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leavingtheSBC
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| First Name: | Josh | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | I was raised Southern Baptist and was on the journey ... |
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Posted: Mon Dec 10th, 2007 08:03 pm |
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Some of you may already know my story. I am a Catholic convert who struggles with committment. I joined the Catholic church in 2005. However, I have went back and forth from my old Southern Baptist church to the Roman Catholic Church.
However, God has closed the door for me ever to go back to New Bethel Baptist. I know this is a good thing. After all, I need to be in the Mother church...she is the only church of Jesus Christ. However, it is so difficult to say goodbye.
Over the past few months New Bethel has changed greatly. They are destorying their traditions, taking out the pulpit, taking out the hymns, getting ride of the choir. I tried to stop this from happening. They didn't listen to me though. They are under the leadership of a pastor that only cares about growth. He never goes and visits the sick or prays for the needy. Instead, he goes out trying to get more people to come to the church. They have pushed out the elders (the ones that have stayed are brainwashed) and are becoming a totally new church.
This has taught me the importance of a bishop. This really hurts and I need someone to talk to. I know that a Protestant church is not the TRUE church. Yet it hurts to see this church be destroyed. Does anyone else out there deal with us, or have you delt with it at all? Thanks!
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Esther
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| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Bronx, New York USA |
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| First Name: | Esther | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Southern Baptist to Roman Catholic 11/26/06 |
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Posted: Mon Dec 10th, 2007 09:19 pm |
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leavingtheSBC wrote: Does anyone else out there deal with us, or have you delt with it at all? Thanks!
Unfortunately I have been through a church split. My former pastor put it this way, "The Southern Baptist Convention is going through a face life". They are becoming more and more like non-denom churches. Less traditional and more contemporary. Verging on becoming entertainment sessions instead of worship services. Numbers seem to be the way they quantify their quality as a church instead of the people and the fruits of their labor. But I would bet, you already know all of this, and have had similar experiences and thoughts.
More importantly, we do know your pain of leaving a church family. how I dealt with it was many, many tears, lots of prayers, and living in God's peace. I tried to ignore God's call to His Church, and I has no peace. I was in a state of crisis all of the time. It wasn't easy when I finally made the decision and stuck with it, it hurt a lot, but I was able to breathe. I had rest. Most importantly I abided in quite peace. It was lonely for a long time, but God used that time to grow me. I am so thankful for the friends and parish family I have now.
Josh I will be praying for you. I will specifically be praying for you to experience peace abiding in the truth of the Church.
May God bless you in coming home this Advent season!!
Esther
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Esther
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| First Name: | Esther | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Southern Baptist to Roman Catholic 11/26/06 |
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Posted: Mon Dec 10th, 2007 09:22 pm |
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I forgot the most important thing that helped me through that time... adoration!! It was like the eye of a hurricane, absolutely quiet when the rest of the world seemed to be going crazy. Go sit with Jesus for a while 
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Intercessor
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Posted: Mon Dec 10th, 2007 09:48 pm |
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leavingtheSBC wrote:
Some of you may already know my story. I am a Catholic convert who struggles with committment. I joined the Catholic church in 2005. However, I have went back and forth from my old Southern Baptist church to the Roman Catholic Church.
Hi, Josh, I remember you. I have been reading this Forum a long time. If you have been reading it as well, you may know that I spent fifty-eight years as a Southern Baptist.
However, God has closed the door for me ever to go back to New Bethel Baptist. I know this is a good thing. After all, I need to be in the Mother church...she is the only church of Jesus Christ. However, it is so difficult to say goodbye.
Perhaps you will be willing to read my post on Detachment. CLICK HERE.
Maybe the Lord thought you needed a bit of a push to move away from the group that is no longer yours and to embrace the Church to whom you professed public allegiance. (God has certainly had to kick me in the behind once or twice to get me moving in the right direction. )
Over the past few months New Bethel has changed greatly. They are destorying their traditions, taking out the pulpit, taking out the hymns, getting ride of the choir.
I hear you, brother. I was wailing this same tune about seven years ago when it happened at my church. We almost had a church split over it; many members left. The senior adults had a particularly hard time adjusting. Some of them slipped into bitterness and resentfulness and angry rebellion against the leadership.
They are under the leadership of a pastor that only cares about growth
Most SBC churches have a Minister of Education or someone else whose job it is to head up discipleship of current members. The senior pastor can't possibly do everything.
. . .Instead, he goes out trying to get more people to come to the church.
Well, I think that's the general idea of Christianity--bringing them in.
He never goes and visits the sick or prays for the needy.
This is the responsibility of the deacons and other church members and of associate pastors, if they exist. And, to be fair, Josh, it is very hard to know everything that a pastor does. My pastor-father used to get phone calls in the wee hours from distraught parents or from a distraught couple with marital problems. Nobody else in the congregation knew that he lost sleep over helping those persons who didn't wait until the next morning to contact him. Pastors don't typically broadcast reports of all the persons they've visited or comforted. Only the Lord knows persons and groups included in their private prayers.
They have pushed out the elders (the ones that have stayed are brainwashed) and are becoming a totally new church.
Baptists like to vote. They like to have a say. Folks also resist change. I decided I didn't need to have a say or a vote on everything. Management was more effectively handled by a capable leadership team. My time was better spent on visiting the sick, prayer, study, teaching, and encouraging the pastors. I wasn't born knowing that, Josh. An older gentleman had a conversation with me in the church parking lot one evening and shared that he had come to that conclusion about himself. After thinking about it, I decided he was right.
Yet it hurts to see this church be destroyed.
Josh, check back in two years and see how things are going. My former church is doing very well indeed. Yours probably will be also.
I tried to stop this from happening. They didn't listen to me though. . . .This has taught me the importance of a bishop.
Josh, I had to learn some things about humility and authority. The Holy Spirit warned me against having any part at all in the angry, bitter rebellion against the pastor who brought in all the changes. He was, after all, the duly elected leader, the one God was holding responsible as the shepherd of that flock, and he was consistently blessing the congregation with meaty sermons from the Word of God. I refused to allow any criticism of him or his policies in the Sunday School class I taught, and I made a point of being cordial to him and of praying for him. (though I sometimes thought I would scream if I had to sing "I Could Sing of His Love Forever" one more time  )
When the next round of pastors came in, I decided to humble myself and fully support them as leaders (though most were my son's age). God was at work, even then, preparing me to become a Catholic. We former Baptists have some heart-changing to do before we can become good Catholics. It's an attitude of community and cooperation, respect for and obedience to the leaders, humility before others. I had a great deal of changing to do, Josh. Oh, it has been so good for me! And, of course, I'm still working on it.
I hope you have a great confessor. Ask his guidance in learning to become the best Catholic you can be. Let go of the old life. Set your eyes on Jesus and seek the graces of the sacraments as He transforms you. It's time to focus on personal holiness and serving others and humbly following Church authority. That's our job now-- along with offering praise and thanks that we are now in the Catholic Church, of course.
May Mary lead you.
BeckyLast edited on Tue Dec 11th, 2007 02:03 am by Intercessor
____________________
Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials. . .the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Blessed is the man who perseveres in temptation, for when he has been proved he will receive the crown of life. . . NAB James 1:2-4,12
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EMarshallBuckles
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| Location: | Rockville (Near Richmond), Virginia USA |
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| First Name: | Marshall | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Christian Church,Episcopal Church,Baptist denomination,learning about RCC |
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Posted: Tue Dec 11th, 2007 05:04 am |
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Hi Josh! I have gone through something very similar to your experience. Frankly, the Southern Baptist Convention was on a liberal track, in the '70s, and I thought surely, and sadly, that the more conservative people would be driven out by the more liberal people. However, "the worm turned", so to speak, and the conservatives took over. The more liberal Baptists whined and griped and then founded what they say is not a denomination but it really is - the so called Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. Here in Virginia, our Baptists split into the Baptist General Fellowship of Virginia and the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia [note to our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters and others - in the Baptist denomination, the local church is autonomous and associates with other churches at the local, state and national level to do missions and so forth, the President of the Southern Baptist Convention and President of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship are not "Baptist Popes" but, instead, are presiding officials over the national annual meetings and have some appointive powers]. Anyway, both groups are trying to compete with each other and also need to try to build themselves up since both have lost members. The Cooperative Baptists also are sort of "nebulous" in their beliefs arguing that it is a Baptist imperative to not be told what to believe, if you can figure that out - it says to me that they are probably headed down the same path the Episcopalians have gone but just aren't as far along as the Episcopalians have gone yet. On the other hand, the Southern Baptist Convention and Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia DO feel that one can be told what to believe IF one wishes to be part of them. At least they do stand for something. And, yes, there is a move to cause churches to become "git down boogie trendier than thou" sorts of churches and to develop so called "mega churches" where you can anonomously attend as long as you don't forget to send in your tithe. Some people would also like to bring so called pentacostalism into the Baptist churches which would result in people running around saying stuff nobody can understand and they can't understand either and to get into the waving and being "slain in the spirit" and all that although that has not gotten anywhere near as far along in the Baptist denominations as it has in some other denominations. I think that we will eventually see the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and the Southern Baptist Convention totally split off from each other. I think that other denominatons will also experience schisms. We may see some people changing denominations at greater rates. Perhaps some will end up as Roman Catholics. No matter what happens, however, God can still work in people's lives and will do so in order to bring them to Himself, to faith in Christ. Anyway, I would suggest that you read the various postings here and leave yourself open to what some of these good people have to say as well as ask them questions as you feel the need. I have really been enjoying these forums and think that you will too. May God bless and guide you!
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Esther
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Posted: Tue Dec 11th, 2007 10:38 am |
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EMarshallBuckles wrote: Some people would also like to bring so called pentacostalism into the Baptist churches which would result in people running around saying stuff nobody can understand and they can't understand either and to get into the waving and being "slain in the spirit" and all that although that has not gotten anywhere near as far along in the Baptist denominations as it has in some other denominations.
I couldn't help but giggle at that, I remember when it was a huge deal that people were raising their hands during praise and worship. Some of the elders were freaking over the "charismatics" in the church.  Although the parish I attend is even more subdue during the services I really don't think anyone would give a hoot if I raised my hands in praise or not. As long as I didn't block the isle when the Mass was over. 
Intersessor wrote:
We former Baptists have some heart-changing to do before we can become good Catholics. It's an attitude of community and cooperation, respect for and obedience to the leaders, humility before others. I had a great deal of changing to do
Becky- this is so true. This is one of the areas I need to grow the most. Very well put. I never really could put my finger on it, but well said.
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CajunRick
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Posted: Tue Dec 11th, 2007 12:20 pm |
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Esther wrote: As long as I didn't block the isle when the Mass was over.
Blocking the aisles at the end of mass is not a problem in most Catholic churches. You will simply be (lovingly and charitably) knocked out of the way.
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Intercessor
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Posted: Tue Dec 11th, 2007 03:14 pm |
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Esther wrote:
Intercessor wrote:
We former Baptists have some heart-changing to do before we can become good Catholics. It's an attitude of community and cooperation, respect for and obedience to the leaders, humility before others. I had a great deal of changing to do
Becky- this is so true. This is one of the areas I need to grow the most. Very well put. I never really could put my finger on it, but well said.
An old writer's trick---tell the complete truth about yourself and you're bound to describe some readers as well.
Edited to fix formatting.Last edited on Wed Dec 12th, 2007 08:11 am by
____________________
Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials. . .the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Blessed is the man who perseveres in temptation, for when he has been proved he will receive the crown of life. . . NAB James 1:2-4,12
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Pani Rose
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Posted: Tue Dec 11th, 2007 04:40 pm |
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But, look at the hunger that you all bring. There is a emptiness that cannot be filled with anything but Jesus Christ and the fullness of his Church, that is what it gives to you. But, to us who have been here and - we sometimes do fit the 'frozen chosen' - you bring a disatisfaction with the status quo. Maybe it was last night on Journey Home, she brought out about wanting to more - the more is satisfied for her with Jesus in the Eucharist - and she is satisfied. But, (I love the But's today) we leak! Scripture says we are 'earthen vessels' for that reason we need more. You guys bring the more with you. You bring a hunger for the Word of God and our Lord wants to feed us day and night. We can't always go to the Eucharist or Adoration, but we can always go to the Word in reading and prayer. God is good! Keep it up and come on in! The water is fine 
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Intercessor
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Posted: Tue Dec 11th, 2007 06:20 pm |
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I'm not sure I can explain what I want to say, but I'll try.
For me, there is indeed a sense of finally having found what I had been craving for decades (Jesus in the Eucharist).
As for feeling satisfied, the closest I come now is a celebration of the Mass in which I receive the Lord, followed immediately by a long, long period of Adoration before the exposed Blessed Sacrament.
Even then, however, I am never ready to leave Him. Even while I am still there gazing upon Him while He gazes upon me, there is now a painful groaning in my spirit, a powerful longing to be one with Him, to achieve full union with God. The lack of it is so distressing and so overwhelming sometimes that I am anything but satisfied.
The closer we get to God, the more intolerable it is that we have not yet achieved complete conformity to His will and complete union with Him.
This post could be included in the thread on Carmelite spirituality and also in the thread on Journey Home. However, it also fits here because it shows that the path into the Catholic Church does not necessarily bring a feeling of being satisfied and complete. It does, of course, take us toward the goal of union with God.
Last edited on Tue Dec 11th, 2007 07:11 pm by Intercessor
____________________
Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials. . .the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Blessed is the man who perseveres in temptation, for when he has been proved he will receive the crown of life. . . NAB James 1:2-4,12
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EMarshallBuckles
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Posted: Tue Dec 11th, 2007 07:09 pm |
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| I found what Becky said very touching. In many Baptist churches and churches of other denominations I could mention, if you block the aisle, after the service, you might get trampled by those trying to make it out to the restaurants (I figure that's why many Episcopal Churches hold 10 AM services, so they can beat the Baptists to the restaurants, ha, ha). I remember in some Baptist Sunday School classes I attended, they were always more concerned about getting coffee and doughnuts and in having social conversations than they were about the lesson - often the lesson was an afterthought (Gee, it's getting late! Let's talk about the Bible for a few minutes before we leave!). Then getting to the sanctuary (called an "auditorium" in some churches) was a matter of running the obstacle course of chatting Baptists, continuing to talk in the halls before finally dawdling into the service. When I joined the Episcopal Church, back in the mid '70s (WAY, WAY, BACK IN THE DAY, MANY, MANY MOONS AGO - Marshall winks at Rick if he reads this, ha, ha), my Rector (Priest in charge of the Parish) had been a Baptist, raised in a Baptist home and attended a Baptist college. However, he had become an Episcopalian because he hungered to spend time worshipping the Lord instead of being, as he put it, "a back slapping Baptist". I mean, Christian fellowship is a wonderful thing, however, it can be carried too far to the point that worship becomes an afterthought - "oh yeah, we better have a prayer and some scripture and a few words from the Pastor before we head for the restaurants!" I have sat in Christian Church and Baptist Church sacturaries, trying to pray before the service but finally had to give it up and wait until the service started to get back into a reverent mood after asking God to forgive me for my irritation with my fellow Christians.
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EMarshallBuckles
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Posted: Tue Dec 11th, 2007 07:25 pm |
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Esther wrote: EMarshallBuckles wrote: Some people would also like to bring so called pentacostalism into the Baptist churches which would result in people running around saying stuff nobody can understand and they can't understand either and to get into the waving and being "slain in the spirit" and all that although that has not gotten anywhere near as far along in the Baptist denominations as it has in some other denominations.
I couldn't help but giggle at that, I remember when it was a huge deal that people were raising their hands during praise and worship. Some of the elders were freaking over the "charismatics" in the church. Although the parish I attend is even more subdue during the services I really don't think anyone would give a hoot if I raised my hands in praise or not. As long as I didn't block the isle when the Mass was over.
My sister, who is a member of an independent Christian Church where some members have tried to get into that sort of thing, calls it "hailing the heavenly taxi cab!" Ha, ha! Actually, I don't care if somebody waves their hand during hymn singing and worship. Occasionally I have attended churches where they have an "Amen" corner with comments from the congregation and felt gently amused by that. I have just felt that when people get into the - what is it called - "glossolia" or "heavenly, gutteral utterances" that they are getting into an area of ,I guess you'd say "pridefulness", so to speak. In the Biblical stories, when people talked in tongues, I believe that they actually spoke another, understandable (by a native speaker) language which they had not previously studied and proclaimed the Gospel in it. If a congregation wants to get into "talking in tongues" and the like, I guess it has to be between them and God, I just don't see the need and don't feel comfortable with it so I will be worshiping elsewhere leaving them to exercise their religious rights in peace without me. By the way, I heard tell of a Tennessee preacher who would really get going, screaming and shouting and then who would jump over his pulpit and land on the floor in front of his congregation to make his final, emphatic point. However, one day, he was said to have misjudged his jump and the toes of his shoes caught on the edge of the pulpit which caused him to straighten in his upward trajectory whereupon his head was hit by the ceiling fan above him and he fell down, smacking the pulpit with his whole body and landing in a heap on the floor. I heard he stopped doing the jumps after that. Oh well! Last edited on Tue Dec 11th, 2007 07:33 pm by EMarshallBuckles
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EMarshallBuckles
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Posted: Tue Dec 11th, 2007 07:56 pm |
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| However, to get back on track before Rick sees this, Josh, at the Baptist church of which I am a member (http://www.fbcrichmond.org), a couple of years ago, I volunteered to serve on a committee dealing with denominatonal relations. It turned out that those running the committee had a hidden agenda to take the church over totally into the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. I advocated maintaining the current balance between the Southern Baptist Convention and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. Well, you would have thought I had advocated Marian devotion and swearing fanatical allegiance to the Pope. The Pastor "kicked me off" the committee. I was a bit peeved, so I told the Board of Deacons what had happened and also ratted them out to the Southern Baptist national leaders. Although I was no longer on the committee, they ended up doing what I had suggested. The Pastor, who was getting on in years and whom I still respect, nevertheless, decided to retire although I don't know if what I did had anything to do with it. Right now the church is around $100,000 "in the hole" in their annual budget, as they continue to look for a new Pastor (please pray for them) and a couple of the Associate Pastors have gone elsewhere and so have some staff members as I recall (I had nothing whatsoever to do with that). Anyway, at this point, it is totally unclear what direction the church will take, whether they will become liberal or conservative, and so forth. My wife, daughter (age 15), and I (age "geezer" ) have visited some other churches, some of other denominations, as well as occasionally showing up at our current church - we may at some point visit a Roman Catholic Church although my Baptist wife kind of has problems with that idea. I watch EWTN a lot which is how I ended up here on these forums (hey folks, you can blame EWTN and the Journey Home program for me being here,ha, ha). It is just a sort of "in between time" so to speak. So, all this by way of saying, yeah, I can relate to how you feel, to what you are going through. I guess that all we can do is to pray for each other. Oh, by the way, I have a twin brother (I'm his "evil twin", ha, ha - just kidding) who has been a Roman Catholic since back in the early '80s and Pope John II (the GREAT as I think of him) was one of my heroes (I loved him and cried when he died, however, he nobly showed me the way to handle death when I go through it some day) so I sort of was attracted to the Roman Catholic Church before ever seeing EWTN and have always thought very highly of my dear Roman Catholic brothers and sisters, greatly respecting them and the Church, no matter how I may tease them here. Who knows? Maybe I will eventually jump in the Tiber for a swim to the other side, however, I guess I will picnic at the water side for a while before making that decision. To borrow the words of Churchill, I am sort of like a "flying buttress", supporting the Catholic Church from the outside for the time being. Oh well, hope this appeases Rick! May God bless him and you and all here!
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Prayerie Pal
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Posted: Tue Dec 11th, 2007 10:13 pm |
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The closer we get to God, the more intolerable it is that we have not yet achieved complete conformity to His will and complete union with Him.
That is simply the most poignant, powerful and profound thing I've read today.
this isn't a "shocked" emoticon as it is just wide-eyed wonder.
TRUE.
____________________
God gave us memory so we could have roses in winter.
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Pani Rose
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Posted: Wed Dec 12th, 2007 01:17 am |
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Prayerie Pal wrote: The closer we get to God, the more intolerable it is that we have not yet achieved complete conformity to His will and complete union with Him.
That is simply the most poignant, powerful and profound thing I've read today.
this isn't a "shocked" emoticon as it is just wide-eyed wonder.
TRUE.
AMEN! The old Southen Baptist in me still jumps out. AMEN!
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Intercessor
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Posted: Wed Dec 12th, 2007 02:08 am |
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from Becky:
The closer we get to God, the more intolerable it is that we have not yet achieved complete conformity to His will and complete union with Him.
from Susie:
That is simply the most poignant, powerful and profound thing I've read today.
this isn't a "shocked" emoticon as it is just wide-eyed wonder.
from Rose:
AMEN! The old Southen Baptist in me still jumps out. AMEN!
Although I was giving an account of my personal experience, I am indebted to David Emery for directing me to the teachings of St. John of the Cross and for helping me to understand and apply them.
____________________
Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials. . .the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Blessed is the man who perseveres in temptation, for when he has been proved he will receive the crown of life. . . NAB James 1:2-4,12
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Prayerie Pal
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Posted: Wed Dec 12th, 2007 07:43 am |
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Although I was giving an account of my personal experience, I am indebted to David Emery for directing me to the teachings of St. John of the Cross and for helping me to understand and apply them.
Okay, this is sorta spooky. I'm listening to Fr. Charles O'Connor at this moment while checking emails and this forum. He just now started talking about St John of the Cross. I was just reading your words about David Emery directing you to the readings of St John of the Cross. When I started watching the t.v.show,again I heard 'St JoftheC and saw something yesterday about St JoftheC and have been thinking of Carmelites and St JoftheC was on my mind. Things like this happen to me often of late. I think about a word or a Saint and before I know it, I hear that word or see that Saint all over the place. Guess God is trying to tell me to ponder this Holy man and having just read Interior Castle by St. Teresa of Avila...something is telling that perhaps Carmelite is where I need to next pursue and discern that order to become an oblate and find my 'home'...? I thought it was Benedictine monastery, but I've always been drawn to Carmelites and their spirituality. Hm, maybe I should start a new thread.
Last edited on Wed Dec 12th, 2007 07:47 am by Prayerie Pal
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God gave us memory so we could have roses in winter.
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EMarshallBuckles
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| Joined: | Mon Nov 19th, 2007 |
| Location: | Rockville (Near Richmond), Virginia USA |
| Posts: | 675 |
| First Name: | Marshall | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Christian Church,Episcopal Church,Baptist denomination,learning about RCC |
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Posted: Wed Dec 12th, 2007 06:02 pm |
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| I understand about experiences like that. Last night, I had on, via DirecTV, the XM radio station "Classical Christmas Music", just to have music on in the background while surfing the net and reading posts here. Anyway, when I started to read the post about Mary and theology related to her, at that very same time, XM started to play Ave Maria and some other songs related to Mary. Who knows? Maybe she arranged for some appropriate background music while I read about her! Anyway, it was a nice experience!
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Prayerie Pal
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| Joined: | Sat Mar 24th, 2007 |
| Location: | Omaha, Nebraska USA |
| Posts: | 254 |
| First Name: | susie | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Presbyterian,Methodist, Charismatic Catholic, Pentecostal, Evangelical, and now Truly Catholic |
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Posted: Wed Dec 12th, 2007 06:31 pm |
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Who knows? Maybe she arranged for some appropriate background music while I read about her!
I think you're right. How sweet of Our Lady! She is such a dear Mama! She blesses her sons and daughters with such tender sweetness even down to minute details such as soothing music. Don't you just love her?!
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God gave us memory so we could have roses in winter.
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Intercessor
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| Joined: | Tue Sep 25th, 2007 |
| Location: | Southcentral, Kentucky USA |
| Posts: | 1446 |
| First Name: | Becky | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Southern Baptist, Catholic |
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Posted: Wed Dec 12th, 2007 06:46 pm |
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Susie, I put my response in your new thread which can be found by clicking below:
Susie's new thread on oblates and spiritual discernment/spiritual direction
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Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials. . .the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Blessed is the man who perseveres in temptation, for when he has been proved he will receive the crown of life. . . NAB James 1:2-4,12
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leavingtheSBC
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| Joined: | Sun Apr 29th, 2007 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 21 |
| First Name: | Josh | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | I was raised Southern Baptist and was on the journey ... |
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Posted: Fri Dec 14th, 2007 02:07 am |
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Thank you so much for your reply. Most of you understand what I am trying to say. However, I believe that some of you think I am trying to control my former church, New Bethel. This is simply untrue. I have no right to take control of anything.
However, we are allowed to share our opinions. Another thing we might need to remember...New Bethel is not a Roman Catholic Church of course. In the Protestant setting everyone is entitled to speak up and vote. Yet New Bethel has been taken over by a new group of Christians...these people have pushed out the former members. It's not about anger or hate. These people literally have no say any longer. They are watching their traditions fade away. This has revealed a weakness. A church should not be ran by politics. In the end, voting can bring unwanted results.
This pastor has brought in his own cult. They vote the way he tells them to vote. The old members which built the very church have no say. In the end, the system of voting has caused them to loose their church.
I would never try to control a congregation. However, I believe that God has given us mouths and hearts. When I see this church take out all of their tradtions...i am greatly afraid for their future. I don't believe that they will be successful. Sure, they may grow in numbers. But numbers is not all what Christianity is about. We should never focus on "numbers". Instead, we should focus on Christ...in return Christ will focus on the numbers.
I hope I am making sense. Some of you seem confused and alarmed at my last post. I am not trying to rule over a church. I am just hurt that my former church no longer lives on. Sure, they have the same building and some of the same faces are still there. However, New Bethel Baptist Church will never be the same!
I stated the importance of a Bishop. Every church needs a Bishop. I thank God that the Roman Catholic Church gives HER Bishops authority.
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Esther
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| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Bronx, New York USA |
| Posts: | 157 |
| First Name: | Esther | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Southern Baptist to Roman Catholic 11/26/06 |
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Posted: Fri Dec 14th, 2007 11:06 am |
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