Basic Baptist Doctrine

January 16, 2008

Modified from a lesson by

Elder Kent Welch 10/23/2001

Who are Missionary Baptists?

Our aim this evening is to determine the origin and meaning of the term “Missionary Baptist.”  As you already realize, there are many different types of Baptists and also several versions of so-called Missionary Baptists.  Why can’t a Baptist just be a Baptist?  What separates a Missionary Baptist from other types of Baptists?  Is there a distinction to be understood?  These are all questions which I have been asked to answer through the years and indeed, they are difficult to answer well without covering some history and a deeper explanation.  That is our purpose this evening: to cover some history and provide a better definition of what makes us Missionary Baptists.

I. The Bad News

a. All study of history is done via the use of documentation dated to past times.  We may use books, articles, biographies, etc as sources to supplement whatever oral history may be available as well.  Unfortunately, the documentation in relation to Missionary Baptist history is very slim indeed.  While other denominations have excelled in publishing their history and beliefs, Missionary Baptists have proven to be inept in this endeavor.  In the times of the Dark Ages, the history of our spiritual ancestors is virtually nonexistent from their own pens.  Thankfully, and somewhat ironically, much of our historical information and doctrinal beliefs was recorded (and done well) by our adversaries and persecutors.  Those of the universal church which stood as inquisitors and tormentors of our martyred forefathers often recorded, with great detail, the words and actions of God’s people in those days.  The names were variant and often attributed to our ancestors by the very people who vexed them.  They were identified not by a name, per se, as much as the doctrines which they taught and preached.  Thus, there is no volume entitled, “History of Missionary Baptists: Christ to modern day”.  There most definitely is a history of God’s people through the ages and a wonderful source of this consolidated information may be found within “The Trail of Blood” by J.M.Carroll.  In more modern times, our spiritual forefathers did a much better job of recording our history in the 19^th century.  Since that time, there has been very little qualitative documentation completed. This is much to our determent. 

b. Because of the above, the reality is that the actual name “Missionary Baptist” means very little.  If Christ would have wanted His church to have a proper name, He would have provided one.  He did not and does not.  He perfectly recognizes those that are His and is not a respecter of proper names of denominations.  I.e. A church may carry the name Missionary Baptist and yet be heretical in its teachings. Christ, of course, does not recognize that body of people as a viable, Spirit-empowered church. 

II. The Good News

a. The good news includes the fact that our churches had their genesis in Jesus Christ during His earthly ministry and have been perpetual (as promised) ever since.  Their histories are recorded and available for our study. 

b. Further, we may begin to study the term “Missionary Baptist” and come to some conclusions very easily.  This study will take, as a cross-section, the history of the Polk County Missionary Baptist Association of Polk County Missouri as recorded in the volume entitled, “History of the Polk County Missionary Baptist Association.”

III.   Missionary Baptists

a. In the early days of Baptists in America, a clear separation was made between those who believed in the spreading of the gospel and the evangelization of the world and those who did not share such sentiments.  Those mission-minded Baptists took the name “Missionary Baptists.”  The other group, commonly referred to as “hard shells,” was referred to many different names as they eventually became several independent groups.  Of course, this was not a hard and fast delineation as many mission-minded churches did not choose to add the term “missionary” to their names.  (Even back then, the name did not say it all, although it meant more then than now.) 

*Note*

Within the Polk County Missionary Baptist Association (PCMBA) history book, some churches are listed originally without the term “missionary” with their name, yet all were mission-minded.  In fact, the constitution of the PCMBA states: “This association shall be called, “Polk County Baptist Association”.”

Note that the term “missionary” is missing.

b. Southern Baptists are a group with whom we share some history.  Yet another split among Baptists yielded what became “Northern Baptists” and “Southern Baptists”.  The SBCs are much more prominent today, even in the northern territories in which we live.  One reason for this is the old mission-minded mindset vs. the hard-shellism.  Many people may incorrectly feel that we have had nothing to share with SBCs.  The fact is that (at least in Polk County) we openly fellowshipped with SBCs until the 1950s.  More on this in just a moment.

Who are the Southern Baptists? 

Very simply, the name meant a Baptist who lived in the South.  The denominational name has survived and is now made up almost entirely of those who went the “modern” way on the doctrine of “easy-believe-ism” salvation in the 1950s.  Previously, the distinction between “northern” and southern” was made by development of corresponding associations in the 1850s.  Remembering the societal and cultural differences within the nation at that time, we gain valuable insight into the separation.

What about the “First Baptist church?”

I remember thinking as a boy, “Why do the Southern Baptist churches always get to the first church? Why can’t a MBC be the first Baptist church?”  Well, very simply, the First Baptist Church was just that…the first Baptist church in that town or city! 

IV. Polk County Missionary Baptist Association (PCMBA)

 a. Has been known by several different names before “PCMBA”

                1. Originally called “Liberty Association of United Baptists” (1840)

                2. Union Association (union of Liberty and Sac River Associations) (1856)

                3. Polk County Association (1890)

                4. Polk County Missionary Baptist Association (1931)

b. The split with “modernism”

            1. In 1950, the Association made and carried the following motion:

“That we exclude the Cooperative program and all organizations connected to it, from our associational programs.”

            2. In 1951, the following motion was made and carried by the PCMBA:

“…that we exclude every church that has left the PCMBA and joined with the Bolivar Association for heresy.”

3. In 1952, a motion was made and passed that all money that had been designated for the Southern Baptist Convention be returned to the churches that sent it.  In addition, the association would only receive money that was designated for use by the PCMBA.

4. The churches that left the Association created a new body and called it the PCMBA.

5. The heresy that was mentioned was in regards to the practice of salvation.  The culmination of the strife came when there was a card in the Sunday school literature (printed by the SBC) where a person could fill in their name over a statement which read:

                “I hereby accept Christ as my personal savior.”

The debate was ultimately over how one gets saved which is obviously a paramount doctrine of true Baptists.

So, here again, is illustrated the point that a name may mean very little at times.  In fact, the church in which I was saved, baptized, called to preach and eventually pastured for 6.5 years had a sign above its doors which read, “Calvary Baptist Church”.  (A sign that was placed before the hub-bub of the 1950s)  Now a new sign is in place which includes the name “missionary”, but the doctrines and practices of that church have never changed.  The name was updated to best reflect the doctrines of the church within that locale.  So…a name can be very important, but the doctrines are the telling element.

V. Indianapolis Missionary Baptists

We now have a generation or two who are Indiana natives, but the older members of our churches in Indianapolis have roots (family and church) in primarily Tennessee and Kentucky.  These folk brought the Lord with them and began to establish Missionary Baptist churches in this area.  A MBC in Indianapolis does not mean the same thing as it does in TN and KY.  I go through the mail each week for the church and it is quite apparent that most MBCs here are likely not agreeing with our doctrine of experimental knowledge of salvation and the mourner’s bench.    Clearly, A Missionary Baptist is NOT a Missionary Baptist!  Thus, it is imperative that we understand that a set of doctrines and practices are much more important than a name.  A name may point towards the right end, but until the doctrines are revealed, we simply do not know.  I will pledge to be ready to die for the defense of the doctrines of Christ!  As far as a certain name is concerned, I will defend the integrity of it as a symbol of the doctrines that it represents, but defending a name just for a name’s sake…well, that’s not a bridge I’m willing to die on!!

For more reading on this subject, please refer to these volumes:

History of Polk County Missionary Baptist Association

Our Baptist History by Pope A. Duncan

Southern Baptist Convention 1845 to 1953 by W.W. Barnes

20^th Century Baptists by H.C. Vanderpool