# Reformed Credo-Baptist Denominations.



## Quatchu

I know many on here will think "reformed credo-baptist" a oxymoron so please bare with me. Do there tend to be any denominations that hold to the credo position and are reformed, the only one I can really think of is the ARBCA, besides that are there any credo denominations remotely reformed? I know SBC and others have reformed credo's in the mix.


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## KMK

Congregationalists/Baptists don't do 'denominations'. Some of them allow for 'associations' (like ARBCA) and some don't. That is why you find few RB associations and absolutely no denominations. See founders.org for RB churches within SBC.


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## LawrenceU

Some would say that Sovereign Grace Ministries, think C.J. Mahaney, would fit that bill. They are Calvinistic, but not really reformed. They are definitely a denomination.


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## JonathanHunt

I think I'd agree with that, Lawrence. Definately credobaptist, probably a denomination... but I'm not sure just how strict the centralised authority is...?


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## PuritanCovenanter

The Free Prebyterian Church hold to both credo and paedo baptism.....

From their Articles of Faith....

Free Presbyterian Church - FPC Articles of Faith



> 6. God has appointed besides the Word and Prayer the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper.
> 
> 6a. Baptism -- The Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster, under Christ the Great King and Head of the Church, Realizing that bitter controversy raging around the mode and proper subjects of the ordinance of Christian baptism has divided the Body of Christ when that Body should have been united in Christian love and Holy Ghost power to stem the onslaughts and hell-inspired assaults of modernism, hereby affirms that each member of the Free Presbyterian Church shall have liberty to decide for himself which course to adopt on these controverted issues, each member giving due honor in love to the views held by differing brethren, but none espousing the error of baptismal regeneration.


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## Quatchu

Interesting about the FPC. Do they have a presence in NA, from there website they seemed to only be in Ireland and the UK?


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## PuritanCovenanter

Free Presbyterian Church of North America - Separated Unto The Gospel

They are in North America also. One of the best men I have ever known is a member of this fine denomination. 

Free Presbyterian Church of North America - Home


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## lynnie

The Bible Fellowship churches:

Articles of Faith


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## KMK

LawrenceU said:


> Some would say that Sovereign Grace Ministries, think C.J. Mahaney, would fit that bill. They are Calvinistic, but not really reformed. They are definitely a denomination.


 
I would be one of those that would say SGM is Calvinistic and 'baptistic', but not 'Reformed Baptist'. But I understand what you are getting at.


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## Pilgrim

There is the Fellowship of Reformed Evangelicals (FIRE) as well.


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## Quatchu

Thanks everyone. I find the more and more I study the more I find myself holding to very Presbyterian ideas, sacraments, polity and basically everything else. Yet I'am still very firm in my credo convictions. In fact if it was not for that one thing I would go Presbyterian in a heartbeat.


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## Micah Everett

Quatchu said:


> Thanks everyone. I find the more and more I study the more I find myself holding to very Presbyterian ideas, sacraments, polity and basically everything else. Yet I'am still very firm in my credo convictions. In fact if it was not for that one thing I would go Presbyterian in a heartbeat.



There are lots of folks in that boat, I would wager. Some of us, after much prayer and study, finally "took the plunge." (That expression really doesn't work here, does it?)


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## KMK

Quatchu said:


> Thanks everyone. I find the more and more I study the more I find myself holding to very Presbyterian ideas, sacraments, polity and basically everything else. Yet I'am still very firm in my credo convictions. In fact if it was not for that one thing I would go Presbyterian in a heartbeat.


 
Worse things could happen!


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## Curt

Quatchu said:


> Thanks everyone. I find the more and more I study the more I find myself holding to very Presbyterian ideas, sacraments, polity and basically everything else. Yet I'am still very firm in my credo convictions. In fact if it was not for that one thing I would go Presbyterian in a heartbeat.



As someone who is Presbyterian in belief and serving a Baptist congregation, I can eel your pain (well, it's not really a lot of pain). The man who originally asked me to candidate for this congregation, in response to my statement, "but I'm not a Baptist," said, "They need a pastor more than they need a Baptist."


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## LawrenceU

Curt said:


> Quatchu said:
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks everyone. I find the more and more I study the more I find myself holding to very Presbyterian ideas, sacraments, polity and basically everything else. Yet I'am still very firm in my credo convictions. In fact if it was not for that one thing I would go Presbyterian in a heartbeat.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> As someone who is Presbyterian in belief and serving a Baptist congregation, I can eel your pain (well, it's not really a lot of pain). The man who originally asked me to candidate for this congregation, in response to my statement, "but I'm not a Baptist," said, "They need a pastor more than they need a Baptist."
Click to expand...

 
That is precisely the same reasoning that led me to an Assembly of God congregation. I was there five years. It was a time of great blessing and trial. Sometimes the Lord will cause us to see just how big and different his Body really is.


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## PuritanCovenanter

Quatchu said:


> Thanks everyone. I find the more and more I study the more I find myself holding to very Presbyterian ideas, sacraments, polity and basically everything else. Yet I'am still very firm in my credo convictions. In fact if it was not for that one thing I would go Presbyterian in a heartbeat.



Me too Justin.


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## tcalbrecht

LawrenceU said:


> Some would say that Sovereign Grace Ministries, think C.J. Mahaney, would fit that bill. They are Calvinistic, but not really reformed. They are definitely a denomination.



I would not call SGM a denomination. The individual congregations are all independent of one another. There are no ecclesiastical gatherings/courts/bodies above the local church. There appears to be little if any accountability among the local churches. 

They have a quirky polity which makes them ripe for abuse. They are neither congregational nor presbyterial. E.g., the congregation has no say in choosing its leadership. Pastors == elders who are not chosen by the congregation. 

Then there is the SGM national leadership which looks to be run more like a business model than having a true ecclesiastical relationship to the churches. When it comes to “denominational” matters, what CJ and the top team says pretty much goes. Are they even considered “pastors” any longer?


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## torstar

Micah Everett said:


> Quatchu said:
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks everyone. I find the more and more I study the more I find myself holding to very Presbyterian ideas, sacraments, polity and basically everything else. Yet I'am still very firm in my credo convictions. In fact if it was not for that one thing I would go Presbyterian in a heartbeat.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> There are lots of folks in that boat, I would wager. Some of us, after much prayer and study, finally "took the plunge." (That expression really doesn't work here, does it?)
Click to expand...

 


Acceptance of the distinctives in the sacraments wasn't even a 2 second thought for the conversion to a confessional Truly Reformed faith.


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## C. M. Sheffield

Quatchu said:


> In fact if it was not for that one thing I would go Presbyterian in a heartbeat.



This fact has often led me to appreciate those few denominations and associations which make allowance for both views. I'm aware of all the problems associated with this concept, believe me, I am. But O how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. My heart longs for it. And this adds ferver to my hope of heaven. 

I love my Reformed paedobaptist brethren so that it pains me to think that we can not abide under one proverbial roof. But it is an unfortunate reality of the present age.


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## ericfromcowtown

PuritanCovenanter said:


> The Free Prebyterian Church hold to both credo and paedo baptism.....
> 
> From their Articles of Faith....
> 
> Free Presbyterian Church - FPC Articles of Faith
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 6. God has appointed besides the Word and Prayer the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper.
> 
> 6a. Baptism -- The Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster, under Christ the Great King and Head of the Church, Realizing that bitter controversy raging around the mode and proper subjects of the ordinance of Christian baptism has divided the Body of Christ when that Body should have been united in Christian love and Holy Ghost power to stem the onslaughts and hell-inspired assaults of modernism, hereby affirms that each member of the Free Presbyterian Church shall have liberty to decide for himself which course to adopt on these controverted issues, each member giving due honor in love to the views held by differing brethren, but none espousing the error of baptismal regeneration.
Click to expand...


A member of our church had been with the Free Presbyterian Church (there's one in Calgary, Alberta). I can't remember if it was from speaking with him, or from an old post on the PB, but my understanding was that although the Free Presbyterians as a denomination allow for both credo and paedo positions, each congregation is effectively one or the other.


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## Matthias

ericfromcowtown said:


> A member of our church had been with the Free Presbyterian Church (there's one in Calgary, Alberta). I can't remember if it was from speaking with him, or from an old post on the PB, but my understanding was that although the Free Presbyterians as a denomination allow for both credo and paedo positions, each congregation is effectively one or the other.



I attend the Penticton FPC here in British Columbia. Each congregation is not effectively one or the other, each congregation is composed of brethren that differ on the matter. Im not 100% sure but I think my congregation is about 50-50 split on the issue. (If I had to guess) The percentages of credo vs paedobaptists would differ from congregation to congregation, but it my understanding that it is rare to find a FPC congregation that is 100% one way or the other.


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## ericfromcowtown

Matthias said:


> ericfromcowtown said:
> 
> 
> 
> A member of our church had been with the Free Presbyterian Church (there's one in Calgary, Alberta). I can't remember if it was from speaking with him, or from an old post on the PB, but my understanding was that although the Free Presbyterians as a denomination allow for both credo and paedo positions, each congregation is effectively one or the other.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I attend the Penticton FPC here in British Columbia. Each congregation is not effectively one or the other, each congregation is composed of brethren that differ on the matter. Im not 100% sure but I think my congregation is about 50-50 split on the issue. (If I had to guess) The percentages of credo vs paedobaptists would differ from congregation to congregation, but it my understanding that it is rare to find a FPC congregation that is 100% one way or the other.
Click to expand...

 
Thank you for the clarification.


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## Matthias

ericfromcowtown said:


> Thank you for the clarification.



No prob


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## Herald

Justin,

In trying to answer the specifics of your question, there short answer is that there are no Reformed denominations that are credobaptist-_only_. Randy mentioned the F.C.S. While they allow for credobaptist belief they are not credobaptist-only. SGM churches are credobaptist but they are not Reformed. Baptist churches are not a denomination because of their independent polity. This includes all ARBCA member churches.


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## Jeffriesw

Micah Everett said:


> Quatchu said:
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks everyone. I find the more and more I study the more I find myself holding to very Presbyterian ideas, sacraments, polity and basically everything else. Yet I'am still very firm in my credo convictions. In fact if it was not for that one thing I would go Presbyterian in a heartbeat.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> There are lots of folks in that boat, I would wager. Some of us, after much prayer and study, finally "took the plunge." (That expression really doesn't work here, does it?)
Click to expand...


I am also in the same boat so to speak, I am in the middle of study and prayer and finding out I was not near as solid in my baptistic convictions as I thought I was, I was more there by default. (Does that make sense?)


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## kodos

Same here - I was once strongly in the credo-baptist position, but ever since I saw how Reformed churches get so much else right, I started studying covenant theology, etc. Now I find myself defending the paedo-baptist position and find that I will probably be making the move to a PCA church.

We also like the way that Reformed churches treat the family unit as a .. unit.


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## Christopher88

Quatchu said:


> Thanks everyone. I find the more and more I study the more I find myself holding to very Presbyterian ideas, sacraments, polity and basically everything else. Yet I'am still very firm in my credo convictions. In fact if it was not for that one thing I would go Presbyterian in a heartbeat.



Brother just three months ago I was a Credo guy my self. So I spoke with my Pastor (PCA Pastor) on this issue I had. He made some wise and thought provoking statements that helped me see predo as a biblical stance. If you want to talk about this with a former credo only guy, just send me a message.


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## beej6

I have heard of one Reformed church which also accepts either scruple with regards to baptism, non denominational I think (which leads me to believe it started out as Baptist but don't quote me).


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## Quatchu

Its great to see that I'am not alone in these feelings. For along time I did not for the life of me understand the paedo position but back in September I heard R.C. Sprouls defence of it and I finnally understood. I found myself really seeing how people can believe in the paedo side, and I find that i even defend it when talking with other baptists. My entire Christian walk the one thing that Ive struggles with is baptism. Part of me wants to go paedo because I see a certain beauty and symmetry with the position and I feel it really intertwines with scripture, but I want my reasons to be God and not because it sounds good too me. Also although Ive been convinced that the paedo position could be legitimate,I have not felt completely unconvinced of the credo side of things. Before becoming reformed I felt a call to ministry and I still feel equally if not more convinced of my calling, If it was not for this call I would normally attend a Presbyterian Church and still remain credo, but I feel that I need to set straight my views on baptism and its turning out not to be too simple.


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