Baptist vs. New Apostolic Church Beliefs

A Heart’s Quest for Truth: Understanding the Path of Baptist and New Apostolic Faith

In the journey of faith, it is a good and noble thing to ask questions. To seek understanding is to seek the God who gave us minds to think and hearts to love. For many who walk with Christ, the path can sometimes feel confusing, with many different voices and traditions all claiming to hold the truth. If you have found yourself wondering about the differences between Christian groups, know that you are not alone. Your desire for clarity comes from a place of sincerity, and it is a quest worth undertaking with care and a gentle spirit.

This exploration is offered as a guide for your journey, a map to help navigate the beliefs of two very distinct Christian traditions: the Baptist church and the New Apostolic Church. At first glance, they might seem to share a common Christian language, but they represent two profoundly different answers to some of the most fundamental questions of faith: Where does authority come from? How is a person saved? What is the and what is its purpose?

We will walk through these questions together, exploring the history, beliefs, and lived experiences of both traditions. The goal is not to create division but to bring light, not to judge but to understand. By examining these paths with a heart open to the Spirit and a mind grounded in Scripture, we can grow in our own walk and better appreciate the importance of knowing what we believe and why. This journey is a shared one, and it is our prayer that you will find clear, compassionate, and biblically-grounded answers to help you along the way.

Where Do They Come From? A Tale of Two Histories

The story of any faith community begins with its origins. The reasons for a church’s birth often shape its entire identity, defining what it stands for and what it stands against. The histories of the Baptist and New Apostolic churches are not just interesting background information; they are the very source code for their beliefs and practices. One was born from a passionate plea for biblical freedom, the other from a conviction that divine authority needed to be restored through living men.

The Baptist Story: A Heritage of Biblical Freedom

The Baptist tradition flows from the great river of the Protestant Reformation. Its specific origins can be traced to the 17th-century English Separatist movement.¹ These were men and women of deep conviction who felt that the Church of England, despite having broken away from Rome, had not gone far enough in reforming its beliefs and practices according to the Bible. They longed to form what they called a “gathered church,” a community based not on national citizenship or infant baptism, but on a voluntary gathering of believers who had personally confessed faith in Jesus Christ.³

In 1609, an English pastor named John Smyth, living in exile in Amsterdam, became convinced that the Bible taught baptism was only for believers. He and his small congregation, including a man named Thomas Helwys, acted on this conviction, forming the first Baptist church.¹ This simple act set the course for the entire movement. When Helwys returned to England, he established a church on the principle of religious liberty, famously telling the king that he had no earthly power over the souls of his subjects. Later, in the American colonies, a man named Roger Williams was banished from Massachusetts for similar beliefs. He went on to found the colony of Providence, Rhode Island, as a haven for religious freedom, and established the first Baptist church in America around 1638.³

This history of protest against state-controlled religion and man-made traditions forged an identity centered on precious principles: the absolute authority of the Bible, the freedom of every soul to approach God directly, and the independence of each local church to follow Christ without outside interference.¹

The New Apostolic Story: A Heritage of Restored Authority

The New Apostolic Church (NAC) has a much more recent and distinct history. It was formally organized in Germany in 1863, emerging from a split within another 19th-century movement called the Catholic Apostolic Church.⁵ The central issue that gave birth to the NAC was a crisis of leadership. The parent movement was led by men they believed to be modern-day apostles. As these apostles began to die, a critical question arose: Should they be replaced?

A faction within the church insisted that the office of apostle was essential for the church’s governance and preparation for Christ’s return. They believed that new apostles must be appointed to continue the work.⁵ When the larger body did not agree, this group separated and formed their own founded on the non-negotiable belief that a living apostolic ministry is necessary to lead the church. This conviction remains the bedrock of the NAC’s entire faith system to this day.⁵

Though it used the word “Catholic” in its early name, the church was heavily influenced by the Protestantism of its German surroundings, and its worship style grew to be more Protestant than Catholic over time. Today, its international headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland.⁵

The very different starting points of these two groups set them on opposing paths. The Baptist movement began as a reaction against what it saw as an excess of human hierarchy in the Church of England. Its solution was to elevate a text—the Bible—as the sole and final authority.¹ This principle, when combined with the belief that every individual can read and understand that text for themselves, logically leads to a decentralized system where local churches are self-governing and a diversity of views can exist.⁷

In stark contrast, the New Apostolic Church began as a reaction to what it saw as a lack of human hierarchy—the death of its apostles. Its solution was to re-establish a human office—the Apostle—as the essential channel of God’s authority.⁵ This dependence on a living, hierarchical office logically leads to a centralized system where doctrine is passed down from the top and claims of exclusive authority are made.⁹ Their origins are not just history; they are destiny, predetermining the entire structure of their faith.

Who Holds the Final Authority? The Bible or Modern Apostles?

At the heart of the differences between Baptists and the New Apostolic Church lies the most fundamental question of all: Who has the final say? Where do we turn for ultimate, unshakable truth? Their answers to this question are diametrically opposed and create a cascade effect, shaping everything else they believe about God, salvation, and the church.

The Baptist Conviction: The Bible is the Final Word

For Baptists, the answer is clear and singular: the Bible. A core principle of Baptist identity is Sola Scriptura, a Latin phrase meaning “Scripture Alone.” This means the Bible is believed to be the inspired, infallible, and completely sufficient Word of God, the ultimate authority for all that a Christian must believe and how a Christian must live.¹

This principle has a very practical application. For something to be considered a binding command or doctrine, it must be explicitly taught or clearly demonstrated in the pages of Scripture. It is not enough for a practice to simply be old or traditional; it must have a biblical warrant. This is precisely why Baptists have historically rejected practices like infant baptism or praying to saints. They search the Scriptures and conclude that these practices are not commanded or exemplified.¹

This high view of Scripture is coupled with another cherished Baptist distinctive: soul competency, or the priesthood of all believers.¹ This is the conviction that every individual believer, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, is competent to read and interpret the Bible for themselves. They do not need a priest, a bishop, or a modern-day apostle to act as an intermediary. The relationship with God is direct and personal, and His Word is accessible to all.¹¹

The New Apostolic Conviction: The Apostle is the Final Word

The New Apostolic Church offers a very different answer to the question of authority. While they affirm the Bible as the Word of God, they do not believe it is the final or sole authority for the church today. Instead, they teach that Jesus Christ rules His church through the living ministry of apostles.⁹

At the head of this global church is a Chief Apostle, who is seen as Christ’s representative on earth, and he is assisted by a body of other apostles.⁵ According to NAC doctrine, these apostles have been given the divine commission to teach with authority, to forgive sins in Christ’s name, and to dispense the sacraments necessary for salvation.⁹ Their teachings, which are summarized and explained in the official Catechism of the New Apostolic are considered binding for all members.¹³

While most Baptists are wary of human creeds, seeing them as potentially elevating human tradition over Scripture, the NAC requires adherence to its Ten Articles of Faith. This creed is not merely a summary of beliefs; it is a mandatory framework for the faith, and it explicitly states the necessity of the apostle ministry for salvation.⁹

This disagreement over authority is the “first domino” of doctrine. Once it falls, every other belief falls into place behind it. If the Bible is the final and sufficient authority, as Baptists believe, then salvation must be defined by what the Bible plainly teaches—by grace through faith alone.¹⁵ The ordinances of baptism and communion become symbolic acts of obedience, because the Bible does not present them as requirements for salvation.¹ The church is governed by the congregation, because this is the model Baptists see in the New Testament.¹⁶

But if living apostles are the final authority, as the NAC believes, then salvation is defined by what the apostles declare it to be—a process requiring faith plus the sacraments that only they can provide.¹⁷ The sacraments become essential, grace-imparting events because the apostles teach that they are.¹⁸ The church is governed by a strict hierarchy, because the apostles are, by definition, at the top.⁵ The answer to “Who has the final say?” is not just one difference among many; it is the foundational difference that creates two separate and irreconcilable systems of faith.

How Is a Person Saved? A Look at Two Different Gospels

There is no question more central to the human heart or the Christian faith than this: “What must I do to be saved?” The answers provided by the Baptist and New Apostolic traditions are not merely different in emphasis; they describe two fundamentally different paths. One presents salvation as a free gift received in a moment of faith, while the other outlines a journey of required sacramental steps administered by a specific church.

The Baptist Path: A Free Gift Received by Faith

At the core of the Baptist understanding of salvation is the Reformation doctrine of “Justification by Faith Alone”.¹ This teaches that a person is made right with God (justified) not because of their good works, their moral effort, or their participation in church rituals, but solely by trusting in the finished work of Jesus Christ. Salvation is seen as an unearned gift of God’s grace, received through faith in Jesus’s death for our sins and His resurrection from the dead.¹⁵

Many Baptists would point to a verse like Romans 10:9—”if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved”—as the heart of the gospel message.¹⁹ Salvation is a transaction of the heart between a person and God, occurring at the moment of sincere belief. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are viewed as beautiful and vital acts of obedience that

follow salvation. They are an outward testimony to an inward reality, but they do not cause that reality. They are not necessary for a person to be saved.¹

Because salvation is a gift purchased and secured by Christ, most Baptists also hold to the doctrine of eternal security, often summarized in the phrase “once saved, always saved.” They believe that if a person is truly saved, God’s grace will preserve them in the faith, and their salvation can never be lost.²⁰

The New Apostolic Path: A Journey of Sacramental Steps

The New Apostolic Church presents a very different path to salvation, one that involves a multi-step process mediated exclusively through their church and its leadership. From a mainstream Protestant perspective, this is often described as a “works-based salvation,” because it requires specific actions beyond faith alone to secure one’s relationship with God.¹⁷

The NAC teaches that there are three sacraments that are essential for salvation:

1. Holy Baptism: This is taught to be the first step toward renewal. The NAC practices infant baptism and teaches that this sacrament washes away original sin and makes a person a Christian.⁹
2. Holy Sealing: This is the most unique and critical sacrament in the NAC. It is an act where a living Apostle lays hands on a baptized person to dispense the gift of the Holy Spirit. According to NAC doctrine, this is the moment a person attains “childhood in God” and becomes eligible to be a “firstling”—part of the bridal congregation that will be taken up when Christ returns.⁵ Without Holy Sealing by an apostle, full salvation is not possible.
3. Holy Communion: Worthy and regular participation in Holy Communion is considered necessary to maintain one’s fellowship with Jesus Christ. The bread and wine must be consecrated by a minister who has been authorized by an apostle. To partake in this sacrament is to profess belief in the authority of the current apostles.¹²

This system places the New Apostolic Church and its hierarchy of apostles as indispensable mediators between God and humanity. Salvation is not a direct transaction with God but a process that must be navigated through the institution and ordinances of the NAC.¹⁰

Table: The Path to Salvation

To see the differences clearly, it helps to place them side-by-side.

A deep and often-missed point of difference is that while both groups use the word “grace,” they mean very different things by it. For Baptists and in historic Protestant theology, grace is God’s unmerited favor—His loving disposition toward sinners that saves them apart from any works or rituals they might perform.¹⁵ It is the opposite of earning. The NAC, But describes grace as something that is transmitted through their sacraments. Holy Baptism is called a “fundamental act of grace”.²² This redefines grace from God’s free favor into a spiritual power or substance that is dispensed through the physical-controlled acts. When a Baptist and an NAC member both say they are “saved by grace,” they are using the same words but speaking entirely different theological languages. This semantic shift is key to understanding why their views on salvation are so profoundly different.

What Is the Role of the Church? An Independent Family or a Global Hierarchy?

How should a church be led? Who makes the decisions? The answers to these questions reveal a deep divide between the Baptist and New Apostolic models of the church. One is a “bottom-up” family of independent congregations, while the other is a “top-down” global hierarchy. These structures are not just about organization; they create vastly different spiritual cultures for their members.

The Baptist Model: A Family of Autonomous Churches

The defining feature of Baptist church government is “congregational polity”.¹ This means that each local church is self-governing, autonomous, and independent. The final authority on all matters—from calling a pastor and managing finances to determining doctrinal positions—rests with the congregation itself, the body of baptized believers.⁶

Baptist churches often choose to cooperate with one another in associations or conventions, such as the Southern Baptist Convention or American Baptist Churches USA. But this cooperation is entirely voluntary. These larger bodies exist to pool resources for missions, seminary education, and publishing, but they hold no authority over the local church.⁸ They cannot fire a pastor, seize church property, or force a church to adopt a certain policy.

Within the local leadership is understood as a form of service. The pastor leads through teaching, preaching, and spiritual influence, not by hierarchical command. When it comes to making church decisions, the pastor typically has one vote, just like any other member. The leaders are ultimately accountable to the congregation they serve.¹⁶

The New Apostolic Model: A Centrally-Controlled Kingdom

The New Apostolic Church is structured in the opposite way, as a rigid and divinely-appointed hierarchy.⁵ The church is governed from the top down. At the pinnacle of the structure is the Chief Apostle, who is seen as the head of the earthly church. He is followed by a council of apostles, who in turn appoint all the lower levels of ministry, including bishops, district elders, and local pastors or evangelists.⁵

In this system, all spiritual authority, blessing, and sanctification for ministry are believed to flow downward from the apostle ministry.¹² A local congregation does not interview and call its own pastor; a minister is assigned to them by the hierarchy. According to NAC teaching, true spiritual unity and maturity are found by submitting to the leadership of these apostles.²³

These two opposing structures highlight a fundamental tension that often exists in religious life: the desire for freedom versus the desire for certainty. The Baptist model champions the freedom of the individual and the local congregation to follow the Spirit’s leading as they understand it from Scripture. This allows for great diversity and contextualization, but it can also lead to doctrinal drift, conflict, and a lack of accountability, as each church is its own final authority.⁷

The NAC model, on the other hand, provides absolute doctrinal certainty and global unity. A member in Berlin is taught the exact same catechism as a member in Chicago, creating a powerful sense of belonging to a single, unified body.⁹ But this certainty comes at a high price. Personal testimonies from former members reveal that this unity is often maintained through a high-control environment where questioning the leadership is seen as rebellion against God, and personal freedom is severely curtailed.²⁵ The choice of church government is not a minor detail; it profoundly shapes the spiritual and psychological experience of every member, forcing a choice between the potential messiness of freedom and the potential oppression of absolute certainty.

What Happens in Baptism and Communion? A Symbolic Act or a Saving Sacrament?

For nearly 2,000 years, Christians have gathered to baptize new believers and to share in a memorial meal. Yet, how these sacred rites are understood varies dramatically. For Baptists, they are powerful symbols of obedience and remembrance. For the New Apostolic they are indispensable, grace-imparting sacraments, with the addition of a unique rite that is central to their faith.

The Baptist Understanding: Ordinances of Remembrance and Testimony

Baptists typically use the term “ordinances” rather than “sacraments”.¹ This is a deliberate choice to emphasize that baptism and communion are commands of Christ to be obeyed, not rituals that automatically convey saving grace. They are seen as outward signs of an inward reality, not the cause of it.²⁶

• Believer’s Baptism: Baptism is strictly for those who have made a conscious, personal decision to follow Jesus Christ.¹ For this reason, Baptists reject infant baptism, arguing that an infant cannot repent and believe.¹ The mode is almost universally by full immersion in water. This vivid act is seen as the perfect picture of what the Bible teaches in Romans 6:3-6: the believer is buried with Christ in death to sin and raised with Him to walk in newness of life.²
• The Lord’s Supper (Communion): This meal is a memorial. The bread and the cup are powerful symbols meant to help believers remember Christ’s body broken and blood shed for them. The focus is on Jesus’s words, “do this in remembrance of me”.¹¹ Baptists do not believe that Christ is physically present in the elements; rather, He is spiritually present with His people as they worship.¹⁹

The New Apostolic Understanding: Sacraments of Life and Salvation

In stark contrast, the New Apostolic Church teaches that its three sacraments are holy, grace-imparting acts that are essential for a person’s salvation.⁵

• Holy Baptism: This is described as the “first and fundamental act of grace” and is considered “indispensable for partaking in salvation.” They believe it washes away original sin, and it is administered to infants.¹⁷
• Holy Communion: This meal is understood to establish and maintain fellowship with Christ. Its validity, But depends on the elements being consecrated by a minister who has been authorized to do so by a living apostle.¹²
• Holy Sealing: The Defining Sacrament: This is the most critical and unique sacrament in the NAC, a rite entirely absent from historic Christianity. Holy Sealing is the act where a living Apostle lays his hands on a baptized person to impart the gift of the Holy Spirit. This sacrament is said to complete the work of baptism and is the necessary prerequisite to attain “childhood in God.” It is what makes a person a “firstling,” part of the elite group prepared for Christ’s imminent return.⁵

These different views on the sacraments reveal a massive gap in how the role of the minister is understood. In the Baptist tradition, the pastor administers a symbol. The power of the ordinance lies in the faith of the believer and the truth being symbolized, not in any special power held by the pastor.²⁶ He is a facilitator of the believer’s public profession of faith. In the NAC tradition, the apostle

dispenses grace. The sacrament of Holy Sealing is invalid without him; the grace of the Holy Spirit is not conferred.⁹ This elevates the NAC clergy to a priestly status, making them essential mediators for their members’ salvation. This directly contradicts the core Baptist doctrine of the “Priesthood of All Believers,” which insists that Jesus Christ is the one and only mediator between God and humanity.²

Are There Still Apostles and Prophets Today?

The question of whether the foundational offices of apostle and prophet continue in the church today is a major point of division in Christianity. For the New Apostolic the answer is a resounding “yes,” and it is the very reason for their existence. For most Baptists, the answer is “no,” at least not in the same way as the original Twelve.

The Mainstream Protestant View (Held by most Baptists)

Most Baptists, along with the majority of historic Protestantism, believe that the office of Apostle was unique and foundational, limited to the first generation of the church. They point to biblical qualifications, such as having been an eyewitness to the resurrected Jesus and having been personally commissioned by Him, to argue that the office cannot be continued.¹⁴

In this view, the authority and doctrine of the apostles were not passed down through an unbroken line of successors. Instead, their authoritative teaching was preserved for all time in their inspired writings, which make up the New Testament.²⁹ For Baptists, the enduring apostolic voice in the church is the Bible itself. While they believe God still gives gifts of leadership, teaching, and wisdom to the they do not believe He is appointing new apostles with the same authority as Peter, Paul, or John.

The New Apostolic Church (NAC) View

The belief in a living, active, and absolutely essential apostolic office is the central, non-negotiable pillar of the New Apostolic Church’s faith. It is their defining doctrine. They teach that Jesus still sends apostles to lead His church today, and that submission to their authority is required for salvation and spiritual maturity.⁹ The entire church structure, its sacraments, and its claims to authority are built upon this single belief.⁵

A Crucial Clarification: The NAC is NOT the NAR

It is vital to understand that the New Apostolic Church (NAC) is a completely separate entity from a movement known as the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR). This is a common point of confusion that trips up many online articles and discussions.

• The New Apostolic Church (NAC) is a formal, hierarchical denomination. It was founded in Germany in 1863, has a single global leader (the Chief Apostle), and a uniform, mandatory creed and catechism that all members must follow.⁵ It is a highly structured, centrally-controlled organization.
• The New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) is a broad, informal, and decentralized movement primarily within charismatic and Pentecostal Christianity. It is not a single denomination and has no official leader. It is characterized by a set of beliefs that became prominent in the late 20th century, including a focus on taking dominion over society (the “Seven Mountain Mandate”), engaging in “strategic-level spiritual warfare,” and a belief that God is giving new, authoritative revelations through modern-day apostles and prophets.²³

The Bottom Line: While both groups use the term “apostle,” they are historically, theologically, and organizationally distinct. The NAC is a specific church; the NAR is a theological ideology. Mistaking one for the other leads to major misunderstanding.

The NAC’s claim to a restored apostleship creates a closed logical system that is very difficult to challenge from the outside. In the Baptist tradition, a pastor’s teaching can and should be tested against the external, objective standard of the Bible.¹ A church member who does this is praised for being like the noble Bereans in the book of Acts.

In the NAC system, But the apostle’s role is to provide the authoritative interpretation of the Bible for today.⁹ His teaching effectively

becomes the standard. To question his teaching is not seen as an act of noble discernment but as an act of rebellion against God’s chosen representative on earth. This dynamic insulates the leadership from accountability and gives them immense power over their followers, a power that is reflected in the controlling environment described in the personal testimonies of those who have left the group.¹⁷

What Is the Catholic Church’s Stance on These Beliefs?

To add another layer of understanding, it is helpful to consider the perspective of the Roman Catholic which has its own distinct and ancient claims to apostolic authority. From a Catholic viewpoint, neither the Baptist model nor the New Apostolic model possesses the fullness of the apostolic faith or a valid priesthood, but for very different reasons.

The Catholic Foundation: Unbroken Apostolic Succession

The Catholic Church’s claim to authority is rooted in the doctrine of apostolic succession. This is the belief that there is an unbroken, physical lineage of bishops consecrating new bishops, a chain that can be traced back 2,000 years to the original Twelve Apostles chosen by Christ.²¹

According to Catholic teaching, only a bishop who is part of this valid historical line can validly ordain priests. This valid priesthood is, in turn, necessary to celebrate valid sacraments like the Eucharist, Confirmation, and the Anointing of the Sick.³³

The Catholic View of Baptist Churches

From the Catholic perspective, the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, from which the Baptist tradition eventually emerged, represented a break from this historical line of apostolic succession.²¹ Because Baptist pastors are not ordained by bishops within this line, the Catholic Church does not recognize their ordinations as valid.

Consequently, while Baptist communities are respected as fellow Christians, their celebration of the Lord’s Supper is not considered a valid Eucharist (meaning, the bread and wine do not become the body and blood of Christ).²¹ But the Catholic Church does recognize most Baptist baptisms as valid, provided they are performed with water and using the Trinitarian formula (“in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”).³³

The Catholic View of the New Apostolic Church

The New Apostolic Church’s claims are viewed differently. The NAC does not claim to be part of the historical apostolic succession that the Catholic Church recognizes. Instead, it claims a new restoration of the apostolic office that began in the 19th century.⁵

Because the founders of the NAC were not themselves validly consecrated bishops in the historic succession, the Catholic Church would hold that they had no power to pass on valid holy orders. Therefore, all NAC ordinations of apostles, bishops, and priests would be considered invalid. As a result, all of their sacraments—with the potential exception of baptism—would also be seen as invalid from a Catholic perspective.³³ The NAC’s claim to apostleship is viewed not as a divine restoration, but as a human invention without historical continuity to the ancient church.

This highlights that when a Catholic, a Baptist, and an NAC member all recite the Nicene Creed and say they believe in “one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church,” they are confessing three different and mutually exclusive things.

• For the Catholic, the “apostolic Church” is a single, visible, global institution with a hierarchical structure that has unbroken historical continuity with the original apostles.³²
• For the Baptist, the “apostolic Church” is the invisible, universal body of all true believers. It is “apostolic” because it is founded on the doctrine of the apostles as recorded in the Bible, not on a physical lineage.²⁹
• For the NAC member, the “apostolic Church” is their own specific organization. It is “apostolic” because it is led by the office of living apostles, which they believe exists exclusively within their denomination.¹⁰

Understanding these three different definitions is crucial to grasping why the groups so often talk past one another on this vital issue.

What Is It Like to Be a Member? Voices from the Pews

Theology is not just a set of abstract ideas; it shapes the air people breathe and the lives they live. To truly understand these two traditions, we must move from the catechism to the community, from the doctrine to the lived experience. The user-generated content from those who have walked these paths provides a powerful glimpse into the spiritual atmosphere of each group.

The Baptist Experience: A World of Freedom and Responsibility

The most striking feature of the Baptist world is its diversity. Because each church is autonomous, the experience of being a Baptist can vary dramatically from one congregation to another. One church might be highly traditional, singing old hymns and emphasizing strict personal conduct, while another just down the road might have a contemporary worship band and a more relaxed culture.⁷

The spiritual culture strongly emphasizes a personal, individual relationship with Jesus Christ. Members are encouraged to read their Bibles for themselves and to take personal responsibility for their spiritual growth.¹⁵ This freedom can be spiritually liberating and lead to a mature, robust faith. But this independence can also be a weakness. Since a local pastor and church are not accountable to any higher authority, there is a risk of unhealthy leadership or doctrinal error going unchecked, which some former members have identified as a “danger sign”.⁷

The New Apostolic Experience: A World of Certainty and Control

The testimony of former New Apostolic Church members paints a very different picture—a life of intense commitment and high control. One former member on Reddit described a life completely consumed by the with services and activities scheduled for nearly every day of the week.²⁵

The culture is one of exclusivity, built on the teaching that the NAC is the “only true religion” and its members are “special and chosen”.¹⁰ This can foster a powerful sense of identity and security, but it also creates a deep-seated fear—fear of not being perfect enough, fear of questioning the leadership, and a literal, daily fear of being “left behind” in the rapture if one fails to adhere to the system.²⁵

This control extends to the smallest details of life. The former member described strict dress codes (women in skirts, even for cleaning the church), rules about hair length for men, and prohibitions on common social activities like watching movies, joining sports teams, or even celebrating Halloween.²⁵

The theological systems of these groups create distinct psychological environments. Baptist theology, with its emphasis on “soul competency,” fosters a culture of individual responsibility, which can be both empowering and, for some, burdensome. NAC theology, with its emphasis on absolute apostolic authority, lifts the burden of personal interpretation and offers its members unambiguous certainty. This can provide immense psychological comfort. But when that authority is combined with exclusive claims to salvation and a fear-based view of the end times, that comfort can become a powerful tool for manipulation and control. The lived experiences described in these testimonies are the real-world consequences of the theological frameworks, connecting abstract doctrine to powerful human impact.

Walking in the Light We Have

As we draw this journey of understanding to a close, it becomes clear that the Baptist and New Apostolic traditions are not just different branches of the same tree. They are rooted in different soil, drawing life from different sources of authority, and bearing very different fruit in the lives of their followers.

The distinctions can be summarized in three critical areas. First is the question of Authority: Is our final guide the timeless, written Word of God, or is it a living apostle who provides new direction for today? Second is the question of Salvation: Is it a free gift of grace, received once and for all through faith in Christ alone, or is it a lifelong process navigated through the necessary sacraments of a specific institution? Third is the question of the Church: Is it a free fellowship of believers, united by common faith in the gospel, or is it a single, hierarchical organization that is itself the necessary vehicle for salvation?

In the face of such different claims, the most loving and faithful response is to follow the example of the noble-minded Bereans in Acts 17:11. When they heard the apostle Paul preach, they “received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” They tested every teaching, even from an apostle, against the clear message of the Word of God. This is our sacred responsibility as well.

Our unity is not found in a human leader or a denominational structure, but in a person: Jesus Christ. He is the true Apostle and High Priest of our confession (Hebrews 3:1), the sole Head of the Church (Ephesians 5:23), and the only name under heaven by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).

May the God of all grace grant you wisdom and discernment. May He lead you to a healthy, Christ-centered, Bible-teaching church family. And may you continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, as you seek to walk faithfully in the light He has so graciously given us.