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After being involved with Baptist churches for over 20 years I have made some observations. Being an Independent Baptist attending the same Independent Baptist church for over 20 years gives me some credentials to make these observations.  Understand that I love the Independent Baptists and have chosen to align myself with them for I believe a BALANCED Independent Baptist church is the most scripture work around these days, in my worthless opinion. Despite this we have our issues we need to deal with.  The list is not positive – I could list the positives but the purpose here is to point out the areas needing work.  I attend a small work and my preacher has been seeking to wean us from these characteristics for years and is still plowing up the ground.
Again, GENERALLY speaking for not all are guilty of all – some more than others.  Now, lets get on with the show!
 
1. By placing such an emphasis on soul winning (a good thing) in the preaching services many saints are suffering from spiritual malnutrition.

2. By trying to involve families with so many programs and activities during the week at church the families don’t have time to be families in their own homes where the real growth and practical outworking is to take place.

3. By trying to build big works to bring in people they compromise and lean towards worldly methods to build those big works.

3. By placing an emphasis on building big works they lose the concept of building “big” spiritual lives in their people.

4. By placing such an emphasis on world missions (a good thing) sometimes they forget the workplace and their own neighborhoods are the best mission fields.

5. By placing such emphasis on preacher led churches with large paid staffs the people in the pew think that the paid staff and the preacher are to the do most of the work of the ministry and not themselves thus the work suffers.

6. By seeking to distance their church services from the errors and false experiences of the charismatic churches the Baptist services have gone to the extreme where their services lack the excitement and the praise a corporate worship service should have.

7. By having so many children’s programs and children services during the main services families become separated during the main worship services so again the family suffers.

8. By placing such an emphasis on separation (a good thing today) they (especially Independent Baptist) have become somewhat legalistic and have forgotten the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free from the law.

9. By seeking to place an emphasis on sound doctrine the heart gets left out.

Now, these are a few that come to mind.  

Again, not all churches are guilty.  

Some are more infested than others.  I know this sounds negative but if we expect to be what God has called us to be then we need cleansing. I remind you – my own church has been guilty of the above and still is but we are striving to work these issues out with the aid of a preacher who is concerned for his people and the work of the ministry.

May God bless

Your disscription fits so many churches i removed (sorta)the 'baptist' from the title. :-X

I still love em' but I get frustrated.  ???

AV,
Very interesting post - I started my Christian life out as a Southern Baptist.


I would suggest a #10 - The hate of the sin is so overwhelming that the love of the sinner sometimes gets lost.

That's good to remember when I look in the mirror.

Unfortunately, those problems are alive and well in many churches, not just the Baptist churches.

Amen - you are absolutely right - I picked on Baptists because I am one and if I didn't start out with Baptist then someone would blow a gasget.  So....I've got another one coming for another problem denomination so as to get a balance here.  ;D

But yes, you are right - we (Christianity) are in a big MESS!!!!

Thanks for your response.   8)

What can we do about it?
We've gotten so seeker friendly in some churches that we are more concerned with getting new members and having bigger churches that we've forgotten how important Spiritual growth is.
I fully believe that we should always be striving to bring new people to church, but we should not present a watered down Gospel to get them to stay.
A church full of Spiritual infants is not a good thing.

The gathering together of the assembly is for building up the body. Our light shining in the world before men glorifies our Father who is in heaven.  You must always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, with humility and fear.  No one can come to Jesus unless the Father draws them.

We don't need to try to draw them to Christ.  We are called to be His witnesses at all times in all places.  Sometimes we forget our place and try to help the Father draw people to Him through our strength.

They continued steadfastly in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and prayer. (Act 2:42)

let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering; for he who promised is faithful. Let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good works, not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as you see the Day approaching. (Heb 10:23-25)

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts; and always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, with humility and fear: having a good conscience; that, while you are spoken against as evildoers, they may be disappointed who curse your good manner of life in Christ. (1Pe 3:15-16)

You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill can't be hidden. Neither do you light a lamp, and put it under a measuring basket, but on a stand; and it shines to all who are in the house. Even so, let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. (Mat 5:14-16)

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up in the last day. (Joh 6:44)

Nicely put  ;)

well if its going to be catholic i hope you dont do it like heide has ;)

funny but the catholic church doesn't have these problems. as an ex-evangelical who came to many of the same conclusions you just stated, i have found the catholic church to be surprisingly rich ground for the christian life to grow.

mike

I take it you know very little of church history  ???

actually it was my interest in church history that brought me back to the catholic church. btw you a landmark?

mike

Holy cow AV!!! I am sprawled out on the floor gasping for breath! Independent Baptist you say??? Yes, I was involved with that denomination for quite a few years. I must say I learned a lot. But everything you say is true and more. I owe a lot to the pastors that taught me while I was there. The church I was in was a teaching church, especially on Sunday night and Wednesday night. Sunday morning was always for the lost.  :)

I learned how to rightly divide about six years ago and thanks to the Baptist in depth teaching I had it all flowed and fell into place. Had I come from a Covanent background where the church is Israel and the Old Testament and the Gospels are used literally for today as doctrine for the Church, the Body of Christ, it would be very, very confusing how to make that work with Paul's epistles.

Having been revealed to Paul that the Body of Christ is separate from Israel, and never being a part of Judaism, but a new working of God makes eveything in God's Word so understandable. Jew a Gentile together, equal, on even footing, one in the Body of Christ. All must come to Christ and are forgiven because of His shed blood.

Nice post Berean_ - so true - good to see God show you the above. As mentioined I am a Baptist and love the Baptist and that is where God has shown me what little I do know.  I'm just greatly concerned that they are moving away in order to try to keep up with the others.  Not all are but many are forgetting were they came from.

Again, nice stuff - looking forward to seeing what God has shown you.

May God bless