We Are Catholic: A Call to Receptive Faithfulness

This past Lord’s Day we began a new series: Who We Are & What We Do, a ten-week journey into the identity and calling of our church. In our cultural moment of confusion, when questions of identity and belonging are pressing, the church must not lose sight of who we are. And one of the most misunderstood, yet deeply important, confessions we begin with is this: We are Catholic.

No, we do not mean Roman Catholic. We are a Baptist church, joyfully committed to the authority of Scripture, believers' baptism, regenerate church membership, and congregational life. But we also confess, as Christians have for centuries, belief in "one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church." That word "catholic", meaning universal, reminds us that the Church is not ours to invent, market, or redefine. It is Christ's body, gathered from every nation, tradition, and century, bound by one Spirit, one faith, one Lord.

If you’ve ever wondered how the Roman Catholic Church can claim to be “catholic” (universal) while being centred on Rome, think of the World Series; Despite the name, it’s not a global competition, it’s mostly just American teams. In a similar way, Rome claims universality, but ties that claim to allegiance to a single bishopric. But the true catholicity of the Church isn’t defined by geography or hierarchy: it’s defined by union with Christ, shared faith, and the presence of the Spirit across all times and places.

For us to affirm that we are catholic is to say we are part of something far older, far wider, and far deeper than our local congregation or denominational stream. And in our fragmented, hyper-individualized age, that is good news.

Receptive Catholicity: Not a Brand, but a Posture

What does it mean for Baptists, especially evangelical Baptists, to embrace a catholic identity? The language of receptive catholicity, as expressed by the Center for Baptist Renewal and other recent voices, offers a compelling path forward.

Receptive catholicity is not about compromising doctrinal convictions or erasing denominational distinctives. It is about recognizing that the Holy Spirit has been at work throughout the entire history of the Church, not only in our corner of it. It means receiving what is biblically faithful and spiritually rich from the broader Christian tradition, creeds, prayers, hymns, theological insights, while offering our own gifts back to the wider body.

It means we approach our Baptist identity not with sectarian suspicion or pride, but with humble confidence, grateful for what God has given us, eager to share it, and willing to learn from others who love the same Christ.

Baptist Identity, Catholic Vision

Historically, Baptists have not seen themselves as the only true church. Our earliest confessions show deep theological kinship with the Reformed and catholic tradition. We have always believed that we are part of the Church catholic, the one people of God across all times and places. What makes us Baptists are specific convictions about how that church should be ordered and how its ordinances should be practiced, not a denial of our connection to the wider body of Christ.

Unfortunately, in recent generations, some Baptists have drifted toward a kind of functional sectarianism, imagining ourselves as disconnected from, or even superior to, the rest of the Church. That posture leads either to spiritual isolation or to theological amnesia. But receptive catholicity reminds us that we are part of a much bigger story, one we did not start and one we do not finish.

Catholicity is Missional

To embrace catholicity is not just an inward-facing act of humility; it is an outward-facing act of mission. When we recognize our unity with the global Church, we are reminded that Christ is at work in cultures very different from our own. We are humbled by the vibrant faith of believers in China, Nigeria, and Peru. We are challenged by the courage of ancient churches who have endured suffering. And we are inspired to partner with God’s people wherever Christ is named and honoured.

This catholic posture also calls us to deeper love within our own context. It challenges us to think well of other churches who preach the gospel, even if they differ on secondary issues. It pushes us to pray for the whole body of Christ, not just our local slice of it. It strengthens our resolve to pursue unity not as a strategy, but as a spiritual reality to be lived.

What This Means for Us

In practical terms, here at Pineland Baptist Church, embracing our catholic identity means:

• Honoring our heritage: We are Baptists, and we give thanks for our history and theological convictions.
• Receiving from the whole Church: We read the early creeds. We learn from church fathers. We sing songs that stretch across centuries. We listen for the Spirit’s voice in the wisdom of other faithful traditions.
• Praying and partnering globally: We support missions. We care about believers across borders. We remember that we are part of the same body.
• Guarding against pride: We resist the temptation to define our identity by what we are not. We remember that the Church is Christ’s, not ours.

Not Optional, But Essential

This isn’t optional. The New Testament itself grounds our unity in one body, one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all (Ephesians 4:4–6). That’s catholicity. We’re not creating it; we’re receiving it and learning to live in step with it.

So let’s resist both rootlessness and sectarianism. Let’s embrace a vision of the Church that is humble, joyful, grateful, and gloriously big. Let’s be Baptists with deep roots, open hands, and wide horizons.

Because to be Baptist, truly and biblically, is to be catholic too.