Back in the olden days, when I was young, one often saw articles and books on Baptist distinctives. By Baptist distinctives, I mean doctrines and convictions that characterize Southern Baptists. I don’t see such writing much anymore. I’m not sure why, but I suspect that the cultural trend of decreasing “brand loyalty” has affected us. When I was a boy in Arkansas, families were Ford families or Chevrolet families. Some clans were Baptist, and some were Methodist. Folks were loyal to brands, denominations, and political parties. Those days are long gone. Still, I’m loyal to the Southern Baptist Convention, and there are doctrines and convictions that are distinctive to us. I’m not saying that other evangelicals do not hold to some of the following. I am saying that the combination of these is distinctive to Baptists. What are Baptist distinctives?
I found this acrostic on the internet, and it seems like a handy teaching tool to me. Indeed, it seems Duane Brown, a Regular Baptist pastor in New York state, developed the acrostic for a class at his church. The main points are his (with one exception), but the explanations are mine.
B Biblical Authority—We believe the Bible is the authority for teaching and practice in the church. We strive to be “people of the Book.” All Baptists believe in biblical authority. We differ, though, in regard to the inerrancy of Scripture. Those who believe in inerrancy hold that there are no mistakes in the Bible. This was a key issue in the Conservative Resurgence in the SBC. The inerrantists won in the end, and those who disagreed left. I believe I speak for the vast majority of Southern Baptists when I declare the Bible is inspired, inerrant, infallible, and irresistible.
A Autonomy of the Local Church—We believe that each local congregation is autonomous. That means the church governs itself under the headship of Jesus Christ. In other words, Jesus Christ is head of the church. Neither the SBC nor a state convention nor a local association can order a church to do anything. The church calls its own pastor, determines its own statement of faith, and voluntarily associates/cooperates with whichever entity it chooses.
P Priesthood of the Believer—This was a key doctrine in the Protestant Reformation. So, we share this doctrine with many other Protestants. We believe that at the moment of salvation the Holy Spirit indwells the believer. The Holy Spirit gives the new Christian the ability to read and comprehend the spiritual truth in the Bible. The believer can also pray directly to God and commune with Him. No human priest is needed to serve as a mediator.
T Two Ordinances—We believe that Jesus Christ ordained (commanded) two ordinances for local churches to practice—baptism and the Lord’s Supper. In regard to baptism, we believe baptism should be restricted to believers and administered by the church by means of immersion. About the Lord’s Supper, we believe the Lord’s Supper is a memorial ritual that reminds believers of Jesus Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross.
I Individual Soul Liberty—Sometimes this is called “soul competency.” It is mentioned in the Preamble to the Baptist Statement of Faith and Message. It relates closely to the priesthood of the believer. Dr. Stan Norman, formerly professor of theology at New Orleans Baptist Seminary, defines soul liberty/competency in this way. “Soul competency, therefore, refers to the ability of an individual to approach God directly without any human intermediary. The concept of soul competency assumes that human beings are created in God’s image and that God is a person who is able to reveal himself to man. God can thus communicate with a person directly and personally.” (The Baptist Way, 162).
S Security of the Believer (Note: Duane Brown listed Saved Church Membership)
Southern Baptists believe strongly in “once saved, always saved.” The Southern Baptist Statement of Faith and Message (2000) states, “All true believers endure to the end. Those whom God has accepted in Christ and sanctified by His Spirit will never fall away from the state of grace, but shall persevere to the end.”
T Two Officers—We believe the two officers of a local church are pastors and deacons. Of course, many SBC churches have elders now. “Elder” is certainly a biblical word. In the New Testament it seems to have been used interchangeably with the word, “pastor.”
S Separation of Church and State—Baptists hold to the concept of separation of church and state. We reject the concept of a state church, a government-controlled church. Baptists in England and colonial Virginia suffered persecution by the Church of England. Both John Bunyan, author of “Pilgrim’s Progress,” and Jamie Ireland were imprisoned for preaching without a license from the Church of England. Our Baptist ideal is a free church in a free state. That means the government does not interfere in church worship or administration.
So, let me pose some questions to our Voices readers. Why do you think we discuss Baptist Distinctives less frequently now than in the past? Do you agree with this list? Would you add or subtract a point? Do you agree with my explanations?
The article that attributes this acrostic to Dwayne Brown was published in the Baptist Bulletin (January/February, 2011).
