DAVIESS-McLEAN BAPTIST ASSOCIATION (KY) NOT CALVINIST

 The Daviess-McLean Baptist Association in Kentucky, was organized in 1844. Originally titled Daviess-McLean United Baptist Association, it is still a very active association affiliated with the KBC and SBC. This association was formed from churches coming out of the Goshen United Baptist Association. The Daviess-McLean Association has a long history of opposing Calvinism. In 1846  they affirmed a resolution made by the Goshen Association against limited atonement. In 1851 they adopted articles based on the New Hampshire Confession, which they esteemed "does not affirm the Calvinist notions of predestination to life". In more modern times they refused to allow a Calvinist church into the association in 2011. You can read about that here. 

The Goshen articles of faith are as follows;

1. We believe there is but one only living and true God

2. That there are three that bare record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one.

3. That the scriptures of the old and new Testament are the revealed word of God and are of divine authority and the only rule of faith and practice.

4. That God made man upright, but he has sought out many inventions, for by the disobedience of one man, many were made sinners and death hath passed upon all, for that all have sinned, and are by nature the children of wrath.

5. We believe that God chose his people in Christ Jesus, before the foundation of the world; that they should be holy and without blame before him in love, and that Christ took not upon himself the nature of angels, but the seed of Abraham; and that he was made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons, and was made to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

6. That it is by the effectual working of the Spirit that any are made partakers of the glorious benefits of Christ's obedience unto death, resurrection, ascension, and intercession; and that hath sin reigned unto death, even so doth grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. So that we believe where God begins a good work, he will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ.

7. We believe that baptism and the Lord's Supper are ordinances of the Gospel, and are to be observed in Christ's church until his second coming; and that immersion is the only proper mode of baptism, to be administered to only those who profess faith in Christ, and such baptized believers are the only proper subjects of the Lord's supper. 

8. We believe there will be a general resurrection, both of the just and the unjust, when all that are in the graves shall hear his voice and come forth; they that have done good unto the resurrection of life, and that that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation.

Articles of faith adopted by the Daviess-McLean Association;

1. We believe in only One and true living God, the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

2. We believe that the scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the word of God, and the only rule of faith and practice. 

3.We believe in the doctrine of election, and that God chose His people in Christ before the foundation of the world, through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.

4. We believe in the doctrine of original sin.

5. We believe in man's impotency to recover himself from the fallen state he is in by nature by his own free will and holiness.

6. We believe that sinners are justified in the sight of  God, only by the merits of Jesus Christ.

7. We believe that saints shall persevere in grace, and never fall finally away.

8. We believe that baptism and the Lord's Supper are ordinances of Jesus Christ, that true believers are the subjects, and that the true mode of Baptism is by immersion.

9. We believe resurrection of the dead and the general judgement.

10. We believe that the punishment of the wicked and the joys of the righteous will be eternal.

11. We believe that no Minister has the right to administer the Ordinances, until he has been regularly baptized, called, and come under the imposition of hands by a presbytery.

12. we believe that none but regularly baptized members have a right to commune at the Lord's table.  

 The articles we need to look at are number 5 in the Goshen articles and number 3 in the Daviess-McLean articles. I have already shown that article 5 in the Goshen articles was not an affirmation of Calvinism, through my articles of other associations, with an almost identical article. As an example, see here. Goshen was addressing our inheritance (adoption) which was guaranteed and predetermined by God, not our salvation.  Most all Calvinist and Non Calvinist articles showed their view of predestination and election.  For the Calvinist, it would be a predestination to salvation, to the Non Calvinist it would be a predestination that is obtained by believing. The atonement rests in the phrase "to redeem them that were under the law". This is a general atonement statement, for the whole human race was under the law.  The word "effectual" was used differently by Non Calvinists, as they would apply the literal translation to the word as opposed to the Calvinist. "Effective" means that something actually produces the desired result, emphasizing its success, while "effectual" means something has the inherent power or capability to produce the desired effect, but not necessarily that it has done so yet. In short, effective is about results, and effectual is about potential or power. "   Read carefully the phrase "That it is by the effectual working of the Spirit that any are made partakers". Notice that in the phrase the word "any" is used, while the Calvinist would have used the word "some". Also notice it says "working" and not "calling". This was very important during the time these articles were written. Campbellism was infiltrating Baptist churches, and they taught "Word alone" conversion, and that the Holy Ghost did not enter the equation until baptism. 

Article 3 of the Daviess-McLean articles is also not an affirmation of Calvinism. For examples of other associations having a very similar article, who have proved to be Non Calvinist, see here and here and here. Neither set of articles mention a "definite number" clause found in Calvinist articles, nor is there affirmation of unconditional election. The Daviess-McLean articles affirm the condition of belief of the truth, while the Goshen articles affirm a corporate view of election, and that God's people are predestined to be holy and blameless.






 

 

 

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