Why Baptists Aren't Protestants

ON THIS REFORMATION DAY (10/31/24) let us be reminded why we Baptists don't view ourselves as a product of the Reformation, i.e. why we do don’t believe that our heritage is traced to Protestants who came out of the Roman Catholic Church.

The key reason that we do not view ourselves as products of the Reformation is that Scripture demands that biblical churches would exist continuously from the first century forward, i.e. without a need to re-establish such churches through a Reformation movement.

Where does Scripture demand this? First, in Matthew 16:18, Jesus promised to build his church upon himself -- and that "the gates of hell" would not "prevail against it." Second, we observe in Ephesians 3:21 that Christ would be glorified in the churches "throughout all ages." Both of these verses demand the continuous existence of biblical assemblies -- from the first century through this century.

Who were some of the historical groups that maintained legitimate biblical churches, i.e. in parallel to the development of the Roman Catholic church? Prior to the Reformation, history reveals Baptist-like groups such as the Waldenses, Albigenses, and certain Anabaptists, who are clear spiritual ancestors to modern Baptist assemblies.

Praise God that we have the privilege to understand our heritage - and to see it traced throughout history.

For More Information:

• (Article) The Protestant Persectutions by David Cloud

• (Book) I Will Build My Church: The Doctrine and History of Baptists, Dr. Tom Strouse

• (Article) Five Good Reasons Why Baptists Are Not Protestants
  

Recognizing the 55th Anniversary of Our First Service

In April 2012, Long Hill Baptist Church is celebrating the 55th anniversary of our first worship service.  We praise God for the following notes of encouragement received from pastors, friends, and missionaries serving throughout the United States and around the world.

To the saints and faithful brethren at Long Hill Baptist Church: We give thanks to God for your work of faith and labor of love in our Lord Jesus Christ. That your assembly still contends for the faith once delivered unto the saints, after fifty-five years, is a testimony to the grace and mercy of God. New England is littered with churches that have softened, weakened, and died spiritually. May the living God enrich you in every good work and enable Long Hill Baptist to continue as one of the Lord's candlesticks, faithful until He comes.  - Pastor Ken Brooks and the saints in Christ Jesus at Calvary Independent Baptist Church, West Redding, Connecticut

 Dear Pastor Hammond & Long Hill Baptist Church, We appreciate your long heritage, your pastor, and the flock.  Continue to stand for the LORD, His word, and be used of the LORD as one of His Local Churches. - Your friends at Galilean Baptist Church, Stafford Springs, CT.  

Dear Pastor Hammond, Congratulations on 55 years of serving Christ and faithfully preaching the gospel in Trumbull, CT. I can't imagine how many lives have been gloriously transformed by Christ through your ministry...won't Heaven be spectacular when all of that is revealed. We rejoice with you and pray the Lord will continue to bless you with more fruit for His glory.  Rejoicing With You, Shawn, Leslie, and Anna Beliveau, Your missionaries in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

 Dear Friends at Long Hill Baptist, Congratulations on your 55th anniversary. Through the years of ups and downs, you have had an impact on your community. Our prayer is that many of your best days are ahead.  Our prayers are with you and Pastor Bob as you continue to reach people for Christ and bring glory to our Lord Jesus Christ.  We miss you often, thank God for you and our good years there, and continue to remember you as you serve the Lord in Trumbull.  God bless you all! - Pastor Mark Aheron

Congratulations upon reaching 55 years of serving our Lord through your local church. We feel very privileged to have you as one of our supporting churches. I led two ladies to the Lord this week. This would not be possible if your church and others like you had no interest in missions. I pray your church will have a very long life. Love one another, love your pastor but above all continue a faithful love for our Lord and Savior as He is the reason we serve and survive…  The Shaw family in Mexico

 Pastor Hammond and the congregation of Long Hill Baptist Church, Congratulations on your 55th Anniversary as a church in Connecticut.  We hope that you are able to spend time today celebrating all the wonderful things that God has accomplished through your church over those 55 years. It is quite an accomplishment. As you count what God has done, please remember to include your missionary efforts over the years.  Since you started to support us ten years ago, we have been able to see five churches started here in Kenya …. all in Muslim areas.  Literally thousands of people have come to know Jesus Christ as their Savior because you enabled us to come here through your mission’s offerings.   May God bless you today and bring much joy into your hearts. We pray that He gives you many more years to serve Him.  Bobby Bechtel, Serving in Kenya.

Dear Long Hill Baptist Church, Congratulations on your 55th anniversary! It is so great to hear of congregations who have been faithfully serving the Lord for such a period of time. In these last days, we know that it is not easy to continue standing, and so many have fallen…. Connecticut needs your light, New England needs your light, and the world needs the light of churches like you. Thank you so much for your continued support of our family... It is our desire that the Lord will bless you richly in this new year of service, and also on this your anniversary celebration.  - Your servants for the sake of our Saviour, Matthew, Carrie, Ransom, Jacob and Melody Patenaude

Fanny Crosby: A Portrait of Humility

September 23, 2010

Pastor Bob Hammond

In the opening verses of Jesus' famous Sermon on the Mount,

the Lord proclaimed, "Blessed are theFanny Crosby's tombstone at Mountain Grove Cemetery, Bridgeport, CT. meek: for they shall inherit the earth." (Matthew 5:5)

This week, I had an opportunity to visit Fanny Crosby's grave at Mountain Grove Cemetery in Bridgeport.

Of course, we know Fanny Crosby as the famous writer of more than 3,000 hymns and poems.  What you may not know, is that despite her considerable fame, Fanny Crosby remained a portrait of Christ-like meekness and humility.  

I'm told that sister Fanny once had occasion to visit the grave of P.T. Barnum -- which is located just steps from where she is now buried.  As the blind hymnist felt around the very ornate grave of Mr. Barnum, she expressed dismay at the cost that must have been involved in creating such an elaborate memorial.  She proceeded to decree that her own grave should be marked by only the simplest stone.  Today, her original tombstone is among the smallest in the cemetery.  And it reads simply, "Aunt - Fanny.  She hath done what she could.  Fanny J. Crosby."  

Praise God for the humility of that great Sister in Christ!  Lord, produce in us the same humility.

To God be the Glory (Fanny Crosby)

To God be the glory, great things He hath done

So loved He the world that He gave us His Son

Who yielded His life an atonement for sin

And opened the life-gate that all may go in. 

Refrain: Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear his voice! Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice! O come to the Father thru Jesus the Son, and give him the glory, great things he hath done!

Listen to this hymn

"Lord...with all boldness they may speak thy word."

Pastor Robert Hammond

Acts 4:29:  "And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word."

On March 8, 2010, I was privileged to accompany eight of our church members to the New England Historic Rally at First Baptist Church in America, Providence, Rhode Island.  Bro. David C. Gibbs, III of the Christian Law Association preached a message that challenged us to stand firm in our Christian convictions - despite increasingly more difficult challenges from our secular culture.

As we gathered in the meeting place of the church that Roger Williams founded in 1638, Bro. Gibbs reviewed the current threats to religious liberty in the United States -- ranging from the homosexual movement to activist courts to openly anti-Christian legislators at every level of government.  In 17th-century colonial America, Roger Williams was unlikely to have anticipated many of the specific threats that we face today.  Yet, he was keenly aware of the need to secure religious liberties.  For Williams, that began with planting a New Testament church that would boldly teach people the truth of God's word.

Today, our world is clearly more complex than that of the 17th century.  But the answers to the people and philosophies that threaten our liberties remain the same.  That's because neither our God nor his words have changed one jot or tittle.  Our God remains in control. He remains sovereign over even the most grievous anti-Christian legislators and judges throughout this land.  His words remain the same and His requirements of His people remain the same:  We're called to be people of prayer who boldly speak the truth of Christ.  And we're called to be people who serve our Savior through our local church.

At the close of the service, Brother Gibbs asked two questions.   First, he asked, during the past year, how many people had spent a full hour in prayer on any given day.  He then proceeded to inquire how many people had led at least one person to Christ during the past year.  His are convicting questions. Until more of us can offer God-honoring answers to these questions, our churches will remain weak -- and our country will remain on this same wayward course.  

If we desire to move in another direction, we must become people of prayer who will boldly and regularly share our faith in Christ.   Anything less is certain to bring increasingly greater threats to the liberties that we most cherish.   With that reality in mind, I challenge each of us -- including myself -- to spend significantly more time in prayer today.  I challenge each of us to boldly share the gospel with at least one person today.  And I challenge each of us to be in church this week.  These were the building blocks that formed the foundation of our great nation.  And these are the things that still hold power to correct the course of our families, our churches and our country.

Praise God for His faithfulness to His people!