What is a Reformed Baptist? - fin.
Hello Church Family, a little over a year ago, I began a series of blog posts in effort to answer the question: What is a Reformed Baptist?
My intentions were to answer this question by explaining the below 6 points in individual blog posts. These are the general distinctives that we as the Elders of Christ the King consider when defining a Reformed Baptist:
The Law of God
The Regulative Principle of Worship
Calvinism
Covenant Theology
Congregational
While I only got through the introduction and point 1, Being Confessional, it has been something that I’ve really wanted to finish. I strongly believe that having the Reformed Baptist title defined in a clear and concise manner would prove to be a very helpful resource to the members of our church. As I began researching this topic, I found many well done and accessible resources that do a great job defining a Reformed Baptist for us. Rather than taking what has already been written and regurgitating it, I thought it would be most helpful to directly provide this content from other faithful Reformed Baptists pastors/brothers.
Please take some time to review the following short yet helpful resources:
Excellent article from Founders Ministry that details 5 of the 6 points I listed above. Rather than trying to reiterate what Tom Hicks (Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Clinton, LA) so helpfully explained in a thorough and concise way, I thought it would be best to link to the article found here: Founders Ministry - What is a Reformed Baptist?
Informative 5-minute video that a Reformed Baptist pastor from Florida made answering the question: What is a Reformed Baptist? In this video he details a brief history of the Reformed/Particular Baptists and provides a very short and simplistic definition of the title: 5 Minute Answers - What is a Reformed Baptist?
See additional resources at the end of this blog post for further study
While I found both these resources to be very helpful, neither included a definition for our 6th point on being Congregational. After you read the Founders article and watch the 5-minute video, please return to this blog post to learn what it means to be congregational.
6. Congregational
When it comes to church polity, Reformed Baptists churches would be Congregational. This means we are a church that is led (but not ruled) by a plurality of elders. We are a church committed to the autonomy of the members and recognize that Christ has ultimate authority over the church and is the cornerstone of our faith.
One example of this, is in how a local Reformed Baptist church would appoint the officers of their church, including the senior pastor, elders, and deacons. Such officers would be appointed by the collective vote of the church itself. The congregation appoints their officers. There would not be a Reformed Baptist Pastor ordained by a Presbytery, a Cardinal or Bishop, he also would not have been ordained by the other existing elders only, he would be ordained by the members of the church he is going to pastor.
This is further defined in our confession. See Chapter 26 (The Church), section 9 of the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith:
Christ has appointed the way to call someone prepared and gifted by the Holy Spirit to the office of overseer or elder in a church. He must be chosen by the collective vote of the church itself (16). He must then be solemnly set apart by fasting and prayer. The body of elders of the church must lay hands on him if there are any already in place (17). A deacon must be chosen by the same kind of vote and set apart by prayer and laying on of hands as well (18).
(16) Acts 14:23 (17) 1 Timothy 4:14 (18) Acts 6:3, 5, 6
As you can see, such decision making is placed on the members of the local congregation. This is one of the main reasons why having a body of dedicated saints who are church members is so important to the wellbeing of a local Reformed Baptist Church. Let’s take a brief detour in our discussion to a deeper look as to why church membership is important.
Why is church membership Important?
1) It serves as a protection for the flock.
We read in Acts 2:41 that salvation was a prerequisite for being “added” to the church.
Let’s look at that verse again:
So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.
This is a vital and necessary requirement; it helps ensure that the local church is filled primarily with a group of actual/regenerated believers.
This is especially important because as the Apostle Paul states in 2 Corinthians 6: 14-18: we are told not to be bound or unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?
2) Church Membership is important because it helps define the responsibilities of the pastors and overseers.
Hebrews 13:17 tells us to: Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.
So, the question is to whom will pastors and elders give an account for? The answer is to the members of their own local church.
Pastors are not responsible for all the Christians in the world, but only for those under his care.
In the same way, a pastor is not responsible for all the people in his town or local area. He is only responsible for the followers of Christ that are under his leadership— which are his church members.
Membership in a local church is a way one willfully places themself under the spiritual authority of the pastors and overseers.
3) Lastly, Church Membership is important because without it, there would be a lack of accountability in the life of a believer and no means of church discipline.
1 Corinthians 5:1–13 teaches a church how to deal with blatant - in their face, unrepentant sin in their local body. In verses 12–13, the words inside and outside are used in reference to the church body. Stating “We only judge those who are “inside” the church—church members. How can we know who is “inside” or “outside” the church without an official membership roll?
Matthew 18:17 Jesus tells us something very similar regarding how to deal with one who is choosing habitual, unrepentant Sin. He tells us this: If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church, and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
As you can see church membership is the means by how believers can be held accountable and can be subject to biblical correction as warranted.
Let’s now draw our attention back to the main point of this section of the blog post. That is why we vote on matters of the church like new members, the appointing of elders and other matters pertaining to the life of our church. In other words, why are we congregational?
As we read here in both 1 Corinthians 5 and in Matthew 18, the church was given the authority to deal with these matters. Remember Jesus’ words (tell it to the church). Taking such matters to the church is consistent throughout the NT. Not solely to the elders or pastor but to the church body. You will see this often in the NT letters in that they are consistently addressed to the church or the saints and rarely to an individual. The nature of authority is such in the NT that rebuke and oversight is not limited to elders.
There is a duty and a responsibility that all believers must correct and instruct one another, In 2 Thessalonians 3:6 the believers were commanded to withdraw themselves from “to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us.”
These are just a couple examples of why we believe it is important to bring such matters to the church and why we function as congregational when it comes to church polity.
While we as elders have important roles to fill in the church, these roles are not of dictatorial authority, but rather of servant, spiritual leadership. We are entrusted with leading you well, deliberating on important decisions and bringing recommendations on major matters to the members. As 1 Peter 5:3 states: “Not lording it over those entrusted to you.”
As congregational reformed Baptists we are an Elder led church and not Elder ruled. Christ is “in charge” of His church, and we as elders and members are to seek and follow Christ’s will for the church consistent with Scripture.
To the brothers and sisters who are members at Christ the King RBC, I am greatly encouraged to be partnering with you in the work of the Gospel. I am thankful to be entrusted with the responsibility of our local church with each and every one of you.
May the decisions we make as a body of likeminded believers, glorify Christ, who is the head of the church, as well as unify us under His Lordship.
As in Ephesians 4: 1-3, May we walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which we have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
God’s design for his church is that we are conformed to the image of his Son, and that we have fellowship with one another through our faith in Jesus Christ and in our practice, as we hold true to what we attained.
Grace & Peace, Joe Calabrese
For further study
Skip to 27:00 for an overview of the 6 distinctives of a Reformed Baptist listed above.
He does a great job expounded on our view of the Law of God at 46:15 minute.
