Grace Baptists are a result of differences with Reformed Baptists, which began about 1980, over certain doctrinal points. Sovereign Grace Baptists relate more closely to the First London Confession (1646) rather than the Second London Confession. They are more critical of Covenant Theology and place greater stress on the New Covenant.

Protestants and Baptists have a different approach to the Holy Scriptures and while some see it as a very minor difference, Calvinistic Baptists should see it as it is. Protestants, in the Westminster Confession, the Savoy Confession and the Thirty-nine Articles, etc. establish their doctrine, message and method on the whole Bible.

http://www.pbpress.org/

Maybe I'm a Sovereign Grace Baptist! Too many names.

 

[RobNJ]

Well, I didn't vote in the poll, but I used to belong to the RCA. And also survived seven years on the Board of Elders..and five years going to Classis

 

[Elderone]

This is the url of the Reformed Presbyterian Church we attended while living in Virginia.

http://www.rpchurch.org/index.htm

The Pastor, Dr. Elliott jr., has contacts all over the U.S. and would be able to help you find a good fit if you send him an email. Include in the note: "maxpen" in PA sent you.