Hitching a Ride with the Southern Baptist

November 1971

I had been to 2 church services, an Assemblies of God (AG) service and a Southern Baptist one. As I touched upon before, the Southern Baptist didn't like the AG type because the AG church encouraged praying in tongues. Actually there's a little more to it than that. First Baptist Church was Fundamentalist and the AG was Pentecostal. Many doctines and teachings are very similar - they both baptize adults only (no children) and they both believe that people must be "born again" which is refered to as "being saved," "having a relationship with Chirst," "giving your life to Christ," etc. But for the Pentecostal believes there is a second experience that a born again believer needs to receive. Although it is not necessary for salvation (having a relationship with God) every believer should seek the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

As the Pentecostals teach it, the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is an experience of power and holiness. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is the extra boost one needs to live a power filled Christian life. Furthermore the AG teaches that the only way you can know if you have the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is if you pray in tongues. If you do not pray in tongues, you are not Baptised with the Spirit and you need to seek it in order to live a better Christian life.

On the other hand most Fundamentalists (Baptist or not) believe that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is the same as conversion /being born again. There is no second experience.

With the Baptism of the Holy Spirit Pentecostals (AG is one form of Pentecostal) believe that God gives gifts not only of tongues but of healing, miracle working, prophecies, words of knowledge and other cool stuff the early church did. The Fundamentalist believes that these gifts were for the early church only and not for today, so manifestations of gifts and tongues do not come from God but, as the First Baptist Church claimed, from below.

On the third week of going to church I hitchhiked into town to the AG church from my ship (about 30 miles away). A delightful couple stopped to pick me up. "We know where you're going!" they excitedly announced as if I were a little kid. "You're going to church." They had been to the Baptist church when I was baptised the week before. I knew what they were thinking so I clarified that I was going to the AG church. Panic overtook their faces and for the rest of the ride they tried to convince me to go to their church. When they realized I was not moved they threw their biggest weapon at me, "We have a lot of nice looking girls!" I kept the laughter inside and politely refused their last atttempt.

I knew their church was much bigger than the AG, and I knew that meant more young ladies my age, but that didn't matter to me. I really just wanted to keep on the straight and narrow. Besides the AG church had some nice looking girls too.