Cincinnati Primitive Baptist News

Cincinnati Primitive Baptist church has announced that Elder Jeremiah Bass of Stephenville, Texas has accepted the position of senior pastor there and is in the process of moving to Cincinnati. Elder Bradley it seems will take a subordinate position, due to his age I am sure. I found this out by listening to the beginning of services for this past Sunday (listen here). I had not ever heard of him, except I think I listened to him talk at Cincinnati over the past year along with several other young elders who it seemed were being invited to preach so the church could consider them as Bradley's successor. 

The introductory speaker said that Elder Bass was from Texas. I knew that Bass was a familiar name among Texas Hardshells and supposed he was of that clan who had several Hardshell preachers. So, I did a Google search and found information on him. The following information is what I have found. Before introducing this info, let me simply say that I am a little astounded that I have not heard of him before. 

His name search led me to "Shiloh Church" (here). In looking over their web page I saw this said in the link "About us": "Shiloh Church is a sovereign grace Baptist Church." Well, as you can imagine, several thoughts immediately popped into my mind. 

1) Cincinnati church and Bradley are calling a "sovereign grace Baptist" minister to be their "senior pastor"?

2) Does Bass and Shiloh church believe as do "sovereign grace" or "primitive" Baptists on salvation?

3. Does all this reveal that Cincinnati also believes in means?

Well, I looked over the Shiloh church web page and here are some interesting things from "What We Believe":

"STATEMENT OF FAITH" - "Shiloh Church holds to the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith as that which most accurately confesses what we believe as a church."

Well, that is typical of "Sovereign Grace Baptists" and still a few "Primitive Baptists." Does this mean that Shiloh church believes in means, perseverance, and what the confession says about God's decrees?

The articles of interest are:

7. We believe that in God's own appointed time and way (by means which he has ordained) the elect shall be called, justified, pardoned, and sanctified; and that it is impossible that they can utterly refuse the call, but shall be made willing, by Divine grace, to receive the offers of mercy. 

8. We believe that justification in the sight of God is only by the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ, received and applied by faith alone. 

9. We believe that such as are converted, justified, and called by God's grace, shall persevere in holiness, and never fall finally away.

Well, that is like many of the oldest Baptist (including primitive) confessions. These articles are not believed however by most of today's Hardshells.

On the church's web page is a link to the pastor's blog (under "Resources"). I checked it out and found out that on Saturday, May 26, 2012 is this entry under "Our Church" - "Our church here in Stephenville, Texas, is Shiloh Primitive Baptist Church." (See here) Under the link to "SHILOH CHURCH CONSTITUTION" we have "Adopted October 8, 2017." 

So, a church begun as "Shiloh Primitive Baptist Church" became "Shiloh Church" with the added line "Shiloh church is a sovereign grace Baptist church." Well, this is the direction we had hoped that more churches and preachers would take. I just wish I had known about Bass and Shiloh sooner. I have noticed how no PB web site seems to want to mention Elder Bass! I am sure, after perusing the sermons of Bass, that the Hardshells would not want much to do with him (except for some Progressives, or Eastern Association types, and some like Shiloh) and so accounts for them not mentioning him. But, what does it say about the direction of Cincinnati in calling Bass? hmm You think our writings here may have helped?

I have suspected that Bradley and many Cincinnati church members have embraced means (Bradley's first belief before joining the Hardshell cult) as well as keeping to the doctrine of perseverance. In recent years Bradley and Cincinnati church have been in fellowship with the Progressives, and have embraced theological education and missions. In the entry on Cincinnati church ("Cincinnati PB Church's Recent Tension" - here), I mentioned the issue of KJV Onlyism and we had a comment from a member of that church on the subject. Well, one of the blog postings of Bass came out against KJV Onlyism, even affirming that there were better English translations. This is our view here. It was our blessed father's view. Glad the church in Cincinnati accepts Bass and his views on this.

Bass also prefers acapella but says the bible, including the NT, does not condemn instruments of music. (Note: Progressives have musical instruments)

Bass also is a big supporter of missions. His sermons show also that he believes in means in eternal salvation. 

The "Pastor's blog" of Bass has been since 2011 (here) and a perusal of his writings show them much in line with our own here. He is well versed in scripture, and which accounts for many Hardshells not wanting to tangle with him I strongly surmise. 

Bass has 243 sermons at sermonaudio (here) of which the Shiloh church web page also has a link thereto.

Elder Andrew Huffman served Cincinnati Church as Bradley's assistant for several years and I thought he would take over but he was called elsewhere in the past few years. I think elder Huffman also believed much like Bass. In fact, I suspect that many of the ministers that have been to Cincinnati church to preach in recent years believe like Bass. 

I have been hoping for years that I would live to see many Pb churches and preachers returning to the old Baptist faith of their fathers and am thankful for everyone who has done so, for able new testament men as Kevin, Jeremy Sarber, Stephen Emmons, et. als., who have been delivered from the cult.

What think ye?