Is baptist a bad word?

[Badword]

Pastor Mike,

I am sure those who are members of baptist churches can say a thousand positive things about being under the title of Baptist. However, how do you deal with the negatives of the name? For instance, when Westburo "Baptist church" gets in the news for picketing the funeral of soldiers and preaching hate how does one counteract that stereotype that is spread all over the airwaves? The average New Orleanian does not know that all of those baptist churches are not related and do not share the same doctrine. However the damage is done regardless. And some will never come to the church simply because of the name baptist and their pre-determined notions of it.

And I am sure at some level myself personally have brought a bad reputation to the name as well. So I stand condemned in that as well as probably all of us have in some way or another. Which I can understand that as my fault. But I guess how do you deal with it when it is someone else's fault? When some nut job baptist says something or does something that is offbeat and very contrary to your local church and it's doctrine but yet we are all lumped under the same name and therefore perceived as one and the same.

[Mike Miller]

To many, Baptist is a bad word. Christian is also a bad word to millions of people. As for those folks at Westboro, when I hear negative comments about them (or others like them), I typically agree with the person speaking. I use that as an opportunity to say something like, "You know, I'm a Baptist, and those folks don't represent anything that I or any other Baptist I've ever known represents. In fact, we Baptists wish they would go away." I turn it around to something favorable.

However, are those people doing damage to us and to the reputation of Christ? Yes. And so do people like Jimmy Swaggart and Ted Haggard when they show themselves as corrupt and hypocritical. I've even had people who live in Jesse Duplantis's neighborhood (not far from our church) tell me that every time they witness to someone, they have to answer questions about his excesses and lifestyle. But also, as you pointed out, most of us can misrepresent Jesus from time to time. Of course, when it's me, I have the ability to make it right. Your question, however, is mainly about those over whom we have no control.

While I hate what people like Fred Phelps and other prominent figures do to the cause of Christ, I first have to remember that God is sovereign. He is in control and is therefore not surprised. Neither is His plan derailed. So, when faced with bad seeds like that, we can seize the opportunity to point people to Jesus. We can share with them that we don't agree with that nonsense, and we can also tell them that our faith is not in a church or any other organization. Our faith is in Jesus Christ. We can assure them that Phelps's way is not the way of Jesus. Jesus, not the Baptist church, is our focus. Let's turn the bad into good.