# Is There Evidence of a Decline in Regenerate Church Membership?



## JM (Sep 4, 2007)

I'm interested in reading what other Baptists believe about the following statement:

Have modern Baptists come "perilously close to losing their insistence upon a regenerate church membership?" source

Thanks folks.


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## Calvibaptist (Sep 4, 2007)

Well, non-Baptists on this board would probably suggest that this is inevitable given the true nature of the New Covenant.

But, as a Baptist, I would say that the modern Baptist church (most Calvinistic groups not included) is struggling greatly and in a lot of trouble. We are large, but we are shallow. The reason can most likely be traced historically to the abandonment of church discipline that crept in slowly in the late 19th and early 20th century and just got completely ignored in the late 20th century.

The result is that a Baptist distinctive of regenerate church membership has been almost completely lost.


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## Herald (Sep 4, 2007)

Calvibaptist said:


> Well, non-Baptists on this board would probably suggest that this is inevitable given the true nature of the New Covenant.
> 
> But, as a Baptist, I would say that the modern Baptist church (most Calvinistic groups not included) is struggling greatly and in a lot of trouble. We are large, but we are shallow. The reason can most likely be traced historically to the abandonment of church discipline that crept in slowly in the late 19th and early 20th century and just got completely ignored in the late 20th century.
> 
> The result is that a Baptist distinctive of regenerate church membership has been almost completely lost.



Agreed. Thank God that some Baptist churches are taking back lost ground by implementing church discipline as a means of grace and by preaching the gospel as affecting all areas of the Christian life, not just soteriology.


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## Calvibaptist (Sep 4, 2007)

Bill, you did well in agreeing with me, your pastor. I will petition the church to have you reinstated at our next church business meeting.


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## Herald (Sep 4, 2007)

Calvibaptist said:


> Bill, you did well in agreeing with me, your pastor. I will petition the church to have you reinstated at our next church business meeting.



I didn't know I was "uninstated."


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## Calvibaptist (Sep 4, 2007)

BaptistInCrisis said:


> Calvibaptist said:
> 
> 
> > Bill, you did well in agreeing with me, your pastor. I will petition the church to have you reinstated at our next church business meeting.
> ...



It was a JOKE. You know, we were talking about the lack of discipline. You agreed, so I PRETENDED you were under discipline and trying to get back in our good graces. You know, it loses it's funniness if you have to explain it.


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## turmeric (Sep 4, 2007)

Nice save, Douglas! Keep it in the family, I say!  

See what happens when you're in Crisis?


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## Herald (Sep 5, 2007)

turmeric said:


> Nice save, Douglas! Keep it in the family, I say!
> 
> See what happens when you're in Crisis?



Meg, don't feed the animals. He'll expect it every time from now on. I hope you're happy. I'm the one who has to keep him tamed.


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## Semper Fidelis (Sep 5, 2007)

BaptistInCrisis said:


> turmeric said:
> 
> 
> > Nice save, Douglas! Keep it in the family, I say!
> ...



Bill,

Need I remind you that Doug is not an animal. He is a human being.


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## Iconoclast (Sep 5, 2007)

*very sad*

Unfortunately in the seeker friendly age we are in,at least here in America, the article does point to some disturbing trends.
Church discipline when properly administered is viewed as unloving ,and harsh. People drift off to non-confessional churches with almost no standards.
Some of these"churches" will even accept the disciplined church member willingly even if they never repent of the sin that caused them to come under excommunication.
I just started going back over the little book called Visible Saints,dealing with how the Puritans struggled with some of the same type of issues.
For sure it makes all the one anothering passages in the NT. seem even more pointed in their instruction to us,in how we seek to minister within the local body.
How we must examine ourselves first, then our motives in seeking to reach out to others.
Are we Christ centered, or self centered in our out-reach?


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## Herald (Sep 5, 2007)

SemperFideles said:


> BaptistInCrisis said:
> 
> 
> > turmeric said:
> ...



Yeah...so I've read. But if you only knew the truth....


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## Herald (Sep 5, 2007)

SemperFideles said:


> BaptistInCrisis said:
> 
> 
> > turmeric said:
> ...



Rich - need I remind you of this?







Yes. That's Doug.

Note the cheesy choir robe.


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## Calvibaptist (Sep 5, 2007)

BaptistInCrisis said:


> SemperFideles said:
> 
> 
> > BaptistInCrisis said:
> ...



First of all, thanks, Rich, for your compassion. I am a human being!

Second of all, Bill, get it right. That is not a choir robe. It is the robe I wore for graduation from the University of Maryland. Fear the Turtle!


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