Identity is a tricky thing! Religious identity in particular can be a hard one to figure out. I grew up in the Mississippi Delta, which actually has quite a bit of racial, ethnic and religious diversity, but Baptists and Pentecostals were among the strongest religious groups. Many of my Pentecostal friends really liked the structure of Baptist worship and theology, but always felt Baptists needed a lot more Spirit â?? Holy Spirit. They are probably right! Many of the Baptist folks liked the freedom of the more Pentecostal and Assembly of God groups, but were completely terrified by people â??catching the Holy Ghostâ? or getting â??slain in the Spirit.â?
This mutual admiration, in spite of the differences, produced a lot be people who jokingly called themselves Bapticostals. This wasnâ??t a real identification â?? thereâ??s not a Bapticostal denomination that I know of â?? but it is a hybrid identity of mutual admiration. It has a sense of unity somewhere in it.
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