| dc.description.abstract | The Baptist’s way of understanding membership is seen as a mark of its identity, though it is common to find variations in interpretation and practice in different contexts. The purpose of this research is to observe a practice on membership among the Norwegian Baptist churches and for this, a group of five pastors were interviewed on their method for assessment of candidates for membership.
This research was done using tools from Qualitative Research and Practical Theology, under a model called “Mutual Critical Conversation”. Following this model, we looked at the history of this practice, as well as different theories and dynamics that may affect it. The interviews were analysed and discussed, and suggestions were developed from them. What became apparent with this research was that Norwegian Baptist pastors evaluate a candidate’s faith through conversations where expressions of a personal conversion experience are identified. The relationship between the candidate and the church is also taken into consideration but not necessarily their responsibilities. | en_US |
