Once more into the fray with Independents
March 25, 2014
I know I've banged on about this before and despite my jokes about FIEC wanting to take over the world, I do like the guys in charge. I think the Directors are doing an excellent job there are some pretty remarkable things happening there. A paedobaptist minister who leads a church with mixed leadership and mixed membership A credobaptist minister who leads a dual practice church A credobaptist minister who leads a baptist church with an open membership A credobaptist minister who leads a baptist church with a closed membership
They've recently got ministers in their congregations to write on how they address baptism. There were the 4 articles..
Can you spot the one position that is missing?
A paedobaptist church with paedobaptist elders, as far as I'm aware there's not a congregation within the FIEC that goes along those lines. Chris Bennett wrote a piece for Foundations a number of years ago on why a position on baptism/ paedobaptism should not prohibit men from eldership. From a pragmatic point of view you can see how you arrive at that point however doctrinally it unravels very quickly.
My issue is inevitably within a mixed eldership the Baptist position comes to dominate. I would argue from recent church history that is pretty obvious. My Baptist friends might want to say that that is because it's biblical however my point is we must be able to preach on the sacraments, I want to proclaim infant baptism as well as administer it. Realistically, In a mixed context that is not going to happen is it?
Secondly those of us who subscribe to the Westminster Confession of Faith cannot get round and neither should we want to Chapter 28:5 (interestingly on Ref21 going through the confession that section was surreptitiously absent). It's why Presbyterian churches should refuse to dedicate babies, to do so shows that what we believe about baptism doesn't really matter and downgrades the sacraments. The argument of primary and secondary truths are often used however I've never worked out who are the people who decide what is primary and secondary? Surely it wasn't the people who wrote up the UCCF doctrinal basis? When did the church decide the sacraments were secondary issues?
Thirdly, there is a wider argument on the place of confessions and creeds in British evangelicalism but that's a subject for another day.
Lastly I want genuine fellowship with Baptists, as is often stated I used to be one and I'm from a family of them. I genuinely rejoice in what FIEC are doing, it is a wonderful thing for the gospel to see Free Churches flexing their muscles. Churches are being planted, churches are being strengthened, a route into ministry is being thought through more carefully and funding is available. These are wonderful things that all Christians should rejoice in. Both Presbyterian denominations in England are miniscule and we should really be together, we certainly must be aware of our fragility and grateful for FIEC. As a congregation here in West London we benefit greatly from fellowship with FIEC churches nearby. We are united with our brothers and sisters in FIEC in a longing for churches to be planted and built in the UK.
However I think it would be a mistake for Paedobaptists to think they can go into a church and preach and practice their theology without there being an almighty fall out. Paedobaptists of course can go into the FIEC and accept the rules of independency and settle for mixed eldership for the sake of the gospel however they must accept that it will nearly always lead to the silencing of Paedobaptist theology. I suppose I'm arguing for Baptists to be Baptists and Presbyterians to be Presbyterians which is hardly revolutionary is it?
