Baptist vs Methodist (With Table)

The primary difference between Baptist and Methodist denominations is that the former believe in baptizing only professing adults and that too by complete immersion. On the other hand, Methodists believe that every person regardless of his or her should be baptized.

Comparison Table: Baptist vs Methodist

Criteria	Baptist	Methodist
Method of Baptism	Baptists solely use immersion for the purpose of baptism.	Methodists baptize through immersion, sprinkling, or spilling.
Age	They do not baptize infants because they are too young to understand faith. They baptize adults and youths.	Christians of all ages; infants, youths, adults.
Gender	Only men are allowed to be pastors and teachers.	Women are also allowed to be pastors.
Autonomy	They are autonomous in terms of the governance of their local church.	They do not have autonomy of governance of their own local church.
Day of worship	Mostly they also hold their services on Sundays except for some select groups like Seventh Day Baptists.	Sunday is the day they hold communions and services.
Communion	Communion is open to only the members baptized by the Church.	Open communion for all.

Christianity is one of the oldest and most widespread religions in the world. Throughout its history which spans several centuries, Christianity went from being a unified religion to having sections within the religion. This is due to disagreements regarding doctrines, beliefs among both churchmen and followers of religion.

It is no news that religion has been used as a tool by states and religion itself has been oppressive on several occasions. The three main sections of Christianity today are Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestantism.

Protestantism as a religious movement had its beginning in 16^th century Europe against the strict doctrines of the Roman era. Baptism and Methodism are the two denominations of Protestantism.

Do you know? Difference between Lutheran and Presbyterian

About Baptists

It is one of the most notable sections in Protestant Christianity and appropriately named after its principle belief in believer’s baptism, where an individual decides to openly announce their confidence in Christ by baptism.

Baptists developed from inside the English Separatist movement, between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries, when Protestant Christians were isolated from the Church of England. This is the most acknowledged view and the earliest Baptist church is viewed as a 1609 church in Amsterdam.

The second assessment holds that Baptists began from English Separatism and was enormously affected and framed out of Anabaptists, or Dutch Mennonites. The third and fourth historical references say that the Baptist church has existed in some structure since Christ and John the Baptist.

In America, a previous individual from the Church of England, Roger Williams, was isolated from authorities in the Massachusetts Bay Colony over his conviction on chapel capacities. In 1638, he established the main Baptist church in America in uncolonized Rhode Island. Likewise in Rhode Island, Englishman John Clarke established a Baptist church around a similar time. The two men later got a contract from King Charles II ensuring religious opportunity in Rhode Island.

A few Baptists are of the belief that there are no human originator, no human power, and no human ideology.

Baptists are subscribers to evangelical theology. Their worship is based on believers’ church doctrine. Even then, within baptism, there are two parties -the general. Baptists who follow the Armenian theology and the particular Baptist who follow reformed theology.

However, most Baptists are evangelical in doctrine. The difference in beliefs within Baptists comes fur to the congregational administrative framework that gives autonomy to individual Baptist churches.  

Baptists are known to promote religious freedom and advocate for church, state separation.

About Methodists

Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, was formed in the 18^th Century AD as a movement within the Church of England. Methodist is one of the major denominations of Protestantism. It was founded by two brothers John Wesley and Charles Wesley who were later joined by George Whitefield. This denomination became separate after Jon Wesley’s death. John Wesley wanted to reform the Church of England.

After his death, however, the movement that he started, in any case, became separated from its parent body and formed into an independent church. The World Methodist Council (WMC), is a network of temples in the Methodist practice. There are estimated to be more than 40.5 million Methodists across 138 countries.

The faith system of Methodists is more or less similar to many denominations of Christianity. Certain doctrines may differ from the others but it’s more or less the same. Methodists believe in the trinity as well as God, the Bible as well as Jesus Christ.

They believe that Jesus is truly God and truly man. Jesus is God on Earth who sacrificed his life for the sins of all people. Methodists believe Jesus to be the eternal Savior for humankind.

Methodism is set apart by an acknowledgment of the tenets of authentic Christianity; by an accentuation on precepts that demonstrate the force of the Holy Spirit to affirm the confidence of adherents and to change their own lives; by a demand that the core of religion lies in an individual relationship with God; by the straightforwardness of love; by the organization of appointed clergymen and common people in the love and organization of the congregation; by a worry for the oppressed and the improvement of social conditions; and (basically in its British structure) by the development of little gatherings for shared support and enlightenment.

Do you know? Difference between Catholic and Baptist

Differences Between Baptist and Methodist

Here are some of the most important methodist vs baptist points.

1) Method of baptism

Methodists are a bit flexible when it comes to their way of baptism. They baptize through immersing, sprinkling, and spilling. Baptists though only baptize through immersion.

2) Age

These two denominations of Christianity differ in terms of the age at which they baptize individuals. Methodists baptize Christians of all ages, infants, adults, and youths. Baptists, on the other hand, wait till the age at which a person can be expected to understand faith. That is to say, they baptize youths and adults but not infants.

3) Gender

Baptist faith only allows for men to be pastors and teachers within the church. In Methodist churches, however, women are also ordained to be pastors.

4) Autonomy

In the Baptist church, the individual churches are autonomous in terms of governance. Methodist churches, on the opposite spectrum, are linked to one another in terms of governance and thus do not enjoy the autonomy of administration.

5) Day of Worship

The holy day of Sunday is the day Methodists hold all their worship and services. Baptists too, in keeping with the Christian tradition, hold their services on Sunday. But there is a particular called Seventh Day Baptist who holds their service on Saturdays.

6) Communion

Another difference between methodist and baptist is that methodists hold open communion which is open to all. Baptists practice closed communion where only the baptized church members are allowed to enter the communion.