Primitive Baptists

Primitive Baptists (also known as Old-School Baptists) are a group of Baptists that have a historical connection to the missionary / anti-missionary controversy that divided Baptists of America in the early part of the 19th century. Those currently denominated Primitive Baptists consist of descendants of churches and ministers that opposed the Baptist Board of Foreign Missions (organized in 1814), as well as other additions to the church such as seminaries, Sunday schools, and temperance societies. Early leaders include Joshua Lawrence, John Leland, Daniel Parker, Sylvester Hassell, Wilson Thompson, and John Taylor.

Other names by which Primitive Baptists are known are Predestinarian Baptists, Old-School Baptists, Regular Baptists, Particular Baptists, and Hardshell Baptists. The word "Primitive" is sometimes taken by those unfamiliar with Primitive Baptists to mean "backward"^{[citation needed]}, but in context of this division among Baptists, it means "original." These churches attempt to retain or restore what is seen as primitive (or original) patterns of Christianity, such as baptism by immersion, family integrated worship, a cappella singing, close (but not closed) communion, and feet washing.

The division of "Primitive Baptists" and "Missionary Baptists" cannot be recognized as occurring at one particular time. The Baptists of the early 19th century were separated by distance and lack of communication. In addition to this, while some congregations were members of regional Baptist “Associations,” each congregation was autonomous. Though some confusion still existed as late as the 1840s, the declaration now known as the Black Rock Address[1] clearly defined the issues and marked the separation of the two different philosophies. Representatives convened at Black Rock, Maryland (now part of the rural community of Butler, Maryland, in Baltimore County, Maryland) on September 28, 1832 and set forth the "Primitive" positions against tract societies, Sunday schools, Bible societies, mission boards, theological schools, and protracted Revival meetings. Though the Black Rock Document illustrated many alterations to Baptist practice, the underlying cause of the modernizations Primitive Baptists rejected was a shift from their historic theological views towards Fullerism, the theological views introduced into the Baptist family by Andrew Fuller^[1].

Sub-groups of Primitive Baptists

The Primitive Baptists can be sub-divided into four main groups: "Mainstream", "Absolute Predestinarian", "Progressive" and "Universalists".

Mainstream

The mainstream Primitive Baptists are the largest group, and make up the vast majority of Primitive or Old School Baptists. Since the churches are autonomous, it is difficult to determine the number of churches or members, but a rough estimate would be around 65,000 members in about 2000 churches in the U.S. While opposing the aforementioned "mission boards", churches among this group are still very evangelistic, with ongoing church planting works in the Philippines, India, Tanzania, Kenya, Russia, and Mexico.^[2]^[3]

Doctrinal beliefs

Mainstream Primitive Baptists believe and teach the doctrines of Grace, which are generally dissected into the five following subjects:^[4]
Total Depravity: Men are, by nature, sinners who reject God and desire wickedness. They are incapable and unwilling to pursue righteousness.
Unconditional election: Before the creation of the universe, God chose, or “elected”, an innumerable group of persons out of every nation, kindren, tongue, and people and predestined them to eternal life. This electing is not conditioned upon any foresight of merit by the individual, but purely by God’s grace.
Particular Redemption: Christ’s redeeming work was performed and accomplished for a specific group, those elected before the creation of the universe, and not for mankind in general. Each for whom Christ died stands redeemed.
The Effectual Call: All those who were elected and redeemed will, during their lives, be “called” by God. This “calling” is also referred to as a “new birth”, “quickening”, or “regeneration” and is descriptive of the instant in a person’s life when he or she realizes that they have the gift of eternal life.
The Preservation of the Saints: All those elected, redeemed, and called will be preserved by God in their state of Spiritual life, and shall not finally fall away from God’s grace or favor.

Mainstream Primitive Baptists are exclusively monergists, denying any means or instrumentality of men or the will of men in the work of regeneration. However, man's obedience or will is involved in the preaching of the gospel, belief, repentance and baptism. Good works, repentance, and faith are indeed encouraged, but are seen as evidences of a gracious state rather than the cause of a person’s eternal salvation.^[5]^[6]^[7]

Primitive Baptist believe that direct hearing and interaction with the Gospel is not essential for Salvation.^[8] Among such cases are elect persons that die in infancy, are mentally deficient, or are in regions where the gospel is not preached.^[9]

While believing in predestination, Primitive Baptist reject the traditional calvinist doctrine of reprobation, or double predestination.^[10]

Two Categories of Salvation (Eternal and Temporal)

Biblically speaking, mainstream Primitive Baptists do not always interpret the word “save” as having reference to an eternal salvation. While they believe that each of God’s elect have been eternally saved solely by God’s grace, they also maintain that elect people can save themselves from the temporal consequences and practice of sin here in this world by personal obedience and discipleship. This temporal salvation associated with discipleship is often referred to as “Time Salvation,” or “Gospel Salvation.” Accordingly, the degree of one’s discipleship, and consequently his temporal salvation, does not influence that person’s eternal standing with God, but only his fellowship and peace during his life.^[11]

Practice

Ministry: Primitive Baptists recognize the only scriptural titles for a minister as being "elder" or "bishop." However, Primitive Baptists typically refrain from the usage of bishop because of the incorrect impressions that would be conveyed under modern connotation.^[12] Primitive Baptists historically reject any sort of a formal seminary for the training of ministers. Rather, younger minsters are trained in a mentor/apprentice relationship with an older, experienced minister, usually his pastor. Also, ministers are expected to learn in the same capacity in which they are expected to teach, in a church setting as opposed to a formal classroom. While Primitive Baptist ministers have no formal ministerial education, biblical scholarship is encouraged and promoted. Additionally, the only curriculum is the Bible. Primitive Baptists ministers are exclusively male.^[13]^[14]

Baptism: Mainstream Primitive Baptists practice Baptism by immersion, sometimes referred to as “believer’s Baptism.” Baptism must only be performed by an ordained minister, and is the ordinance by which a person becomes a member of a Primitive Baptist Church. This baptism is associated with personal discipleship and the temporal salvation of the participant.^[15]

Members of the Primitive Baptist Church in Morehead, Kentucky, attending a creek baptizing by submersion, 1940.

Communion (The Lord’s Supper): Primitive Baptists exclusively use unleavened bread and wine during their communion services, and deny the doctrine of transubstantiation. Communion is reserved only for those who have received a proper Baptism by an ordained Elder of like faith. This practice is referred to as “close communion.”^[16] The majority practice the washing of the saints feet (feet-washing), though there has never been a general consensus among the mainstream.^[17]

Simple Pattern of Worship: Mainstream Primitive Baptist worship services are very simple in design, consisting of a cappella singing, preaching, and public prayer. A cappella singing is traditionally four part harmony under the direction of a “song leader.” Worship services are also family integrated. Any segregation by reason of age or gender is discouraged in public worship.^[14]

Absolute Predestinarians

The Absolute Predestinarians (a small group) hold to the absolute predestination of all things. They reject the teaching that gospel (or "time") salvation is conditioned on obedience. They are often charged with believing that God is the author of sin. They number about 350 churches^{[citation needed]}.

Progressives

The Progressive Primitive Baptists separated from the main body around the turn of the 20th century, and have adopted such practices as Sunday School, instrumental music, homes for the aged, and various auxiliaries to the church. They have about 8,000 members in over 100 churches^{[citation needed]}.

Universalists

Primitive Baptist Universalists form the smallest group and consist of 5 or 6 small associations in Appalachia and 2 or 3 in Louisiana^{[citation needed]} that adapted the theory of universal atonement to the doctrines of Primitive Baptists.

African-American denominations

In addition to these four predominantly white Primitive Baptist groups, there are at least two types of Black Primitive Baptists - Old School and National Primitive Baptist Convention of the U.S.A..

Childhood influence on Abraham Lincoln

The religious training of young Abraham Lincoln occurred in Primitive Baptist churches, particularly Little Mount Separate Baptist and Little Pigeon Creek Primitive Baptist churches. As a consequence, Lincoln later maintained throughout his adult life the "doctrine of necessity" (viz., divine fatalism).^[18]

Notable Primitive Baptists

Former Alabama Governor Guy Hunt was an ordained Primitive Baptist minister.
Former United States Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn was a Primitive Baptist.
James Cash Penney's father was a Primitive Baptist minister.
[[John Leland (Baptist}|John Leland]] was a Primitive Baptist (then anti-missionary) minister. Ben Mozingo

Ricky Harcrow, a current Primitive Baptist minister, was an original member of the music group, Alabama.

Ronnie Lee Milsap a Grammy Award-winning American country music singer and musician.

References

External links

Primitive Baptists at Curlie

[1] What is the Problem with Fullerism

[2] March to Zion:: Articles:: Primitive Baptists in East Africa

[3] ttp://www.whiteuntoharvest.org

[4] Doctrinal Abstract

[5] The Gospel

[6] Irresistible Grace

[7] Conversion and Regeneration

[8] ttp://www.sovgrace.net/index.php/theological-essays/50-polemics/105-the-place-of-the-gospel

[9] ttp://www.pbpage.org/html/extgspl

[10] ttp://www.libertypbc.org/docs/Articles_Sermons/Ten%20Reasons%20Primitive%20Baptist%20are%20not%20Calvinist.pdf

[11] ttp://www.pbpage.org/TimeSalvation.pdf

[12] ttp://pb.org/pbfaq.html#Elders

[13] Primitive Baptist FAQ

[autogenerated1-14] March to Zion:: Documents:: PB FAQ

[15] Primitive Baptist FAQ

[16] ttp://pb.org/pbdocs/close_communion.html

[17] Primitive Baptist FAQ

[18] Allen C. Guelzo | Abraham Lincoln and the Doctrine of Necessity | Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association, 18.1 | The History Cooperative

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