Delavan 1st Baptist Blog
Welcome to the Delavan 1st Baptist Church Blog Monday, 10 August 2009
Common Questions Asked
 Common Questions Asked About Our American Baptist Denomination
Where do American Baptists fall with regards to some of the hot social issues in today's world? Answer: American Baptists, in general, are more moderate in their thinking when it comes to today's social issues. This is perhaps because our denomination welcomes and celebrates diversity of thought and experience. Would I have to be re-baptized if I joined an American Baptist church? Answer: American Baptists recognize the baptism of people coming from other denominations. You would not have to be re-baptized unless you would desire to be re-baptized. Would a gay person be welcomed in an American Baptist congregation? Answer: Yes, all persons regardless of their life style, color, or culture are welcome to worship and participate in an American Baptist congregation. Although welcomed to participate in an American Baptist congregation, gay persons would not be allowed to marry in our denomination, for we believe that marriage is a covenant reserved for a man and a woman. Our biblical understanding also would prevent a gay person from being ordained as a minister in our denomination. Are there women ministers in the American Baptist denomination? Answer: Yes. Women currently serve about 25% of all American Baptist congregations in the USA. In our state of Wisconsin, women pastors currently serve about 40% of our American Baptist congregations. Is communion given to all who attend worship in an American Baptist congregation, or is communion reserved just for those who are members? Answer: American Baptists serve communion to who ever would desire it. You do not need to be a member of the church to receive communion when it's served. Most American Baptist churches serve communion once a month in worship. How much education does an American Baptist pastor have? All American Baptist pastors have a 4 year college degree and a 3 or 4 year Masters Degree in Theology or Ministry. The seminary training that American Baptist pastors receive prepares them for the full range of experiences that they will face in full time ministry. What is the experience of worship like in an American Baptist congregation? Answer: In general American Baptists are informal in worship. Clergy do not wear robes or vestments. In most congregations worship music is a blend of traditional songs and contemporary songs. Many congregations use power point projections to display the words to the songs sung in worship. Video clips, and worship praise teams to lead congregational singing are also common in many American Baptist congregations. American Baptists are intentional in making sure that worship has plenty of time for prayer and when the pastor preaches, you can be sure that the sermon will be Christ and Biblical centered. In many American Baptist churches members of the congregation assist the pastor in leading the worship service. Does the American Baptist denomination have Bishops? Answer: No. Each local congregation is autonomous in its system of governance. Having no hierarchy of power, local Baptist congregations make their own decisions about ministry, mission, and who they will hire as their pastor. Do American Baptist congregations talk much about money? Answer: No American Baptist in general tend to be fairly committed to following Christ. Because commitment and discipleship is stressed in worship, American Baptists on the whole are fairly generous givers. Given this reality usually there is no real need to talk much about money especially in worship. In a local American Baptist congregation, who generally runs the church? Answer: Each local Baptist church is governed by a collaborative partnership that exists between the pastor and the Church Board. Is the American Baptist denomination growing? Answer, yes. The American Baptist denomination is one of a few mainline protestant denominations growing in membership in our country. Our denomination has 1.3 million members and 5,500 local congregations. Do I have to dress up for worship in an American Baptist church? Answer: No. Although some members do dress up for worship, most members wear casual clothes to the worship service. Can American Baptists drink and dance and party? Answer: Yes. Members of American Baptist churches are not "stick in the muds," they can and do have fun in a variety of ways, but members are always encouraged to have fun in responsible ways. Read more | 0 comments
Posted By Pastor Mike at 11:42 AM in Category:Common Questions Asked About Our Denomination or Belief and Practices.
Wednesday, 5 August 2009
How the local church is organized for mission and ministry.
Baptist Organization (Polity)
Having a strong history of embracing freedom and independence, local Baptist congregations embrace the freedom to organize themselves in a way that they determine will best accomplish their mission. All Baptist congregations will have a constitution and by-laws that state how the congregation is organized, which of course will vary from church to church. Usually most Baptist congregations will have the following organization structure and office leaders: Board of Deacons: The purpose of this board is to oversee the total ministry of the church. They establish the mission and vision of the congregation and insure that the ministry of the congregation is vital, relevant and growing. The Board is chaired by the Moderator of the congregation. Members of the Board consist of men and women who are elected for a 3 year term to serve. The Pastor sits on the Board as an ex-official member, with voice, but no vote in decisions made by the Board. Board of Trustees: The purpose of this board is to oversee and maintain all church property, buildings, investments, bequests and estates owned by the congregation. Being a sub committee of the Board of Deacons, all members on this board are Deacons and are elected for a 3 year term to serve. Members are made up of men and women of the congregation who have been elected at the annual meeting of the congregation. The chairperson of the Board of Trustees is elected by fellow Trustee members. The pastor is an ex-official member of the Board of Trustees. Board of Christian Education: This board oversees the educational ministry of the church. Sunday school, and midweek educational opportunities are created, and evaluated by this board. The board ensures that all educational events that take place in the congregation stay within the scope of the congregations mission and vision. Members of this board are made up of Deacons therefore they are men and women, elected for a three year term. The chairperson of this Board is elected by fellow members. The pastor is an ex-official member of the Board of Christian Education. Board of Worship: This board oversees the worship opportunities in the life of the congregation. They ensure that worship is relevant, biblical, energetic, educational and diverse so that it meets the needs of the congregation. Those who sit on this board are Deacons, therefore they are men and women elected for a three year term. The chairperson of this Board is elected by fellow members. The pastor is an ex-official member of the Board of Worship. Board of Finance and Stewardship: This board oversees the financial needs of the church. They ensure that adequate funding is provided by the congregation so that growing ministry can take place. This board keeps the congregation informed with regards to the financial status of the church and works closely with the Trustees in managing the investments of the church. The board also has an educational responsibility with regards to stewardship, ensuring that a holistic vision of stewardship is embraced and practiced by the congregation. Those who sit on this board are Deacons, therefore they are men and women elected for a three year term. The chairperson of this Board is elected by fellow members. The pastor is an ex-official member of the Board of Finance and Stewardship. The Board of Pastoral Relations: This board oversees and evaluates all salaried staff members of the church. They work closely with the staff to ensure that the ministry needs and expectations of the congregation are met by the staff. Those who sit on this board are Deacons, therefore they are men and women elected for a three year term. The chairperson of this Board is elected by fellow members. The pastor is an ex-official member of the Board of Pastoral Relations. Nominating Committee: This committee has the responsibility of finding men and women in the congregation who are willing to serve in leadership positions in the life of the church. This committee provides job descriptions, and expectations to those willing to serve. This committee only nominates candidates to serve, election takes place at the annual meeting of the congregation. Members of this committee are men and women elected to serve a three year term. The chairperson of this committee is a Deacon of the church and therefore reports to the Board of Deacons the work done by the nominating committee. The pastor is an ex-official member of this committee. Mission Committee: This committee has the responsibility of overseeing the mission outreach opportunities of the church. They plan and promote mission events, trips, special offerings, and educational missional activities within the life of the church. Members of this committee are men and women elected to serve a three year term. The chairperson of this committee is a Deacon of the church and therefore reports to the Board of Deacons the work done by the nominating committee. The pastor is an ex-official member of this committee. Pulpit Search Committee: This committee functions to find a candidate to fill the role of Pastor in the life of the church. It investigates possible candidates with regards to the experience, education, ministerial record, doctrinal beliefs, character, and preaching ability. The committee works closely with the American Baptist Churches, in securing possible candidates. The committee also ensures that the gifts and graces of the pastoral candidate match up well with the expectations found in the local churches job description for pastor. Having found a candidate, the pulpit search committee then recommends that candidate to Board of Deacons and the congregation for vote and approval. This committee consists of the Moderator, who usually chairs the search committee, and at least three members of the Board of Pastoral Ministry, and one member from the following Boards: Worship, Trustees, Christian Education, and Finance/Stewardship. Other Committees commonly found in the structure of a Baptist congregation may include: Music, Youth, Audit, Social Concerns, Evangelism, Memorial, Decorating, and Ushering. When found in these churches the members of these committees will be made up of men and women elected to serve a three year term. The chairperson of these committees will be elected from its members, and report their work to the Board of Deacons. The pastor is an ex-official member of these committees. Moderator or Executive Officer: The moderator or executive officer of a local Baptist church shall preside at all Board of Deacon meetings as well as the annual meeting of the congregation. The moderator shall also serve as the congregations representative at various community and church events. The moderator will sign all contracts or other documents which require the signature of the church. The moderator is usually elected for one year by the congregation but this may vary from church to church. Clerk/Secretary: The church clerk or secretary shall keep an accurate record of all business meetings of the Board of Deacons, as a voting member of the Board. The clerk also keeps an up to date registry of the membership roll of the congregation, updates birth, death, and baptismal records. The clerk furnishes statistical information about the congregation to the local Baptist association, and handles all requests for information which deals with the care of the membership. The clerk is usually elected for one year by the congregation, but in many congregations the clerk will serve until they request to be replaced. Financial Secretary: The financial secretary is responsible for counting and recording all money given to the local congregation through out the year. The financial secretary makes a deposit of all moneys given to the church and provides a record of these deposits to the treasurer. This officer who sits on the Board of Deacons, also keeps an accurate record of the contributions of individual members providing each member with a written record of their giving at the end of the calendar year. The financial secretary is usually elected for one year. Treasurer: The treasurer shall be responsible for the paying of all bills incurred by the local congregation. The treasurer shall also remit to the greater church and mission projects all money raised or designated for these projects in a responsible manner. The treasurer will provide the Board of Deacons with a monthly report of all money received and spent in the life of the congregation, and insure that all designated funds and moneys are not diverted from their purpose. The treasurer sits on the Board of Deacons , and is usually elected for one year. Church School Superintendent: This person serves as the administrative head and director of the Sunday school department. As director they are responsible for securing teachers to teach in Sunday school and ordering materials and supplies for each class. The director sets the vision for Sunday school ensuring that it falls within the vision of the church. The director also usually oversees vacation Bible school which takes place in the summer. The church school superintendent may be elected or appointed. They may sit on the Board of Deacons or may serve as a part of the Christian Education Board. Membership Requirements As one would expect, there is diversity found in the way Baptist congregations receive new members, and what they expect of new members. However there are some basic expectations and general procedures that are found in every Baptist congregation. Persons indicating a desire to join a local Baptist congregation are invited to an inquiry class or classes. At these classes participants learn about the mission and ministry of the local church. After leaning more about the mission and ministry of the church if they still want to join the congregation a verbal or written request to join the church, should be made to the Board of Deacons of the church. In some Baptist congregations those desiring to join the church are also asked to write a brief statement of their faith explaining their spiritual journey and why they want to join the church. In most cases, the Board of Deacons of the congregation need to vote on and approve all those who desire to join the local church. Once approval is given by the Board of Deacons, those desiring to join need to be baptized if they have not already been previously baptized. It is important to note that most Baptist congregations recognize the baptism of those who have been baptized in another denomination even though in many cases this baptism was an infant baptism and grant to those joining the church a full membership. However there are some Baptist congregations that do not recognize an infant baptism and ask the person requesting membership to be re-baptized if they are to be a full member. In these cases, if the person says no to this request, they are still allowed to join the church but are given an associate membership status rather than a full membership. When associate membership is given it generally means that the individual has all the rights of the full member except in some congregations having an associate membership means that they can not become a Deacon in the church. Once the question of baptism has been settled to the local churches satisfaction, most Baptist congregations will receive new members and record into their book of membership the following classification as to how the person has joined the church; through a letter of transfer from another Baptist or non Baptist congregation, by confession of faith, meaning the person joining has no current church membership but has a Christian background and experience that they can witness to, and by baptism through immersion. Once persons are approved for membership they then are brought before the congregation usually on a Sunday and are then led through a series of membership vows. After these public vows are taken, the congregation votes on their membership and if granted these persons are given the right hand of fellowship and received into the church. When a person unites with a local church they come into the church with expectations, realized or unrealized. The local church also has expectations of those who join the church. It is important to realize these mutual expectations so that all might do their best to meet them and remain happy in their mutual relationship. In many cases these mutual expectations can be found in the congregation's Covenant of Membership. With this in mind I have provided for you the current Covenant of Membership for First Baptist- Delavan. Having been led, as we believe, by the Holy Spirit of God to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, and having been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and professing our faith through living, we do now in the presence of God and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another, as one body in Christ. We promise, therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this church in knowledge, holiness, and comfort; to promote its spirituality and growth; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline and doctrines; to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the ministries of the church, and the spread of the Gospel through the nations. We promise to maintain family and secret devotions; to religiously educate our children; to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances; to walk circumspectly in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, exemplary in our deportment; and to be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Savior. We promise to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember each other in prayer; to aid each other in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and courtesy in speech; to be slow to take offense but always ready for reconciliation; and, mindful of the rules of our Savior, to secure it without delay. We promise that when we move from this community we will as soon as possible unite with some other church, where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God's Word. Read more | 0 comments
Posted By Pastor Mike at 11:44 AM in Category:About American Baptist Organization
Baptist beliefs that are essential to our being.
Baptist Beliefs That Are Central To Our Being
Authority of Scripture As Baptists we believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God that contains eternal truths about life, God, moral responsibility, human relationships, and eternal life. As Baptists we believe that all should have access to the Bible and all should be given the freedom to interpret the Bible based on their own life and faith experiences. Given that no two people walk the same spiritual journey, there is diversity of thought in our Baptist tradition when it comes to interpreting the truths of the Bible. Yet as we prayerfully seek to interpret the Bible under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Baptists believe that the will of Christ will be made known in the hearts and lives of all. Freedom of the Soul As Baptists we believe that it is the right and responsibility of every person to enter into a direct and saving relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ. As Baptists freedom of soul, means that we can relate to God without the imposition of church creeds, the interference of clergy or the intervention of civil government. Freedom of soul gives everyone the right to choose the church of their own choice, based on their own personal theology, and faith experiences. At its very best freedom of soul gives us the responsibility of nurturing our soul in diverse ways. Autonomy of the Local Church Because Baptists place a high value on freedom, Baptists believe that each local church should stand as an independent body of believers. Under the leadership of Jesus Christ, Baptists affirm that each local congregation can set their own standards for membership and leadership, order their own worship and ministry, ordain whom they perceive to be gifted for ministry, map out their own unique mission strategy, create their own committee structure and set their own administrative rules. Baptist churches have only two officers; ordained clergy and deacons. Those ordained, work as trained and salaried professionals in the life of the church. Each church is free to decide who they will "call" to serve as a minister in their church. Deacons serve in volunteer positions of leadership in the life of the church and always are members of the local congregation in which they serve. The Larger Body of Christ Although Baptists place a high value on freedom and autonomy, they also value the opportunity to unite with other Baptist churches through voluntary associations to do ministry that would not be possible as a single local church. As Baptists value working with other Baptist churches through associations, conventions and large general assemblies to do ministry, so they also value working with churches of other denominations. Thus most Baptist churches tend to embrace and value ecumenical efforts and ministries to further God"s kingdom. Religious Liberty Deeply engrained in our Baptist heritage is the belief that all persons have the right to religious liberty. Religion should never be mandated by the state or civil government, and government should never interfere with the church by prescribing certainly religious beliefs, or practices. As Baptists we believe that freedom of religion also includes freedom "from" religion and that a persons right not to believe or practice the Christian faith is as sacred as a persons right to believe and practice the Christian faith. Having a high value on diversity, Baptists tend to look upon the religious liberties of others with openness and refrain from making judgments. Believers Baptism A difference that sets Baptists apart from most other protestant denominations is the belief that persons need to make a personal profession of faith before they are baptized. From a theological and biblical perspective Baptists have come to believe that baptism signifies making a decision to embrace repentance and faith as a life style and therefore clearly persons seeking baptism need to be old enough to make this responsible decision. Given this central belief, Baptists do not baptize infants. Although there are many ways to practice baptism, our understanding of the biblical record compels us to practice baptism exclusively by immersion. Although in some baptist congregations persons seeking membership are re-baptized, we in our congregation, First Baptist- Delavan, do not re-baptize those coming into our church. We accept the baptism that they have had in their past. Of course persons who were never baptized, are indeed baptized as a part of their faith journey into our congregation. Read more | 0 comments
Posted By Pastor Mike at 11:42 AM in Category:About American Baptist Theological Beliefs
The following is a brief history of those called Baptists.
A Brief Look At Baptist History
Baptists traditionally trace their origins to various groups of Christians in England who initially were trying to bring reformation to the Church of England in the early 1600's. One group trying to bring reform within the English church were called Congregationalists. This group questioned the viability of having the church governed by the state, but welcomed the protection of the church by the state through legislation and the financial support of the church by the state through taxation. They also rejected the Church of England's belief that everyone in a given geographical "parish" were automatically members of the church. Congregationalists believed that only those who could testify to their own Christian experience should be members of a local congregation. Another group of Christians that initially sought reform of the English church were called Separatists. Like the Congregationalists, Separatists believed that church membership should be given only to those who could testify to their own Christian experience. Like the Congregationalists, Separatists believed that the church should not be governed by the state. However, Separatists differed in two dramatic ways from Congregationalists. First, they believed that local congregations should be completely separate from governmental control, and should receive neither financial support nor any other overt protections from the government. Second they rejected infant baptism stating that only believers should be baptized and be allowed to become members of a local church. It is from the combination of these two strands of thought that Baptists would eventually emerge on the scene in the early 1600's. One early advocate of this combined Separatist/Congregational thought was Pastor John Smyth an Anglican Priest. He was originally the founder of a separatist congregation in Amsterdam, but through his leadership the congregation evolved into a congregation that reflected the influence of both separatist and congregational thinking. Smyth is largely recognized as one of the founding fathers of the Baptist body of faith. Another early pioneer of Baptist thought was Thomas Helwys. Influenced by Smyth and later baptized by him, Helwys would eventually become pastor of the first recognized Baptist congregation in England. Helwys, was also greatly influenced by the Dutch theologian Jacob Arminius and his strong beliefs on free will. As Helwys brought leadership to this new movement he added to the Baptist evolutionary process by also becoming a strong advocate of free will and by advocating that Christ's death on the cross was sufficient to save all human beings. In time there arose more and more local congregations that combined the beliefs of the Separatists and the Congregationalists. Beliefs in these congregations continued to evolve as baptism in these congregations now was carried out only by immersion. By the year 1640 these congregations were commonly being referred to as Baptist Churches because of their strong beliefs about baptism. While the church of England was slowly giving birth to Baptist congregations in England, the church of England in the new world (America) was also experiencing a similar evolution. Roger Williams an ordained Anglican priest was one of many clergymen in the new world who were also strongly influenced by Separatist and Congregational beliefs and practices. In 1629, Williams formally disavowed the church of England stating that it was a false church and in time he would start his own congregation in Providence. It was this congregation that is largely recognized as the first Baptist congregation in the new world. But others would quickly follow. John Clarke a pastor and physician would become the founder of the second Baptist congregation in the new world. Clarke's congregation was birthed in Newport Rhode Island in the year 1644. As settlers moved west and south through the colonies, as revivals took place, more and more Baptist congregations were born in the new world. In the year 1700, there were only 24 Baptist churches organized in the new world consisting of about 830 members, but by the end of the century, Baptists had grown to be the largest organized church in American. As a body of faith Baptist denominations and local churches are still growing today. Currently those who call themselves Baptist make up the second largest body of believers in the United States. As Baptists congregations sought to strengthen their mission outreach they have joined together in voluntary associations and conventions with other Baptist congregations to do ministry. For example in 1845 Baptists congregations in the south would join together in a voluntary union to form the Southern Baptist Convention. Today this convention in the United States is the largest union of Baptist churches with a membership of over 16 million members. In 1895 black Baptist congregations finding expanding life of their own after emancipation would come together to form the National Baptist Convention of America. In 1907 Baptist congregations in the north would also come together to form the Northern Baptist Convention, later in 1950 this Convention would become the American Baptist Convention. As the American Baptist Convention continued to evolve and grow, in the year 1972 once again it would change its name becoming the American Baptist Churches in the USA. American Baptists in America have about 3 million members. First Baptist-Delavan is one of the hundreds of churches that are in the American Baptist denomination. Read more | 0 comments
Posted By Pastor Mike at 9:24 AM in Category:About Baptist History
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