On being non-denominational
This past Friday, I linked to this article, which claims that “Ranks of Southern Baptists Are Still Growing Thinner”; and in so doing, I noted: “I am curious what my SBC buddies think of this article.”
My good friend and co-blogger Joel rightly pointed out that my comment, given my conversion from SBC to Catholicism, came across as uncharitable. I agree with him, even though that was not my intent at all. And for that I humbly apologize. I am proud of my SBC background, and I remain a great admirer of the SBC, a denomination that taught me to love Jesus and the Bible. For that, I will always be thankful.
Now, allow me to be more specific. This is the part of the article that I am really interested in my SBC friends addressing:
The drop in numbers reflects trends in other declining mainline Protestant churches, which are losing members as nondenominational and unaffiliated churches are growing.
Why do y’all think this is? It almost seems as if some evangelicals want to disconnect themselves from any kind of tradition, and I simply don’t understand that at all. This trend, of course, isn’t just impacting the SBC, but the SBC remains the largest protestant denomination in the United States, and I am curious what my SBC (and other protestant) buddies think about the rapid growth of non-denominational churches over the last 20 or so years.
April 28th, 2008 at 8:17 am
Your friend is outrageously thin-skinned. Wondering aloud what someone thinks, who is directly concerned with the article in question, is simply not uncharitable. Methinks there is no small amount of bitter anti-Catholic resentment involved in his reaction, and you frankly owe him no apology.
April 28th, 2008 at 9:19 am
That is interesting. I am a 20’something and have noticed a lot of my friends move from SBC to PCA. I think the “priest-hood of the believer” tends to encourage separation as there is no higher authority to enforce a common belief or liturgy. I also grew up SBC, but have enjoyed the intellectual teaching and formalism of the PCA church.
April 28th, 2008 at 9:54 am
When I moved to Illinois to take a new job, I shared a small office with an evangelical who liked to call himself simply a “Christian”. Though when I pressed him to mention a denomination, he described himself as “Baptist, but not Southern Baptist.” I may be naive, but I was surprised to discover that Southern Baptists seemed to have a bad rep even with (at least some) other Baptists.
But in our many discussions about religion, I discovered that he did not share the horror of schism that is inherent in Catholic ecclesiology because he simply had a different view of what constituted a “church”. To switch from one to another, or to start a whole new church, was just not such a dire matter to his mind. And since he was the ultimate judge of what was true, there was little beyond social considerations to bind him to any one congregation.
April 28th, 2008 at 10:04 am
some evangelicals want to disconnect themselves from any kind of tradition, and I simply don’t understand that at all.
I’m not sure if my Methodist background is considered evangelical, but I did join a non-denominational church about 4 years ago. I find the teaching and preaching more relevant and applicable to my life, the environments more engaging, and I am building a much closer, personal relationship with my Lord now that I’m here than I ever had the inkling to do year ago (maybe would’ve known better if I’d been raised SBC?).
What I find interesting is your comment about distancing from tradition; I have no problem with changing or removing traditions. From what I’ve read on the Catholic Encyclopedia, this seems to be a big split between Catholics and Protestants in general, though as you note “we” are becoming less and less traditional. At first I was very uncomfortable with the lack of the symbol, rituals, and traditions I knew from my my Methodist church, but over time I began to think that they were not necessary to be a believer in Christ, to worship our heavenly father, or to be a member of Christ’s body on earth (and eventually in Heaven).
If I need a “talkin’ to” (as my mother used to say), please enlighten me.
April 28th, 2008 at 11:23 am
Feddie,
Thank you for your explanation. I admit that I can be defensive when it comes to my denomination. I am a proud Southern Baptist and I am proud of my family’s long established membership in the denomination. That said, let me assure everyone that my defensiveness regarding the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) has nothing whatsoever to do with anti-Catholic sentiments. While I passionately disagree with the Catholic Church on many points I cannot, and would not, deny the debt all Christianity owes the Catholic Church. Furthermore, I look upon Catholics as fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. We may be on separate squads but we are all on the same team.
All that said, the SBC can be its own worst enemy. Ill-advised resolutions to boycott Disney and oppose women in combat don’t win many friends. Although I may agree with some of the impulses and ideas behind such resolutions (especially women in combat, but not the boycott) they have nothing to do with winning souls for Christ and represent areas the Church should just leave alone. Such actions only alienate perspective converts and embarrass current members.
April 28th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
My parents are in an independent Baptist church, and would never join anything else. And yeah, they hold SBC with almost the same contempt they have for the Catholic church.
As a close but outside observer, I think that there’s a movement of dissatisfaction with the politics that are inherent in many organizations of churches. These people aren’t wanting to look to some committee that makes decisions. They want their pastor to make the decisions.
So I’d be interested to see the the *nondenominational* vs *unaffiliated* numbers broken out, myself.
April 28th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
First, a pedantic point: the SBC is not a “mainline Protestant” denomination along the line of, say, United Methodist, Presbyterian (USA), and the like. Some of the drop comes from individual churches disaffiliating from the SBC. More broadly, though, I don’t think there’s anything here to suggest a desire to disconnect from “tradition”; if anything, I would guess that at least part of shift away from the SBC (if it’s there - these sorts of numbers are subject to all kinds of inaccuracies) may be toward churches that, in fact, emphasize certain traditional elements even more than does the typical Baptist church.
April 28th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
One explanation of the exodus of members from mainline churches and non-denominational or “mega” churches is that some of these non-denomination churches tend to emphasize a kinder, gentler gospel. Some of these churches advance a view of the Bible that promises personal and material prosperity and healing. This brand of theology is also consistent with the many people’s (particularly in this country) fear of absolute truth. So these churches are attractive because the preach prosperity and realtivism and people can go about their daily lives unchanged, unchallenged, and happy. I don’t think that these churches pull anymore from one mainline church over another, but I think that helps explain the membership numbers.
April 28th, 2008 at 2:27 pm
“We may be on separate squads but we are all on the same team.”
I think Joel’s noble sentiment here is the actual explanation for the trend you cite. One of the things about the traditional Protestant denominations is that they are intensely factional, and that can be off-putting. My sister left the faith entirely over the claim that ‘our church is going to heaven; all other churches are going to hell.’ She grew up a Presbyterian among Southern Baptists, and heard ‘you’re not a real Christian’ enough she finally decided she’d just rather be Jewish.
A nondenominational church has at least this one virtue: it sees that everyone is on the same ‘team,’ as Joel put it. We live in an age that is very uncomfortable labeling any other group as “bad” — cf. multiculturalism and diversity as movements in our society — and nondenominational churches at least don’t do that.
There are other things they don’t do, too, like tie you in to a strong tradition; I doubt they are nearly as effective at changing lives for the better. But they do at least harmonize in that way with the spirit of the age.
April 29th, 2008 at 10:44 am
When your sister left the faith was it because she searched her own personal feelings, or, did she seek the truth. I say we should seek the truth, what God wants. What does the bible say, what do the words mean. If the bible does not seek an absolute within itself, then what does it do. Are the Ten Commandments mere suggestions or are they truths, unequivocally and undeniably true.
I suppose as the pope said and the true yet catchy moniker Fedster uses we live in a dictatorship of relativism. Hmmm how do I feel about life, sure I’ll take Gods words into account, but, how do I FEEL about those words, do I agree or not. So let’s agree at least that the pope nailed it with that proclamation. We really are a fickle bunch that is much more concerned about the me rather than the whole. Like Graham said I’ll accept God as long as I can still drive my Porsche with out guilt.