When I was a seminary student we had to write a paper stating why we were Southern Baptist? Four decades later I was going through some old files and came across that paper and thought this would make an interesting blog. So here goes.
In I Peter 3:9
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people
We as Southern Baptists are just that, a "PECULIAR" people. In 1986 this was what I wrote.
WE ARE-
More independent than independent Baptist
More Biblical than Biblical Baptist
More Conservative : than the conservative Baptist
More nation wide: than the American Baptist
More Consistent than Regular Baptist
More missionary in practice: Than the missionary Baptist
Harder to "budge" than the Hard Shell Baptist
More Fundamental than the Fundamental Baptist
More united: than the United Baptist
Exercise more freewill: Thank The Freewill Baptist ( That are older) than the primitive Baptist
Have church further North: Than the Northern Baptist
** The thing that keeps attracting me to being a Southern Baptist is two things ( This is still true today.)
1- We believe that the Bible is the divinely inspired Word of the Living God.
2- The Cooperative Program. I still believe that we can do more together than we can separately. Are there problems YES but the problems can be fixed with-out dismantleing the entire program. United in one cause to win the world for the cause of Christ.