Customer Reviews

The Old Regular Baptists of Central Appalachia: Brothers and Sisters in Hope

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Too many times, the Old Regular Baptists have been either ridiculed outright or praised as "quaint" or "anachronistic". Such praise still condescends. The ORB's have developed a hesitancy about opening up to the outside world who do not understand their way of worship. They will not allow cameras in the church house (as a rule) and anyone who brings a recorder into a church needs to be discreet to the utmost. That is why Howard Dorgan's book is so welcome. It well- and, more importantly, respectfully written.
Before I continue, the reader should know this reviewer grew up in the Old Regular Baptist Church. My paternal grandfather, his father, and his grandfather were all ordained Old Regular Baptist preachers.
Mr. Dorgan's book reads well and helps explain some of the idiosyncracies (to the eye of the outsider) of the denomination. They do not believe in Sunday school (and there is an historic and doctrinal reason for it), they do not pass a collection plate, they do not have musical instruments in the church. But what they do have is a spirit of God moving through their service that is incomparable to any I have ever seen.
The service is simple. There is singing, an introduction from the moderator, prayer, and two or three visiting preachers preach for 20 to 45 minutes each, and a prayer to close the service. There is none of the "extraneous" items, such as a bulletin, a youth group, announcements, children's church, a nursery, etc. It is just a time for pure worship.
Mr. Dorgan explains all this and more and I believe that he has even helped many of the faithful understand some of the reasons behind what they do. He does this with readable history and the theology behind the doctrine and practices of the denomination.
This ought to be required reading for anyone who wishes to go to an Old Regular Baptist Church for a service. You will not be questioned, you will not be looked upon suspiciously. Instead, the entire congregation may make their way to you and other new faces in the church to shake your hand and welcome you. If you are looking for "the good old-fashioned way", you will have found it here.
I recommend you also take a listen to their songs. The Smithsonian has put out a CD/cassette of the music by some of the best-known singers and preachers in the denomination.

When I found the book on Amazon and read the review I knew I must read the book. My mother joined the Old Regular Baptist at a very young age and was, in my opinion, the most dedicated to her faith above anyone I ever knew. She (and the Old Regulars) are not pushy with their religion but will share their beliefs with you at any time.
Even while I was growing up and attending the church with my parents and siblings I never understood the reasoning behind some of their customs and/or beliefs. At their church meetings it would always touch my heart in a very special way. I believe the Old Regular Baptist lined singing, prayer and unstudied preaching comes direct from the heart and is ordained by God.

This book was just what I needed to read to fill in some blanks. The book was researched by actual church attendance. This means a lot to me that it was not written on hearsay and fly-by church attendance. It is very well written and easy to understand. I would recommend it to anyone who has ever attended Old Regular Baptist Church or who is just interested in what I would term "real worship".

I was born in the southern tip of West Virginia. I move north at age 8. I would walk with my grandparents to church and simply loved the preaching styles. As I grew up in central Ohio, I would try to explain what I experienced in the Regular Baptist faith but couldn't get my thought across. Finally!! Finally I found this book and it is so well written and explains everything I couldn't. I can close my eyes and almost see my Grandpa lining out the music and hear my Grandma singing in her high soprano voice. The author did an outstanding job without bias. And I appreciate his hard work researching this. More people should know about this simple faith. As I have told so many people in my years in the north.. I have never met a people who shared such a faith! It's seems to be a dying art... that pure and simple faith that gets us through the hard times and keeps us totally reliant upon our Lord.