Posted on 03/09/2018 7:42:02 AM PST by SeekAndFind
Are there any significant differences between nondenominational and Southern Baptist churches?
A common joke among evangelicals is that nondenominational churches are for Southern Baptists who want to drink booze, suggesting there is not much difference between them.
But what does the data show?
In an article for Religion in Public titled "Nondenominational Protestants are Basically Southern Baptists (With a Few Caveats)" that was published Wednesday, Ryan P. Burge, a political science professor at Eastern Illinois University who specializes in religion and politics, analyzed data compiled by the Cooperative Congressional Election Study to compare the SBC, nondenominational churches, and the mainline United Methodist Church.
On issues like politics and worship attendance, SBC and nondenominational churches do bear a strong resemblance, but there are slight variations on how literal they take the Bible and how conservative they are on social issues.
"Nondenominational parishioners are slightly more supportive of same-sex marriage and slightly less supportive of abortion rights, but these differences are small," wrote Burge.
"Taken together it makes sense that there is so much movement between Southern Baptists and nondenominational churches as the differences are in many cases small or nonexistent."
Burge did note that nondenominational churches tended to be younger and more racially diverse than SBC churches. While both have about the same proportion of whites, nondenominational churches have a wider variety of non-whites, with larger percentages of Asians, Hispanics and mixed-race members. The non-white Southern Baptists are mostly black. (The UMC had, by far, the least racial diversity of the three denominations.)
SBC members were also more likely to believe the Bible is literally true than nondenominational members.
"While 44 percent of nondenominationals think that the Bible is literally true, 16 percent more of Southern Baptists espouse literalism, while about 16 percent less of United Methodists are theologically conservative," wrote Burge.
"This is an area which casts some doubts on the idea that nondenominationals are just Southern Baptists with a different label. Clearly, they have a more moderate theology than a typical SB evangelical."
The Southern Baptist Convention is the largest Protestant denomination in the country with over 15 million members. The SBC describes its churches as "cooperating" churches, emphasizing that each local church is "fully autonomous and retains its independence" and the denomination "claims no ecclesiastical authority over any local church."
Burge's research comes weeks after SBC International Mission Board President David Platt announced that he was stepping down to focus on his role as teaching Pastor at McLean Bible Church, a megachurch congregation based in Fairfax, Virginia.
"I have come to the realization that it is not viable long-term for me to lead as president of the IMB while serving as teaching pastor in a church," stated Platt in an announcement to IMB staff.
"This realization has been sobering, for I don't believe I can choose between preaching and leading in the local church, and mobilizing and shepherding people in global missions. Therefore, I have come to the conclusion that if I am going to serve in this way in the local church, then I need to serve in different ways for the cause of global missions."
Founded as a nondenominational church, McLean Bible has been in cooperation with the SBC since 2016, according to a spokesperson for IMB in comments given to The Christian Post last year.
I think you’re correct, there’s a bigger difference between urban congregations and small-town congregations than there is between Baptist and non denominational.
I would like to see a hymnal used by Independent Baptists. The United Methodist Church, which I belong to, spurns scores of great hymns, including dozens composed by prominent Methodists, that were once widely sung. Even "Eternal Father, Strong to Save," a staple in most Protestant hymnals, cannot be found in the United Methodist hymnal.
True.
I’ve been UMC all my life and only attend the conservative-faction congregations. I have walked out of several of the “new-age”, “rainbow” services when visiting away from home.
My current congregation is made up of (mostly) quite wealthy, conservative people... who have told a middle-left district to butt out or they’d change denomination alliances. In fact, a Board of Directors hold the title to our campus; NOT the UMC district office.
Non denominational = people who can’t make a decision.
CC
Russell Moore is a big reason I left. SBC has an identity crisis as conservatives are disillusioned with the leadership, yet the public (and MSM) view the SBC as conservative.
“Nondenominational parishioners are slightly more supportive of same-sex marriage and slightly less supportive of abortion rights, but these differences are small,”
The implication of that sentence is that Southern Baptists support abortion, which, of course, is not true.
And I tend to believe that no Baptist supports same-sex marriage.
Although there is no telling whatsoever what the idiot Russell Moore believes.
Wondering how these churches conduct business. Can anyone walk in and say “I'm a member if the Body of Christ, here's my budget proposal for next year”, or is there some kind of regular attendance requirement?
Bump
To Read Later
Baptists are not Protestants. They are the progeny of the European Anabaptists who were brutally persecuted by the Protestants and Catholics
Nondenominational = People who will not be yoked to men, whether it is Roman Popes, or Protestant Bishops. We are Anabaptists! Or at least the Anabaptists who still believe in the Bible.
I'm preacher's kid, raised on old hymns, and I love them. But, my preference of hymns over newer worship music is my opinion, not a God inspired, Bible based doctrine.
Music is a major division among the church today. Outside of church I listen to Christian music such as Third Day & Switchfoot, but at church I’d rather hear hymns than be subjected to the “contemporary” syrupy songs that repeat the same chorus over & over & over again...
A non-denominational church on the edge of Atlanta’s gay town: Of 250 in attendance, 10 are under 18; 10 over 40. 98% are 18-35. 60% Black, 40% white with a Mexican pastor.
They constantly bemoan the fact that they have no where to go politically. They are extremely anti-homosexual, anti-sex outside of marriage, 100% pro-life, no exception, no drinking, no smoking, no cussing, no dirty stories. Theologically extreme Calvinist once saved, always save but with a Pentecostal flair common of some Black churches.
They are also pro-BLM, anti-police-brutality which both white and Black claim to see frequently in Black ruled Atlanta. Economically they are inconsistent, both requiring work and supporting government welfare. Of course, they practice voluntary welfare in the extreme, constantly doing more for the poor than these believers do for themselves.
The young Black music director tries to impose the songs of young white Christians. But 90% want to sing the old hymns of John Wesley and Black Gospel of Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston.
It’s like they are Philadelphia Eagles.
I think church leaders should stick to values and not politics. moore was a loud anti-Trump guy.
Russell Moore is basically a lobbyist who spends baptist money advocating to import more unvetted refugees.(which risks lives and safety) I would would agree with those who want to cut off his funding.I doubt that most southern baptists have even heard of him. His anti confederate flag thing was irritating as well
As is typical - overly-broad generalizations and failure to even do a modicum of research has resulted in yet another pile of steaming dung.
No - I am not SBC, though I have many friends who are, and I have several connections and work WITH SBC ministries in a couple of active areas. But I am also a student of church history and theology - with a Master’s Degree in such.
“Nondenominational” is like naming a shape a “polygon”, while saying SBC is a rectangle. Not specific as a square - but a rectangle.
Nondenominational can and generally does encompass everything from Charismatic Universalism and even light liturgical Catholic-like evangelicalism, to very much “Baptist” congregations that just shun the label, but their doctrinal beliefs are 100% conservative Baptist. It is such a huge umbrella (that has no connection whatsoever) as to be essentially meaningless. Some non-denom congregations are simply Assembly of God or Pentecostals that choose to not be aligned with either denomination (similarly - there are quite a few “non-denom” churches that have the same non-relationship to Baptists, despite sharing their beliefs).
“Southern Baptist” still means that a church officially professes to believe and support the Baptist Faith & Message of 2001. Yes, many congregations have shifted in a rather liberal direction. And yes, there are more than a few non-denom churches that are more “Baptist” than some of those liberal SBC congregations. Still... not a well written or researched article.
You went right where I thought you would go. Have a nice day.
CC
The difference is that, having voted their county dry, the nondenominationals move to another county. The SBC stays.
Back in Missouri we used to answer the question
“ Are you a member of an organized religion?”
with a NO! I’m a BAPTIST !
Probably ‘borrowed’ from Will Rogers, who said, “I’m not a member of an organized political party. I’m a Democrat!
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