Name: Flinders Street Baptist Church
Denomination/religion: Baptist
Location: 65 Flinders St, Adelaide, SA
Service time: Sunday, 10am
D.O.B.: August 2, 1861 (154 years old and still going strong!)
Family friendliness: There was a clear partition – rather like those that are put around drum kits to muffle the sound – set up at the back where those with younger children – potentially in need of muffling – could sequester themselves
The best thing: The informative sermon – I came in wanting a clear explanation of the Baptist denomination, and that’s what I got.
The worst thing: Hearing about two members of the congregation’s recent journey to the Great Beyond. Reminders of the all-too-temporary nature of human existence are never pleasant.
Overall rating: ✞ ✞ ✞
On this day, August 2, which marked the Flinders Street Baptist Church’s 154th birthday, the minister took the opportunity to reflect on what it meant to be a Baptist. This was welcome news to me, as the only distinguishing features of this denomination that I had thus far discerned in my church-going journey (admittedly limited, when it comes to the Baptist Church) was that they seemed to really like rich red carpeting.
After a few hymns and a couple of readings – including a little snippet, if you will, from Galatians about how Jesus doesn’t care whether you’re circumcised or not – we got to the sermon. So enthused was I by this lucid, informative presentation, that I quickly ran out of room scribbling notes on the back of the newsletter that had been handed to me at the door. Happily, with many members of the congregation speaking English as a second language, printed copies of the sermon had been made readily available.
In a word, the sermon was all about freedom (which is distinct, the minister hastened to add, from self-serving libertarianism; you are free in so far as you follow Christ). The minister described four “freedoms” that define the Baptist Church: Bible Freedom; Soul Freedom; Church Freedom; and Religious Freedom.
The first, Bible Freedom, grants the individual the right to read the Bible and experience the message of the Holy Spirit in one’s own terms, no priest or other intermediary required. It’s probably easy for us to undervalue this liberty in a time where, if you feel like perusing the Bible, there are myriad translations available for free online. Yet, as we were reminded on the front page of the FSBC’s newsletter, this opportunity – online or otherwise – was not always the case. Thomas Helwys, one of the founders of the first Baptists Church in England in 1612, was sent to the infamous Newgate Prison, where he would die, for requesting that King James I (of King James Version fame) permit his subjects religious freedom, and – what spunk! – presuming to remind the King that he was “not God”.
As with the first, the fact that the second freedom, Soul Freedom, doesn’t come across as quite so controversial as it would have in its original setting, is a testament to how important the Baptist Church and other protestant denominations have been in influencing how many Christians now view their religion. The idea is that everyone has the right to develop his or her own relationship with God, unhindered by one’s “creed or clergy, gender or government” (in the words of the Rev’d Dr Doug Rowston).
Church Freedom came up next, which describes how each Baptist congregation is autonomous, with no external Baptist authority looming overhead – as the minister proudly said, “no bishops, no popes” (every self-respecting Protestant has to take a poke at the Catholics from time to time).
Lastly, and most importantly from this humble observer’s perspective, came Religious Freedom. As you can probably gather from the aforementioned freedoms, the Baptists believe in freedom to pursue one’s religion. However, as the minister made clear, this extended to non-Christian religions (we were challenged to confront our feelings about the Islamic community) and even no religion. Well, this gets my seal of approval:
The sermon ended with the wise words of the anti-Nazi, German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemöller, which deserves to be quoted in full:
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
Somehow I managed to restrain myself from standing up and applauding.
Though it may not be the case that every sermon is quite so interesting as this one was, there are other aspects of the FSBC to be enjoyed. Being such an old building, the architecture is most pleasing: imposing stone exterior; stained glass windows; lofty ceiling with arched wooden beams. There were cushioned pews and heat lights for one’s comfort. And, last but not least, there was real (de-crusted Wonder White, it appeared) bread used in the communion, a whole slice of which was symbolically torn in half during the blessing; none of this faux-bread wafer business.
But if all of this isn’t enough to tempt you away from your Catholic Mass, your Pentecostal faith-healing, or your atheistic Sunday morning sleep-in, take comfort from the fact that these Baptists will support you in your freedom to make this choice.
– Katie O
the worship review 