SBC vs. AOG

[Vince Massi]

Yahoo News reports that the Southern Baptist convention has declined in membership for the ninth year in a row. It also reports:

"The Assemblies of God, now the second-largest evangelical denomination in the U.S., has seen 25 straight years of growth, and its views are similar to the SBC?s. Likewise, nondenominational churches, most quite conservative, are exploding in numbers and membership. Meanwhile, the more liberal denominations are in a much steeper decline than the SBC."

 

[subllibrm]

Nice to see you Vince. How's your sister?

 

[sword]

Yahoo News reports that the Southern Baptist convention has declined in membership for the ninth year in a row. It also reports:
"The Assemblies of God, now the second-largest evangelical denomination in the U.S., has seen 25 straight years of growth, and its views are similar to the SBC?s. Likewise, nondenominational churches, most quite conservative, are exploding in numbers and membership. Meanwhile, the more liberal denominations are in a much steeper decline than the SBC."

Except for speaking in tongues and healing the sick, I think I agree with most of their tenets of faith.

 

[Walt]

Yahoo News reports that the Southern Baptist convention has declined in membership for the ninth year in a row. It also reports:

"The Assemblies of God, now the second-largest evangelical denomination in the U.S., has seen 25 straight years of growth, and its views are similar to the SBC?s. Likewise, nondenominational churches, most quite conservative, are exploding in numbers and membership. Meanwhile, the more liberal denominations are in a much steeper decline than the SBC."

I don't know if it is safe to make any assumptions about the numbers.  We know that the Scriptures tell us that apostates, in the last days, will heap to themselves teachers that will make them feel good.  So, as we approach the end times, there may be an increase in apostate churches.

Or maybe God is sending last-minute revival.

It is wrong to assume that growth = the blessing of God.  When the IFB churches were growing like crazy, they kept using the big numbers  = God is blessing philosophy.  Hyles and his followers were terrible at this with the "show me YOUR string of fish", implying that JH couldn't be criticized with his large numbers.

 

[bgwilkinson]

Yahoo News reports that the Southern Baptist convention has declined in membership for the ninth year in a row. It also reports:

"The Assemblies of God, now the second-largest evangelical denomination in the U.S., has seen 25 straight years of growth, and its views are similar to the SBC?s. Likewise, nondenominational churches, most quite conservative, are exploding in numbers and membership. Meanwhile, the more liberal denominations are in a much steeper decline than the SBC."

I don't know if it is safe to make any assumptions about the numbers.  We know that the Scriptures tell us that apostates, in the last days, will heap to themselves teachers that will make them feel good.  So, as we approach the end times, there may be an increase in apostate churches.

Or maybe God is sending last-minute revival.

It is wrong to assume that growth = the blessing of God.  When the IFB churches were growing like crazy, they kept using the big numbers  = God is blessing philosophy.  Hyles and his followers were terrible at this with the "show me YOUR string of fish", implying that JH couldn't be criticized with his large numbers.

Yep, we had thousands of fish but many of them were dead and we didn't know it.

 

[Vince Massi]

i agree with Walt that numbers are not proof of the blessing of God.

But HAC taught me that every year, the IFBs were increasing, while the SBC was decreasing. They did not tell us that the charismatics wee growing rapidly all over the world, nor did they tell us that Baptists are a mostly US phenomenon. To be fair, they did tell us that half the Baptist churches in the world were in Texas.

Incidentally, I?m an IFB who attends a soulwinning Assemblies of God church.

 

[Route_70]

numbers are not proof of the blessing of God.

Tell that to Abraham.

 

[Vince Massi]

numbers are not proof of the blessing of God.

Tell that to Abraham.

I stand corrected. SOMETIMES, numbers are the result of the blessing of God. Abraham, Job, and the day of Pentecost are all examples of numbers being the result of God?s blessing.

 

[TonyHutsonComedian]

Well you know how Jack Hyles felt about the A.O.G./TBN/PTL Club and the SBC. He felt they were all too liberal and made light of them. Today, Comedian Tony Hutson puts the charismatics on full blast saying "They're straight out of hell".

 

[Walt]

numbers are not proof of the blessing of God.

Tell that to Abraham.

I stand corrected. SOMETIMES, numbers are the result of the blessing of God. Abraham, Job, and the day of Pentecost are all examples of numbers being the result of God?s blessing.

Exactly.  Sometimes God will bless with numbers, and we rejoice.  But numbers are not proof that God is blessing.  After all, there are more lost than saved.  The majority may rule, but the majority does not make something right.

 

[T-Bone]

Well you know how Jack Hyles felt about the A.O.G./TBN/PTL Club and the SBC. He felt they were all too liberal and made light of them. Today, Comedian Tony Hutson puts the charismatics on full blast saying "They're straight out of hell".

Clearly both Tony Hudson & Jack Hyles are & were ignorant idiots.

 

[Vince Massi]

Welcome aboard, Tony. When I was at HAC, the Sword of the Lord occasionally mentioned that Jack Hyles and John R. Rice had spoken together at a Southern Baptist meeting. But I do remember being surprised when it reported that they had spoken at an AOG meeting.

And Brother Hyles himself told us when he had been a speaker at a Presbyterian conference.

 

[Twisted]

And Brother Hyles himself told us when he had been a speaker at a Presbyterian conference.

Anything for a love offering.

 

[NorrinRadd]

Yahoo News reports that the Southern Baptist convention has declined in membership for the ninth year in a row. It also reports:
"The Assemblies of God, now the second-largest evangelical denomination in the U.S., has seen 25 straight years of growth, and its views are similar to the SBC?s. Likewise, nondenominational churches, most quite conservative, are exploding in numbers and membership. Meanwhile, the more liberal denominations are in a much steeper decline than the SBC."

Except for speaking in tongues and healing the sick, I think I agree with most of their tenets of faith.

FWIW:

The 16 "Fundamental Truths" of the AG (condensed version)

The index page to their official "Position Papers" on numerous topics, including details about some of the items among the Fundamental Truths.

 

[Vince Massi]

I do see a comical side to their VERY long, very deep theological expositions on why it is all right to have women preachers.

 

[Route_70]

I do see a comical side to their VERY long, very deep theological expositions on why it is all right to have women preachers.

I don't find in the Bible where a woman cannot be a preacher.

 

[Baptist City Holdout]

Yahoo News reports that the Southern Baptist convention has declined in membership for the ninth year in a row. It also reports:
"The Assemblies of God, now the second-largest evangelical denomination in the U.S., has seen 25 straight years of growth, and its views are similar to the SBC?s. Likewise, nondenominational churches, most quite conservative, are exploding in numbers and membership. Meanwhile, the more liberal denominations are in a much steeper decline than the SBC."

Except for speaking in tongues and healing the sick, I think I agree with most of their tenets of faith.

We're spiritual cousins. Different grandmother on the Eternal security side.

 

[NorrinRadd]

I do see a comical side to their VERY long, very deep theological expositions on why it is all right to have women preachers.

I find it more sad than comical.

It really shouldn't be necessary to adduce as support much more than Acts 2:17-18 and Gal. 3:28, but stiff-necked ignorant patriarchalists insist on wielding their various "clobber texts," and egalitarians are rather obliged to answer.

 

[Twisted]

I don't find in the Bible where a woman cannot be a preacher.

True.  But they are forbidden to hold authority over men in the local assembly, which means they cannot pastor.

My wife has preached at me for 29 years.

 

[NorrinRadd]

I don't find in the Bible where a woman cannot be a preacher.

True.  But they are forbidden to hold authority over men in the local assembly, which means they cannot pastor.

...

The fact that patriarchalists continue to insist on this is the reason that we egalitarians have to produce detailed defenses of our position and refutations of yours.