Baptists (evangelical Denominations And Independent Baptist Churches)

Numerous Baptist groups and independent Baptist congregations exist in North America. The following entry is a general discussion of worship and related ministries in independent and evangelical Baptist churches. The proliferation of types of Baptist churches and groups indicate that these bodies may differ in various areas of theology and practice, while maintaining Baptist distinctives and essentials. However, within the orbit of evangelical Baptist churches, certain generalities hold true with respect to the role of women, children's ministries, social action, and spiritual formation. Role of Women Few women are ordained by independent and evangelical Baptist churches. Because there is no central governing authority at the denominational level, each church is free to establish its own policy on this matter. The majority of Baptist churches take a prohibitive posture on women's ordination for both cultural and theological reasons. The exception to these prohibitive norms is rar…