For some that question, “why am I still a Baptist,” may sound silly. Why wouldn’t I be? But for many others, especially for those who, like me, spend a lot of time reading and discussing theology online, it would seem like the most reasonable question in the world.

Some people associate the Baptist tradition with theological buzzwords such as; novelty, anti-intellectualism, and unconventional worship. Therefore, there can be an element of surprise in online chatrooms when people discover that I am huge fan of church history, big on theological study, and a strong proponent of reverent worship. As a result, I am often met with comments implying that I’ll become Presbyterian or Anglican soon enough. While those comments might initially seem baseless, they actually reflect a harsh reality Baptists must recognize.

Many of the people I encounter in theological chatrooms, be they specifically Protestant or broadly Christian, are former Evangelicals, including Baptists. At seemingly increasing rates, many theologically astute, historically minded, and, in some cases, formally educated Baptist young people are embracing other religious traditions. Frankly, for those former-Baptists, it is understandably surprising that I have not moved on, too.

Before I address why am I staying, let’s address why are they leaving.

Theological Trends

While there are surely others, I believe there three recent theological trends (what I will label as “movements”) that have played a role in many young devout Baptists leaving the Baptist tradition:

The Confessional Movement. I have observed that, especially in the aftermath of New Calvinism, a sizeable number of young Calvinistic Baptists have become Presbyterian or Dutch Reformed. After recently taking up the “Reformed” label and the 5 points of Calvinism, many newly “reformed” Evangelicals encounter the wider Reformed tradition. This encounter is understandably felt as a breath of fresh air, and often leads to a utter dissatisfaction with the theology and theological statements of their Evangelical churches in the face of the robust and historic systematic theology of the Reformed tradition. Whether beginning with Ligon Duncan’s covenant theology lecture series or primary sources (e.g. the Westminster divines or Calvin himself), many Baptistic New Calvinists embrace the paedobaptism of the Reformed tradition they came to strongly admire. Beginning with paedobaptism, many of these now former-Baptists are then quick to embrace what they understand to be the entire Reformed, confessional tradition; Presbyterian/presbyterial polity, Sabbatarianism, et al. The Liturgical/High Church Movement. My second observation is that, often building on the aforementioned “confessional” movement, there is a growing liturgical/high church movement. Though many are content with what they regarded as a more historically minded theology, others begin to seek what they consider a more historically minded worship. This search often begins with an unease regarding the contemporary, charismatic influenced worship which is present in many Baptist and Evangelical churches. The contemporary style has started to strike many as irreverent, ahistorical, disrespectful, and unfulfilling. In response, young Baptists and Evangelicals seek “high church” worship; this high church worship (often associated with the term “smells & bells”) appealing to their desire for historicity, reverence, and beauty. While some, especially those firmly rooted in Reformed theology, might have been content in a high church Presbyterian and Anglican context or a liturgical Dutch Reformed congregation, a growing number of ex-Baptists and Evangelicals make this pursuit of liturgical and high church worship the absolute priority in their religious life, eventually entering Lutheran and Anglo-Catholic churches and embracing those theological traditions as a result. The Apostolic Movement. Finally, young Evangelicals, Baptists included, experience the pain of being in what they consider a “rootless” church. Similar, and often linked to the other movements, the desire for historicity creates an “identity crisis.” They become concerned about the reality that their church does not look like, sound like, or feel like the churches of the Church Fathers. They become concerned about the lack of visible and felt connection between their church experience and that of the earliest post-apostolic era Christians. Along with these questions of identity come questions of authority, tradition, and unity. Eventually and unfortunately, many come to the conclusion that they must join an “Apostolic Church:” They become convinced they must abandon their Evangelical tradition in favour of Roman Catholicism or Eastern Orthodoxy, Churches which both claim to have rightly preserved the ancient worship and theology of the Apostles and their successors.

The Harsh Reality

You may not have seen any of these trends in your churches. But, be aware: In the online Christian world, these are truly formative trends, especially among young, theologically interested Evangelicals. I have and continue to witness them firsthand.

I have seen a number of my Baptist friends, young men who were active in their Baptist churches and committed to their Baptist families, walk away from their Baptist tradition to become Covenanter Presbyterians, Confessional Lutherans, and devout Roman Catholics. As far as I can tell, they are not unintelligent or disingenuous people, and there are many of them. So, it is worth asking, in light of these popular theological trends, which represent sensible concern, desires, and potential problems within the Baptist tradition, why am I still a Baptist?