# Calvinistic Baptist churches,who & how are they?



## Pergamum (Nov 17, 2007)

I know that ARBC and FIRE and some others exist.


Can anyone list all the Calvinistic Baptist groups out there?

Plus, where are they , what are their bounds of fellowship and what is the "flavor" of each and their good and bad points? What are the emphases that make them cluster together like they do?


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## Herald (Nov 17, 2007)

ummm...my church is Calvinistic and we're not part of any group.


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## Pergamum (Nov 18, 2007)

WHo do you run with? Who are your visiting preachers? etc.


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## bob (Nov 18, 2007)

There are a few different groups out there although I am sure that there are many that I am not aware of.

There are those that are Reformed Baptists - and I know there are a couple organized groups therein. The largest one is the Association of Reformed Baptist Churches of America (ARBCA). They typically subscribed to either the 1644 and or the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith.

There are also a group of Reformed Baptists within the Southern Baptist Denomination that typically are part of the Founders Ministries. 

There is another group of Baptist Churches that are opposed to elder rule and the degree to which the 1689ers subscribe to covent theology. These are typically known as Calvinistic Baptists or Sovereign Grace Baptists. Some within these groups subscribe to a somewhat new systematic theology referred to as "new covenant theology".

Then there are myriads of churches like the church I attend which are not part of any known association. I personally would prefer to be a part of a fellowship of churches, but we are rather isolated as a church. Our church fellowships essentially with a couple of other like minded churches, but we are not agreed in every minute aspect of theology. Our church is a work in progress, you might say, reforming as time moves along. Many of us had our roots originally established within an Arminian Baptist context.

Our church loosely subscribes to the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith and we are probably most properly described as Reformed Baptists. In the midwest, there are numerous Reformed Baptist churches and other Calvinistic Baptists that are for the most part independent.


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## Pergamum (Nov 18, 2007)

Yes, I am part of the Sovereign Grace Baptist Stream. Sadly, many are buying into the New Covenant Theology stuff of Zaspel, et al.


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## Herald (Nov 18, 2007)

Pergamum said:


> WHo do you run with? Who are your visiting preachers? etc.



We have two preachers, the pastor and myself. That's it.


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## Herald (Nov 18, 2007)

As an aside, the elders will be making recommendations to the church in the next few weeks to adopt the 1689 London Baptist Confession as our statement of faith.


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## Sonoftheday (Nov 21, 2007)

you can search the Reformed Baptist Directory for one in your area. It only has the churches that can be located on the internet though so it doesnt have all of them. Sadly only 8 show up in the whole state of OKlahoma (My home state). And the 2 closest are both 45 mins away.

I think most Ref Bapt. are independent, There is also the Founders SBC. They seem to be a pretty good denomination (or sect of a denom. im not sure which.) They include, Tom Ascoll, Phil Newton and Tom Nettles, are some names that might be recognized. I also know that they have had confrences with D.A. Carson, and Fred Malone as speakers, but I am unsure if they are related to the Denomination.

I looked into a joining an independent Soveriegn Grace Baptist in my area, but they were very legalistic and Man centered. Everytime i heard the pastor preach he preached over a different herasy that was being taught (not that there isnt a place for this) and i never seen the positive ministry of worshipping God through it.


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## KMK (Nov 21, 2007)

BaptistInCrisis said:


> As an aside, the elders will be making recommendations to the church in the next few weeks to adopt the 1689 London Baptist Confession as our statement of faith.





Are you considering ARBCA 'membership'?


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## KMK (Nov 21, 2007)

By 'Sovereign Grace Baptists' are y'all referring to this? Sovereign Grace Ministries

They appear to be Calvinistic 'Third Wave' Baptists.


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## Sonoftheday (Nov 21, 2007)

I was not, C.J. Mahaney is an excellent speaker though. I have listened to most of the pastors conferences held at John Pipers church and he was invited one year.


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## Pilgrim (Nov 21, 2007)

KMK said:


> By 'Sovereign Grace Baptists' are y'all referring to this? Sovereign Grace Ministries
> 
> They appear to be Calvinistic 'Third Wave' Baptists.



No. That's a group that was formerly known as PDI ministries and "Sovereign Grace Baptists" were around for probably 15-20 years before that group adopted that name. 

To paint with a broad brush, Reformed Baptists are Sabbatarian and Sovereign Grace Baptists are not. Some Sovereign Grace Baptists have adopted form of NCT and some have not but to the strict 1689ers they are all antinomian regardless. 

Evidently some men in FIRE are NCT to some extent and others are not.


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## Sonoftheday (Dec 3, 2007)

Founders-Friendly Churches

I found this site today, and it seems to have a lot of Reformed Baptist Churches on it.


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