I received the following article from the Landmark Southern Baptist GroupList, and Ben Stratton:

 

LifeWay Research, a division of LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention, conducted a study in spring 2008 among a representative sample of 778 Southern Baptist pastors.  These pastors were asked about several doctrinal questions that often dominate Southern Baptist debates.  Particularly interesting were the results on baptism.

 

Pastors were asked about their church’s practice of receiving members who were baptized in other churches.  Some of the results include:

 

1.  If the prospective new member had been immersed after conversion in another church that does not believe in eternal security, 26 percent of Southern Baptist pastors said they would not require baptism.

 

2.  If the prospective new member had been immersed after conversion in a church that believes baptism is required for salvation, 13 percent of Southern Baptist pastors said they would not require baptism.

 

3.  If the prospective new member had been baptized by sprinkling or pouring after conversion, 3 percent of Southern Baptist pastors said they would not require baptism prior to admittance into membership.

 

4.  If the prospective new member had been baptized as an infant by sprinkling, pouring or immersion, 1 percent of Southern Baptist pastors said they would not require baptism.

 

While this study was only of a small sample of Southern Baptist pastors (There are over 2400 Southern Baptist churches in Kentucky alone.) I was pleased with the results.  Notice that 74% of the pastors surveyed said they would reject the immersions administered by Assembly of God or Free Will Baptist Churches.  Even better 87% of pastors surveyed said they would reject the immersions administered by groups such as the Churches of Christ.  And only 1% to 3% are following the route of John Piper and allowing pedobaptists to become members of Southern Baptist churches. 

 

Overall I was very pleased with these results.  While it is true that Southern Baptists have a number of churches and especially younger pastors who are weak on church truth, this survey shows that the majority of Southern Baptist churches are still sound on the doctrine of baptism.  It also sounds how diligent we must be grounding our churches in the faith that was once for all delivered unto the saints.  Jude 1:3

 

The complete results of these survey can be found at:  http://www.lifeway. com/lwc/article_ main_page/ 0%2C1703% 2CA%25253D168278 %252526M% 25253D201280% 2C00.html