Methodist vs Baptist

Methodists and Baptists are both Christian faiths that have a lot of similarities but in many ways, also have different views and doctrines. Both Methodist and Baptist believe in God, the Bible and the works and teaching of Jesus who they accept as   Christ, the savior of humanity.

In essence, they both believe in baptism and communion as fundamental sacraments but it is also where their differences lie. Methodists allow the baptism of infants, youth, and adults. They are not discriminating about individuals’ age and mental maturity. They also allow different forms of baptism methods as they perform them with immersion, sprinkling, and pouring. For Methodists, communion is welcome to all.

Baptists, on the other hand, perform baptism only to confessing youth and adults. Baptism of infants is not practiced since they believe that it should only be administered to individuals who are capable of understanding the true meaning of the rite and also capable of understanding faith. Baptists also perform baptism strictly by immersion. They practice closed communion where the table is only open for baptized church members.

In terms of governance, the Methodists have bishops where they have an Episcopal organization. Bishops assign pastors to various congregations. However before the bishop takes that action, a consultation with the congregation takes place. Methodist congregations are also linked to one another. Baptists are more independent in terms of governance per congregation. They choose their own pastors.

Baptists maintain the doctrine of the “perseverance of saints” where an expression of “once saved, always saved” prevails. Baptists teach that once one is saved, that person cannot fall from grace which is completely in conflict with Methodists views. Methodists believe that it is the person’s choice to be saved and one can fall from grace by not following God therefore losing salvation.

Based on observation, Baptists tend to be stricter and largely fundamentalists. Their sole basis for faith is the Bible and they consider it infallible. Methodists are more loose and broader in their beliefs. Some can be fundamentalists while some are liberals. They consider their faith based on the Bible, reason, tradition, and personal experience.

Summary:

1. Methodists baptize infants while Baptists only baptizes adults and the youth capable of understanding faith.
2. Methodists perform baptism with immersion, sprinkling, and pouring while Baptists do their baptisms only with immersion.
3. Methodists practice open communion in which the rite is open to all while Baptists carry out closed communions.
4. Methodists have a system of Episcopal Hierarchy of governance while Baptists have congregational independence.
5. Methodists give the bishops the authority to assign pastors to congregations while with Baptists, the congregation choose its own pastor.
6. Methodists believe that it is the person’s choosing to be saved while Baptists maintain that once a person saved, the person is always saved and cannot fall from grace.
7. Methodists are generally less fundamental while Baptists are primarily fundamentalists.