Quote:
Originally Posted by Evangelical
I think Terry a while ago stated the clear difference between a baptist denomination/sect and a local church right here:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Terry
1. Baptists make membership being a formality before becoming a member of the assembly.
2. Local churches all that is needed for membership is regeneration; salvation by the blood of Jesus Christ.
Any group that has formal membership requirements must automatically be discounted as being a genuine local church. When a person is baptized in a Baptist church, they are baptized into the Baptist church, hence their baptism is denominational. This is demonstrated when a Baptist church will re-baptize a person just because they were not baptized properly by full immersion or baptized in a non-similar denomination. People who have a denominational baptism will usually say "I was baptized as a ... Baptist" , or "baptized as a ... Lutheran". They have no concept of true baptism when they think they are baptized into a particular denomination.
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I was baptized by a Southern Baptist preacher when I was young.
But later in life, when I joined the C. in Santa Cruz Ca., that wasn't enough. We had to go to the ocean, where they baptized me in freezing cold water. I felt a clear change, in my nervous system.
Then, years later, in the C. in Ft. Lauderdale, to demonstrate our loyalty, to the local church and Witness Lee's movement, with much fanfare -- detailed 2nd paragraph following -- the whole church went down to the ocean, and all were baptized (in warm water at least).
Two different local churches, two different sets of elders, two completely different times, and two baptisms to prove total commitment, to the Lee/LSM denominational "local" churches.
Moreover, I recall being baptized many more times, to show a all-in commitment, with lots of shouting, fist pumping, and necks poppin' out veins.
Now I don't know if that's a "clear difference between a baptist denomination/sect and a local church."
You decide.