by Joshua Villines » Thu Sep 15, 2005 11:27 am
John,
Well, a personal relationship with Jesus is possible simply through prayer and the study of Scripture. All mainline denominations, including the Roman Catholic Church, encourage that. They differ, of course, in how that personal relationship should be expressed and in the level of accountability they expect to overall Christian tradition and to the denomination's understanding of orthodoxy.
Since every baptist church is fully autonomous, there is huge diversity among baptist churches regarding how they worship and what they believe. If you are interested in personal accountability, diversity, and church freedom; then a baptist church may be the place for you. Just remember that two different churches may have baptist on the sign out front, and be totally different on the inside.
If you want to learn more about baptist identity you may want to visit and scroll down to the books on Baptist Heritage.
Joshua