Methodist vs. Baptist
A side-by-side comparison of Methodist and Baptist teaching on 16 questions, from Scripture and salvation to baptism, communion and church government.
Methodist
Methodism began in the 18th century as a renewal movement within the Church of England under John and Charles Wesley. It emphasizes God’s grace offered to all, holiness of heart and life, and practical care for the poor.
Baptist
Baptists arose from English Separatist churches in the early 1600s. They baptize only those who profess faith, govern each congregation independently, and hold to the Bible as the sole authority for belief and practice.
At a glance
Where they differ: Authority: Scripture and tradition; Can a saved person fall away?; Baptism; Communion (the Lord’s Supper); Sacraments or ordinances; Church government; Style of worship.
Varies within one or both: Predestination and free will; Clergy and women in ministry; The Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts.
Where they agree: Books of the Bible; The Trinity; How a person is saved; Mary and the saints; Death, purgatory and hell; Day of worship.
Side by side
| Question | Methodist | Baptist |
|---|---|---|
| Authority: Scripture and traditionDiffer | Scripture is primary, and is understood in light of tradition, reason and Christian experience. This fourfold method is called the Wesleyan Quadrilateral. | The Bible alone is the authority for belief and practice. Many Baptist bodies adopt confessions, but none is binding on a local church. |
| Books of the BibleAgree | 66 books. The Apocrypha is not part of the canon. | 66 books. |
| The TrinityAgree | One God in three persons, in the historic creeds and in Wesley’s Articles of Religion. | One God in three persons. Baptists rarely use creeds in worship, but their confessions affirm the Trinity. |
| How a person is savedAgree | Justified by grace through faith. Wesley also taught that God’s grace goes before conversion (prevenient grace) and leads to sanctification, growth in holiness that may be called “Christian perfection,” meaning perfect love. | Saved by grace through personal faith in Christ, usually described as a conversion experience. Baptism follows salvation and does not cause it. |
| Can a saved person fall away?Differ | Yes. Wesley taught that a believer can fall from grace by persistent unbelief or sin, though he held that God is eager to restore. | Most Baptists, notably Southern Baptists, teach eternal security, often summarized as “once saved, always saved.” Some General Baptists disagree and hold that faith can be abandoned. |
| Predestination and free willVaries | Rejects Calvinist predestination. Grace is offered to everyone, and each person is free to accept or resist it, which is the Arminian position. | Divided. Particular Baptists are Calvinist and hold to election, and General Baptists hold that Christ died for all and that election is based on God’s foreknowledge of who would believe. Southern Baptists include both. |
| BaptismDiffer | A sacrament and sign of God’s grace. Both infants and adult believers are baptized, and the mode may be sprinkling, pouring or immersion. | Only those who have professed faith are baptized, and by full immersion. It is an ordinance that pictures death and resurrection with Christ and does not save. |
| Communion (the Lord’s Supper)Differ | Christ is truly present, but the manner is a holy mystery. The United Methodist Church rejects transubstantiation and does not define a theory. | An ordinance in remembrance of Christ’s death, observed periodically. The bread and cup are symbols, and many churches use grape juice. |
| Sacraments or ordinancesDiffer | Two sacraments, baptism and the Lord’s Supper. | Two ordinances, baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Baptists avoid the word “sacrament” because it can imply that grace comes through the act itself. |
| Church governmentDiffer | A “connectional” system in which churches are bound in districts and conferences. The United Methodist Church has bishops, and some Methodist bodies do not. | Each local church governs itself, calling its own pastor and deciding its own doctrine. Churches cooperate voluntarily through associations and conventions. |
| Clergy and women in ministryVaries | Women are ordained as pastors and bishops in the United Methodist Church and most other Methodist bodies. Clergy may marry. | Varies. The Southern Baptist Convention limits the office of pastor to men, and other Baptist bodies ordain women. |
| Mary and the saintsAgree | Mary and the saints are honored as models of faith. Methodists do not pray to them. | Mary is honored as the mother of Jesus and the saints as examples. Baptists give them little role in worship and do not pray to them. |
| Death, purgatory and hellAgree | Purgatory is rejected. Believers are with Christ at death and await the resurrection, and unbelievers face judgment. | Believers go immediately to be with Christ, and unbelievers to eternal punishment. There is no purgatory. |
| Style of worshipDiffer | A mixture. Worship generally follows a set order with hymns (many by Charles Wesley), Scripture and preaching, and styles range from traditional to contemporary. | Free-form, built around preaching, congregational singing and prayer. Order is set by each church. |
| The Holy Spirit and spiritual giftsVaries | The Spirit’s work is stressed in assurance and holiness. Attitudes to tongues and healing vary, and the Wesleyan holiness movement gave rise to Pentecostalism. | Varies. Many Baptists are cessationist or cautious about tongues, and others are charismatic. |
| Day of worshipAgree | Sunday. | Sunday. |
| Best known for | Warm-hearted evangelism, hymnody, holiness of life and social outreach through hospitals, schools and missions. | Believer’s baptism, local church independence, religious liberty and a strong emphasis on missions and evangelism. |
“Agree” means the two traditions take the same broad position, although the wording above may still note finer differences. “Varies” means at least one of the two is itself divided on the question, so no single position can be given. These summaries describe typical teaching, and individual churches may vary. For an authoritative statement, consult each denomination’s own confessions.
Learn more on this site
- The Inspiration and Inerrancy of Scripture
- The Reliability of Scripture
- What Does the Bible Say About Salvation?
- Free Will, Predestination, and Divine Sovereignty
- Baptism
- What Does the Bible Say About Worship?
- The Canon
- Textual Variants and "Lost Books" (Gnostic Gospels, Apocrypha)
- The Trinity
- The Deity of Christ
- Grace
- Justification
- Catholic Church
- Eastern Orthodox Church
- What Does the Bible Say About Heaven?
- What Does the Bible Say About Hell?
- What Does the Bible Say About Judgment Day?
- Sabbath
More comparisons
Methodist
- Catholic vs. Methodist
- Eastern Orthodox vs. Methodist
- Lutheran vs. Methodist
- Presbyterian / Reformed vs. Methodist
- Anglican / Episcopal vs. Methodist
- Methodist vs. Anabaptist / Mennonite
- Methodist vs. Pentecostal
- Methodist vs. Seventh-day Adventist
- Methodist vs. Church of Christ
- Methodist vs. Non-denominational