Baptist HistoryLesson 33

A Survey of Calvinistic Baptist History from 1950 forward

We’re not the only Baptists who believe the Doctrines of Grace!

1. Contemporary history is difficult!

•People have myopic vision

•Participants are often still alive•All aspects of Reformed Baptist history are not particularly pretty

Reformed Baptist history has probably been neglected because in some ways it can be very painful and awkward to pursue that subject very far –especially in attempting to draw conclusions about what has happened. Sadly, our modern history has included such painful, grieving things as: immorality, other unfaithfulness, and in some cases outright apostasy by leaders; divisions within local churches and between local churches; personality conflicts and possibly rivalries; pastors treating sheep and other churches abusively; perhaps in some cases people treating pastors abusively; etc. We could go on, but we certainly have our dirty laundry which is in many ways hard to face, and which in many regards should not be our focus – David Merck unpublished notes: Modern Church History-Module Six , p. 342

Pastor Stu “David, take a Chronicles view”

2. Reformed Baptists Churches (movement?) is/are so very small

74,000 + Baptist Churches

350 RB chs

3. But we will study because• It is our history• It has importance

Condition of the Protestant Church in the mid 20th century

1. The Mainline denominations had all but lost the gospel

2. The largest evangelical denomination (SBC) could be characterized by “atheological pragmatism” and described as “programmatic” in its operation

3. Rise of Independent Fundamental Baptists

4. All efforts by conservatives to reform the NBC failed resulting in the

formation of the GARBC in 1933 and the CBC in 1947

5. New phenomena of the city wide crusade

Could you find emphasis on grace anywhere?

Decisions, decisions, decisions!

Rise or Revival of Reformed Theology

1. Writings of A.W. Pink

Arthur W. Pink(1886-1952)

1922 “Studies in Scripture”

1918 “Sovereignty of God”

I. C. Herendeen The Bible Truth Depot

2. Ministry of David Martin Lloyd-Jones

D. Martin Lloyd-Jones

(1899-1981)

Bethlehem Evangelical Church

Iain H. Murray

(1931-

1955 First Issue of Banner of Truth magazine

1957 Formation of The Banner

of Truth Trust

“To republish Reformed literature in this country”

3. Establishment of the Banner of Truth Trust

4. Other Christian publishers

Jay Green and Sovereign Grace Publishers

But what about the Baptists?

Sovereign Grace Baptists

Rolfe P Barnard(1904-1969)

Influence of Rolfe Barnard

•Parents dedicated him to Jesus•Hardin Simmons College age 15! Pres of Infidel club•School teacher in West Texas•“the battle was fought out – God won!•SWBTS – W.T. Conner/sermons of B.H.Carroll•1946-1951 PBC

1950 Ashland Kentucky

1954 – Sovereign Grace Bible Conference in Ashland

Sovereign Grace Baptist ChurchesSouth, Southwest, Ohio and MichiganThoroughly Calvinist in soteriologyDiffer from RB in covenant theology, abiding nature of the SabbathMany (most) remain pre-mil in eschatology; Landmark in ecclesiology

No direct link from Sovereign Grace Baptists to present day Reformed Baptist

First distinctly Reformed Baptist Church: Grace Baptist, Carlisle, PA

Ernie Reisinger(1919-2004)

•Converted 1942•Returned to Carlisle; began lay ministry

•1951 Grace Chapel founded

Ernie with Walt ChantryCa. 1996

•Walter Chantry enters Dickenson College 1956

“A carpenter who has been my spiritual father and principle teacher in the faith”

•1959 adopted 1689 Confession of Faith

•1963 Walt becomes interim the full time pastor

•1966 sponsored first Pastor’s Conference

Carlisle’s contributions:

•Passion to plant other churches

•Home of Banner of Truth US office

•Began Reformed Baptist Family Conference 1970

Pine Brook; Harvey Cedars; Massanetta Springs; Eagle EyrieLycoming College, Williamsport; Tuscarora Inn, Mt. Bethel, PA

•Reformed Baptist Association - 1969

•Reformed Baptist Mission Service - 1985

24 chs in 1997Ca. 75 today

Other churches in the NE in the 1960’s – 1970’s

•Paradise, PA Charles Barnhart•Grace Fellowship, Hazelton, PA Tedd Trip•Grace Baptist, Chambersburg, PA, •Faith RB, Media Wayne Mack/Bruce Ray•John Reisinger-Rochester/Webster: Bill Franklin

Trinity Baptist Church – Montville, NJ

Albert N. Martin

Greatest influence

•Trinity Pulpit tape ministry

•Pastor Martin’s conference ministry

•Trinity Ministerial Academy - 1977

•Trinity Pastors Conference - 1985

As a word of summary at this point, it is generally recognized that Walt Chantry has had a profound influence among and beyond Reformed Baptists especially through his writing, while Al Martin has had his most profound influence through his preaching - not only through tapes of messages, but at many conferences and speaking engagements as well.

Merck, pg 387

How about the rest of America?

Reformed Baptist Churches are located in almost all 50 states

http://www.farese.com/

360 + congregations listed on Johnny Farese’s web site:

Rise of Calvinism in other ‘movements’

Our purpose is to encourage pastors, students and church leaders to recover the gospel of God's grace and work for the spiritual health and reformation of local churches. Our abiding concerns:

We desire to be orthodox without being obnoxious. We want to be confessional, yet contemporary. We are Southern Baptist, though not sectarian. Our goal is to be doctrinally and devotionally balanced.

“The Southern Baptist Conference on the Faith of our Founders”

Memphis, July 1983

Ernest Reisinger and distribution of Boyce’s Abstracts of Theology

Rise of NEW CALVINISM in many evangelical denominations

Collin Hansen Young, Restless, Reformed

‘the grass withers, the flower fades,but the Word of our God endures forever!