The Highway Forums General Discussion Open Forum Church Membership Question

In your various Paedo-baptist Churches do you admit Credo-baptists into membership of your Church?
Please explain your answers.

Tom

Tom,

When I was a member of 7th Reformed Church, we admitted 6 men/families as members. Some were Elders of a Reformed Baptist church before they left. All were given teaching positions within a few months after they became members. And the answer is "No!" to your anticipated question whether they renounced their CredoBaptist views.
In His grace,

Almost all Presbyterian churches will accept credos into membership. As to whether they are allowed to teach is up to the Session. I would think very few, if any, would allow them to teach their credo-views.

Thank you for your answers, they are what I expected.

I would like to ask a few questions that are related to this.
Would these Credo-Baptists be allowed to teach their Credo-Baptist views?
If so, wouldn't there be a danger in this?
If not, would they have to agree not to teach their Credo-Baptist views?

Tom

1) Of course not, but at least many paedobaptist churches admit credobaptists into membership, unlike most Baptist churches who refuse membership to paedobaptists unless the are rebaptized by immersion.

2) Undoubtedly there would be a danger in allowing them to teach credobaptist doctrine. And that is why it is not allowed, or at least should not be allowed. A healthy debate might be something to consider, however. I had the privilege of publicly debating John Reisinger years ago in a Baptist church. It was marvelous and everyone, both participants and audience benefited from it.

3) If a credobaptist was appointed to teach in a paedobaptist church it would be prudent that he agree to not teach his particular views on baptism. To not do this would be to invite schism into the body, which no one would like to see take place. And if a credobaptist was worth his salt, he wouldn't even want to do that... right?

In His grace,

Pilgrim

Thanks for your answers.
This is one Credo-Baptist that agrees with you on this particular matter.
Are you aware of the flack John Piper has taken recently by many of his fellow Baptists, on this matter?
I have a feeling that John Bunyan took a lot of flack as well in his day, by many of his fellow Credo-Baptists.
Believe it of not, although Baptists like Piper and I are in the minority, it is still a debated subject even among Reformed Baptists.

Most Reformed Baptists would say that if Baptists are correct, that baptism by emmersion is the only true biblical baptism, then it would be inconsistant to allow non-baptized Paedo-Baptists into the membership of the Church.
But I wonder if it is a big enough issue, to exclude Paedo-Baptists such as yourself from membership.

Tom