2006-08-03 16:21:22 · 11 answers · asked by barbaradjt 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
The first two answers are quite WRONG! My Daddy and Papa were southern baptist ministers until they retired - and they didn't retire above poverty level - so there goes embezzlement! To answer your question - Southern Baptist belong to the larger organization of the Southern Baptist Convention and do not adhere strictly to the King James Version of the Bible. Independent Baptist do not have an organization to belong to as they follow the local church teaching that Christ set the example for and they strictly adhere to the King James Version of the Bible. There may be some other small differences, but that is the two dividing differences. I left the Southern Baptist Church and chose Independent as I felt it relied more on the Holy Spirit to lead its worship, and that the Southern Baptist relied too much on the overall organization.
2006-08-03 16:29:55 · answer #1 · answered by dph_40 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've been a member of both groups. I grew up independent, and in the last couple of years God has placed me in a Southern Baptist Church. There really is not much differene. There are some churches that are extremally legalistic, some that are conservative (big difference between the two), and some that are liberal. The biggest difference that I've seen is how they run missions. The SBC generally pools their money together to support missionaries. The SBC missionaries know that they are getting support month in and month out. The independents, on the other hand choose who they support. Independent missionairies do not always know where there support is coming from. There is good on both sides and bad on both sides. I like the fact that the SBC missionaries know they are being taken care of. However, the independents, it seems, have to be more accountable of their actions.
Oh, and SBC have special offering that the Independents do not have.
This is the only real difference I have ever seen.
By the way, the independents do have an organization of their own. Its called the Baptist Bible Fellowship. However, it still has a very independent spirit in itself. Went to BBFI churches a good portion of the time I was growing up, mainly the latter part. Before that, I grew up in a fundemental independent church.
As for worship and music, almost all the churches I have ever seen embrace contemporary worship, with the exception of one, and yes it was an independent church. However, they do still value hymns, and incorporate them in worship right along with modern praise and worship.
2006-08-03 23:46:20 · answer #2 · answered by nom_de_plume30 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Baptists are pretty conservative whether they are Southern or Independant. However, the main difference is that the Indepenent Baptists are more liberal. Their church services will include the more upbeat traditional music, whereas the Southern Baptists are just singing the heck out of those hyms in the hymnal. Their ideology is the same, but the Southern Baptists are just extremely traditional, and serious. The preacher preaches and people listen. The Independent services offer more of an actual Bible study rather than a man preaching/yelling at the congregation. Definitely more relaxed.....
2006-08-03 23:28:50 · answer #3 · answered by Taffi 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Independent Baptists are not part of any kind of convention -- that is, they are completely independent of other churches (thus the name). As far as beliefs go, Independent Baptists tend to be even more strict than Southern Baptists (much music and dancing are considered evil, movies are evil, even the use of contraception at all is sometimes condemned).
2006-08-03 23:30:34 · answer #4 · answered by Patrick 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As I have seen it, Independant Baptists are much more rigid... no dancing, not even holy rollin, they'd remove music completely if they could, no pants on women, long hair and skirts. Once saved always saved but "Sister Betty has gone over to Satan because she drank a beer!!"
2006-08-03 23:26:13 · answer #5 · answered by impossble_dream 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
southern is more strict no smoking drinking no fun i grew up in a southern baptist home im lucky my parents let me live
2006-08-03 23:28:56 · answer #6 · answered by james j 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
SBC wants to be 'liked' by everyone, so they suck up to worldly influences.
2006-08-04 05:17:21 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Being able to dance.
2006-08-03 23:26:38 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
the amount of money that the preacher embezzles.
2006-08-03 23:24:02 · answer #9 · answered by ♥ LILY♥ 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
God knows!
(Sacarstic answer btw)
2006-08-03 23:25:33 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋