Baptist Distinctives
BAPTIST
Number 1 was “BIBLE” – the Bible is the ONLY authority!
Number 2 was AUTONOMY OF THE LOCAL CHURCH
Number 3 was PRIESTHOOD OF THE BELIEVER
Number 4: TWO ORDINANCES
The local church is mandated by God to practise two ordinances.
- Baptism of believers by immersion in water symbolizes sincere faith in Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection with the desire to walk in newness of life.
In October 2017, Protestants celebrated the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. It was a worthy celebration. However, one area of distinction between the infant-baptizing Magisterial Reformers and the Baptists is the New Testament pattern of first believing and then being baptized. The pattern was prescribed by Jesus, proclaimed by the apostles and practised by the church. Baptists insist on believer’s baptism, so I am a Baptist.
- The Lord’s Supper, or Communion, commemorates Christ’s broken body and shed blood giving each believer an opportunity for self-examination and rededication. These are not sacraments to earn salvation, but privileges granted by grace.
There are three types of communion practices out there:
- OPEN Communion – where everyone is invited to participate, regardless of whether they are saved or not, if they have been baptized or not, and if they are members in a local church anywhere.
- CLOSE Communion – Where the local church members are invited to attend, plus anyone who is a believer, and member of another church of like faith.
- CLOSED Communion – Where only the members of that respective local church are invited to partake.
We practise CLOSED Communion.
We welcome all visitors to our church services. If you love the Lord Jesus Christ, then you are among friends. We would enjoy nothing more than worship with you and help you serve Him until He comes again. For this very reason we have separated from the world and joined together in a society of baptized believers called a church.
If you happened to be in attendance when we held the Lord’s Supper, then you were gently told it is our conviction from the Word of God to observe Closed Communion. That is, we believe the Lord’s supper is limited to the members of our local church, and each church is to practise this for their own members.
Baptists believe the Bible. The Bible teaches how to properly partake of the Lord’s Supper, so I am a Baptist.
