This article will only give a glimpse of the progressive departures which have occurred among the Primitive Baptists. For those that want to do an exhaustive study I recommend they start with the book; Fifty years Among the Baptists, written by David Benedict; his book covers the time in which the modern missionary movement came into fruition; he was an avid supporter of that movement and all of its new liberal/progressive practices and benevolent societies. He unintentionally makes the case against all the new progressive practices showing they were not known among the Baptist family until introduced during and subsequent to the modern missionary movement. For the purposes of this article, we quote and recommend the 1937 Nashville peace meeting recommendations as a good historical document which gives the positions held by Primitive Baptists concerning liberal/progressive practices. To read the complete document connect to internet link A, listed at the close of this article. It should be noted that, there were other meetings in later years that closely emulated the Nashville meeting. One was the National Peace meeting of Primitive Baptists held at Harmony Church, Donaldson, Arkansas in 1953. You may read the account of that meeting as well as other meetings on the Primitive Baptists library website. (See internet link D below)

The ancient Baptists who emanated from Christ, John the Baptist and the Apostles were not slack in their opposition to false doctrines and practices; neither were they slack in following scriptural church discipline. They did not allow gross sins to exist in the Church, they did not pay their ministers salaries, their ministers did not teach the members to tithe, they did not play musical instruments in church services, they did not establish any auxiliary society as an aid to the church, they did not teach that the Commandments Christ gave the Apostles was a great commission to the Church, they never formed or supported outreach ministries, no scheme of bible classes were ever established among them but their ministers taught church gatherings by the preached word. Their ministers expounded the word of God to seekers of the truth without the aid of a bible class society. These things had no following in the Baptist family; thats not to say that you can't find some reference to someone in history that went by the name Baptist that violated one of the above mentioned things. But you will not be able to find that as a people those things were ever practiced. The reason our Baptist forefathers did not teach or practice those things is because the record that Christ and the Apostles left us in the Scriptures does not support them and the scriptures are the only rule of faith and practice. "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." (2 Timothy3:16-17) Since the scriptures do not support the above false teachings or practices it should be enough to persuade the honest, peace loving, person to leave them along. The following is a brief historic look at past and present liberal/progressive practices which our Baptist forefathers correctly stood against:

Elder Walter Cash who lived and labored during the turn of the century progressive movement among the Primitive Baptists made the following statement: "Along about the year 1900 a movement began in the Primitive Baptist ranks that culminated in much distress, and division in some localities, before its close. The announced intention was to revive languishing churches and put new life into the cause by discarding traditional practices, and by means of more popular preaching and vigorous measures to build up the congregation, and as a result of this the churches would be built up." Elder Cash also stated: "This movement led some churches out of the connection of the Primitive Baptists. They are known as progressives." While the term Liberal is being used today, the term Progressive was used during that day to identify those who promoted unscriptural practices which are essentially the same ones being re-introduced today. In about 1890, the Burnam Pence faction of the Regular Baptists introduced Sunday schools/bible classes, musical instruments and missions; see The Church of God by Elder Lee Hanks, page 166. Then around 1900 leaders J.V Kirkland, R. S. Kirkland and H. L. Todd introduced new ideas and practices which included the idea that the so called Great Commission was given to the Church. They promoted the idea that changing of our practices would result in building up our churches. The use of musical instruments was introduced into some Primitive Baptists Churches in Georgia around the year 1908. Those Primitive Baptists have not been fellowshipped by the main body of Old line Primitive Baptists since their refusal to stop using instrumental music in their services. Item 14 of the Nashville peace meeting stated "As to the use of organs or other musical instruments in our churches, we will say that they were first introduced into church service by Papal Rome. Our people have always objected to them."

Elder Cash publicly identified and opposed those in his day that promoted unscriptural practices; we should do the same today. You can read more of Elder Cashs account of that movement and his opposition to it at internet Link B listed below. You can also read an article by Elder Cash concerning the instrumental music question in Georgia at link C. Much more information concerning the stand against progressive measures can be obtained from the Primitive Baptist Library at internet link D listed below.

It has been a tenet of progressive movements to promote outreaches to the world, usually under the ruse of spreading the gospel, in order to add numbers to the church. No matter how sincere their want to share the gospel may be; the manner in which they reach out to the world cannot be supported by the scriptural record. The true Church never reaches out to the world but fellowships and communes only with those who have already come out from the world in faith and practice. (II Corinthians 6:14-18) The scriptures do not teach that the Apostles went to the world in general to proselyte new disciples but they without exception went as the Spirit led them and there was a specific person or people the Spirit was leading them to. There is a vast difference in this practice and with the progressive outreach to the world. Two good scriptural examples that teach the difference are: Phillip and the Eunuch and Peter and the Centurion. (Acts 8:26-40 and Acts 10 respectfully) A careful reading of the writings of the Apostles will reveal that they followed the tenets that both examples teach. The recent missionary endeavor to the Philippines by Elder Gus Harter and others; and the more recent endeavors into the African nation by Elder Sam Bryant, Elder Vernon Johnson and others reveal more about the zeal of man than it does about the Lord leading them. Since this new progressive missionism began among the Old Baptist, starting in the 1990s, there has been no credible evidence that the Lord is in the matter. On the Contrary there is ample evidence that this new effort is another attempt by over zealous men to spread the gospel to the world.

In recent years Elder Lasserre Bradley Jr. began filling appointments at the Statesboro Primitive Baptist Church in Savannah Georgia. This church is a progressive church as their Choir, organist, pianist, pastors choir, bible classes and other practices such as worldly outreaches attest too. Elder Bradleys open fellowship for the progressives should end the support of all Primitive Baptists that have been on the fence concerning him. The accepted practice among the Primitive Baptists concerning visiting and preaching for other people is expressed in item 15 of the Nashville recommendations, which is as follows: "Let us be careful to try to be conservative at all times, and not do things that are not expedient. We would utter the same note of warning to brethren in regard to visiting sections or places other than our own regularly established churches, that great care be exercised to give every evidence that such labors are bestowed for the purpose of correction and not condonement. We deem it to be hurtful, not only to the cause in general, but to the brethren as well who might make such visits without such caution." I have seen no evidence that Elder Bradley is fellowshipping the progressives in order to change their liberal practices but to the contrary there is ample evidence that he does not support Primitive Baptist practices as he once claim too.

It has been the practice of the true Church to not receive the Baptisms of people they are not in fellowship with. Not only would this include other orders such as Methodist or the Missionary Baptists, but it would also include Primitive Baptist churches in name that has gone into disorder or that were constituted while in disorder. Any candidate coming from such churches, having made any necessary and proper acknowledgements, must be baptized unless they can show they were baptized by an Elder of an orderly church in the past. This is discussed in item 17 of the Nashville peace meeting recommendations which states: "It has ever been the practice of the Primitive Baptists to reject baptism as administered by other people, and to receive no one from other people on the baptism administered by that people - any people." In the 1990s a significan't change in this practice occurred in the Original Sequatchie valley Blue Ridge association. Elder Joe Hildreth led the Chattanooga Primitive Baptist Church away from sound practices when they refused to baptize a member who had come from a church which was not in fellowship with the main body of Primitive Baptist The churches of the Powells Valley association with the support of all the surrounding associations did not fellowship these churches for approximately thirty years. The Powells Valley association churches were rightfully offended by Chattanoogas action of re-evaluating the causes of the division in 1960 and concluding that this baptism performed during the thirty years they were not fellowshipped was valid. This liberal decision was not made as a result of the parties of the division coming together and agreeing to accept each others work; but it was solely the decision of Chattanooga Church and a group of Elders they counseled with to recognize the work of a disorderly church. The decision signaled the start of a rapid turn from time honored principles by a large number of Primitive Baptists who supported the decision of the Chattanooga Church.

Today there are a growing number of Churches going by the Name Primitive Baptist that are advertising weekly bible study classes. It is alarming to learn of the places that have now started that unscriptural practice. Union church in the Mud Creek association of Alabama where Elder Gene Thomas has preached for nearly sixty years is now having bible study classes; Flint River Primitive Baptist Church of north Alabama who will celebrate 200 years as an organized church in October 2008 has also started advertising a weekly bible study class. The introduction of bible classes and other societies in the church has always caused confusion and division among orderly Primitive Baptists. In item18 of the Nashville peace meeting recommendations, the brethren said: "As to Sunday schools, Bible classes, aid societies, or any other such societies as have been invented by the world and engaged in by them, we consider all such as a departure from the original ground and principles which the Primitive Baptists have held to all along the line. The way such things usually get into the church is by the assuming of some name that may lead our people to think there is no harm in it; but such innovations and departures always grow, and result in trouble and distress among our people. They should be let severely alone. If we want peace, the way to have it is to let all things alone that bring trouble. Our people spoke out in no uncertain terms on Progressive measures years ago in the trouble with the Kirklands and others". I can only conclude that the churches who are accepting the re-introduced progressive practices no longer cherish peace with orderly Primitive Baptists. Therefore they should change their name to reflect their walk. But rather than leaving the Primitive Baptists, as would be the honorable thing to do, todays builders continue to claim the name Old Line Primitive Baptists thereby tarnishing the name by practicing things that the Primitive Baptists have always stood against. This they are doing unabashedly therefore the following scripture applies to them: "Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness." (Proverbs 30:20) - Elder Claude McKee

Link A

www.essentialbaptistprinciples.org/ebp_published_articles/nashville_peace_meeting_recommendations.htm

Link B

www.essentialbaptistprinciples.org/ebp_published_articles/progressive_movement.htm.

Link C

www.essentialbaptistprinciples.org/ebp_published_articles/organ_music_in_church.htm

Link D

www.pblib.org/Resolutions.html