A Baptist Manual of Polity and Practice - Book Report/Review Example

A Baptist Manual College A Baptist Manual Introduction The book d A Baptist Manual of Polity and Practice ed by Norman Maring and Winthrop Hudson is an insightful text that presents a detailed constitution of the Baptist Church. Notably, the Baptist church emerged from other protestant churches after the major split from the original Catholic Church. For this reason, the authors succeed in outlining the foundations of the Baptist polity. In the first chapter, it is evident that the Baptist Church has a strong foundation of its polity that has continued to be followed over the years.

A fact worth noting is that the manual presents a new version of the Baptist polity expected by many members of the church. The manual is notably brief but with specific details of the Baptist Church. The authors give attention to the most critical aspects of the Baptist Church from the local level. This paper will present my reaction after reading the text. Body I found the manual insightful and detailed and it helped me recognize the foundations of the Baptist polity. Specifically, I realized the importance of church meetings for many Baptists as well as the formation of a local church.

In the second chapter, the authors gave attention to church membership outlining some of the outstanding qualifications and responsibilities that each member must exhibit. The Baptist Church recognizes that all the members should be willing to seek the face of God sincerely without any form of hypocrisy (Maring & Hudson, 1991). For this reason, the Baptist Church makes the efforts of bringing together members who are willing to serve God. Each congregation follows a certain procedure in the approval of new members.

Although the Baptist Church promotes open membership, church members are reminded of the need to maintain a close relationship with God and with each other. These are important aspects of the ministry that can help draw new members to the Baptist church. In the third chapter, the authors discuss the role of pastors and deacons as well as the officers of the local church in the Baptist Ministry. The Baptist Church ensures that pastors recognize their call to the ministry and that they play a leading role in proclaiming the word of God (p. 46). Local ministers also play a critical role in the Baptist Ministry.

The manual also highlights the role played by other officers in the local churches and gives attention to specific boards within the local church. In the fifth chapter, the manual discusses the importance of baptism in the Lord’s Supper, which is a critical aspect for Christians. Baptists believe in the act of baptism as a symbolic action, highlighting one’s commitment to serve God and to rely on Christ’s ransom for forgiveness. The Lord’s Supper is also a symbolic meal often celebrated as a memorial meal of Jesus’ last supper on earth (p. 87). In my view, the authors present a detailed explanation of the meaning of baptism and the interpretation of the Lord’s Supper.

The manual also gives attention to the Baptist association at different levels. Many believers need to understand the level of association of the church at different levels. The level of association gives the church members a sense of belonging. Depending on the level of association, the Baptist Church can organize ministry at different levels. Conclusion Evidently, the manual discusses important aspects that define the Baptist Ministry. Without a doubt, readers benefit immensely from a close consideration of the text.

Baptist members get to understand the foundations of the polity with specific details of what the church constitution entails. In the ministry, the manual should help pastors and other ministers clarify the different aspects of the church organization placing emphasis on the open membership. The authors succeed in detailing a new Baptist polity that proves concise yet insightful. Reference Maring, N. H., & Hudson, W. S. (1991). A Baptist manual of Polity and practice. Valley Forge [Pa.: Judson Press.