15. November 2008 by admin.

            At our 2009 Biennial in Pasadena, CA the American Baptist Family will face the task of voting for a proposed new structure that intends to bring change in different fronts. After several years of dedicated effort on the part of the General Executive Council (GEC), a writing team, a transitional team, and the General Board we have finally arrived at a place of change that is comfortable enough for everyone to move forward and introduce it to all our constituents. Change is a funny thing: on one hand we cannot escape it; on the other we always resist it. This particular change was motivated by the desire to streamline our operation as a denomination with the goal of reducing costs, plus the need of finding a way to overcome the theological and ethical differences that polarized us and left us bleeding.   A word about change             There are different levels of change as popularized by Peter Senge in his book The Fifth Discipline (Doubleday Business-Oct 1, 1994). The depth of change is directly proportional to the length that it takes to produce it. 

EVENTS are activities that take place at one point in time. A workshop that lasts one hour or two, a homecoming that takes place during a weekend, or even a revival that stretches for a whole week are just examples of events. Many of our churches think that events can produce real change, but more often than not that’s not the case. Events affect very little change in the life of an organization. TRENDS, on the other hand, are more extended time wise. A trend may last three months or three years, but the point is that they are seasonal and over before we know it. Trends produce short lasting change in an organization. For example, a discipleship program may last three months and may change the life of the congregation for some time. But inevitably, things resort back to usual.             If you imagine the pyramid to be an iceberg, the line in the middle is equivalent to sea level. Both events and trends are very noticeable and exciting. Under the line, though, we find the types of change that produce long lasting results. STRUCTURES change the whole operation of an organization by lending a new framework to do business. Typically, institutions change their structures every fifteen to eighteen years. Finally, we find MENTAL MODELS. These are the guiding paradigms by which the whole organization lives and subsists for generations. A change of mental models is revolutionary, and often times it just happens, perhaps as a result of God’s burst into human history. 

            As we move into Post-modernity, many mental models are changing even when we don’t intend to do it. I believe that is the case with this structural change of the American Baptist Churches-USA. There are in particular two changes that will force us to think differently, and we’ll have to retrain our minds to do that. Main changes 

            One of the most remarkable changes in the ABC new structure is the shift from a legislative emphasis to a missional one, leaving the adoption of positions and resolutions to be decided by the local churches at the regional level. Therefore, when we meet together as a denomination at our Biennials we will sit at the Missional Table to discuss issues pertaining to our common mission and ministry in our own communities and around the world.              This is truly a return to our origins as a Baptist Missionary Society. Historically, local churches realized they could not individually reach out the world with the gospel, so they came together with the objective of multiplying their resources by joining in the missional venture. Moreover, staying away from legislating about issues lifts up the Baptist principles of freedom of conscience and freedom of the church. (The Baptist Identity: Four Fragile Freedoms by Walter B. Shurden, Smyth & Helwys Publishing-Aug 1997) 

            The second important change proposed by the new structure is to morph into a federation model of relating where the national Boards will be interrelated but not interlocking. The number of members of each Board (NM and IM) will be reduced and they will be exclusively members of their respective Board, and not members of the General Board also. This will give them autonomy and freedom to conduct their business without being tied up to the meeting schedule of the General Board, or having to render double duty by serving in both, the General Board and their own.             As I said before, I believe these two changes will force us to think differently, especially in relation to issues of representation and identity. For a number of years we’ve been accustomed to lifting up issues that, we believed, molded our identity as denominational family. Even having a minority report was a part of such identification. As we have been unable to reach agreement on issues in recent years, we have seen our identity threatened and our community jeopardized by division. In the future, if this new structure gains the support of our constituents, our communal identity as a Baptist body will be defined by the missions we carry on together. Likewise, the federation model will help our national Boards to be defined by their focus on mission rather than by their membership at the General
Board. 

How does the new structure impact me?                        The possibility of no longer having Statements of Concern at the national level will place that burden on us at the local and regional levels. Most regions have abandoned the practice either by decision or by default. Some think it’s too divisive, others just didn’t have any impetus left for it. In the new structure we will have to assume the responsibility of stating concerns, adopting positions and defining issues the Baptist way, creating accountability systems for ourselves.             A very practical difference we will experience is in the representation system. All the regions will have only one representative to the Board of General Ministries. However, each region will nominate five such representatives; these names will go to the Leadership Pool from where the Nominating Committee will choose the candidates to present at the Biennial. In nominating the five candidates to the Leadership Pool, each region will try its best to offer diversity in terms of urban, suburban, rural,large, small, and mega church; ethnicity; race; gender; age; geography; language; culture; clergy/lay; physical ability; and economic class. 

            The voice of the local church will be mostly heard at the Mission Summit that will take place during each Biennial. The goal of the Mission Summit is to discern and articulate broad priorities for American Baptists for the upcoming biennium and beyond. The deliberations of the Mission Summit shall include a consideration of implications for the ministry of the local church. (Proposed by-laws)              Finally, an important way in which this new model will touch all of us is financially. The new Board of General Ministries will be consistently smaller, and the national boards will pay for themselves. All this will result in savings of 39% over the current costs.              All and all I’m excited about these changes and I believe they’ll be very positive. It will take us some time to getting used to them, but in the end we’ll be stronger in our mission, though looser in those things that kept us locked in for so long. 

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14. February 2008 by Liliana.

The New Baptist Covenant was an incredible experience. There were about 16,000 Baptists there representing 31 church organizations, 6 societies, and 16 academic institutions. The central theme was Unity; and based on Luke 4:18-19 we focused onfive specific aspects: Seeking Peace with Justice, Bringing Good News to the Poor, Respecting Diversity, Welcoming the Stranger, and Setting the Captive Free. A number of workshops were offered also on topics ranging from Prophetic Preaching to Responding to Natural Disasters.

In considering this experience we can imagine that it is an onion and has many layers. One layer is the quality of speakers that addressed the audience, the depth of their messages, the diversity of approaches, and the flow of the music ministry. We were blessed by meaningful words from the lips of William Shaw, Tony Campolo, Jimmy Carter, Mariam Wright Edleman, Julie Pennington-Russell, John Grisham, Joel Gregory, Charles Adams, and Bill Clinton.

 Another layer to consider is who were there. there were Euro-Americans who’ve embarked in a journey to find themselves and their voice emerging away from some fundamentalist-led structures. There were also african-Americans who have been divided for far too long and are longing to share ministry with each other. Then there was us, American Baptists who knos about diversity probably more than anybody else, and who brought our own pain and need for healing. Reconciliation and unity were prevailing words in the lips of the speakers.

The last layer I’d like to mention, before you get bored and tune me off, is that of the local implications of this new movement. I believe we must concentrate in bringing the so-called ethnic minorities to the front and center of ABCORI life. I believe we must establish concrete collaboratives of ministry with the Black denominations with which they are dually aligned. I believe we must work in cooperation with our Hispanic and Haitian churches to support them in their struggles with the immigration issue. I believe there is a lot to be done in Rhode Island to bring peace and justice to all of God’s people.

You will hear (or read) more about this. Give us your thoughts.

Liliana

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7. January 2008 by Liliana.

Hello folks. Happy New Year!

Today I’m writing about the upcoming meeting of the Baptists in Atlanta by the end of this month. 45 Baptist groups and denominations will gather at Atlanta to discover ways to cooperate with one another, reaffirm the principles that unite us, and strategize to strengthen the church. My husband and I, along with several others from Rhode Island and Massachusetts are attending this historic meeting. I am anticipating it with lots of expectation.

One of the facts we cannot ignore about this gathering is that our friends from the Southern Baptist Convention will not be present. This is noticeable, not only because they are the largest Baptist body in the World, but also because they are the only Baptist body that will be absent fromt this important event. It is not my intention to criticize the Southern Baptist Convention, but rather point out to the fact that little by little they have put themselves aside from the rest of Baptists, becoming an exclusive denomination. This is not very baptistic.

We believe in working together. Our associational principle is very strong. That is why American Baptist Churches participate in the National Council of Churches, the World Council of Churches, and holds ecumenical and interfaith relations worldwide. Separation and isolation is the begining of sectarianism. When we cannot get together for dialog, when we fear being in mixed company, when we cannot listen to the other unless they agree with us we are placing ourselves above the rest and we feel we don’t need them.

Now, going back to Atlanta, there are some among us who are reluctant to support this unity effort because they feel threatened by the lingering differences among Baptists. Let me remind you that being Baptist, by definition, is being different. Let me clarify: some of the Baptists bodies participating in the Atlanta gathering have Southern Baptists roots, and although they separated from them based on their disagreement with their fundamentalist tendencies, they are still held suspect. Gulty by former association. As a matter of fact, they may have a different approach than ours to women in ministry, social gospel, and many of the other controversial issues of our time. Well, we can still get together; perhaps there are few things we can learn from one another. Fear is not the best counselor.

So, instead of focusing on the “dangers” of this Atlanta conference, why don’t we explore the good things that may come out of it? For one thing, cultural diversity will be enhanced by the coming together of typically Euro-American and African-American Baptist denominations, plus the culturally diverse convergence of groups from different geographical areas of the Country. In this respect, American Baptist have a lot to contribute to the mix. We are the most multicultural Baptist denomination in North America.

Another area in which we can all benefit from coming together is in sharing resources. All of these Baptist groups are small and with scarce resources. Sharing experiences, trainings, speakers, and buildings are some of the possibilities to generate synergies and multiply potential. This is a real need in our days because the church in North America is in crisis. We have empty pews, lack of commitment, meager spirituality, poor finances, and a culture of decline. This Country needs a strong church now more than ever, and Baptists are the most viable option for a society that values freedom and self-determination. What we have to offer is the grace of our Lord outside of the box of a starched religion. We can offer hope without judgment; self-giving in the context of freedom; participation without hierarchical demands.

Do you think that willing and well intentioned Baptist working together in ministry have a shot to change the spiritual fabric of this society?

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14. December 2007 by Liliana.

I’ve been involved in an interfaith effort about Prayer in America that will result on a special PBS program to be aired by the end of February. Representatives of different faith traditions: Muslim, Catholic, Baptist, Jewish, Orthodox and Unitarian Universalist have been meeting with Shirley Winslow of PBS for several months to discuss the James P. Moore’s book “One Nation Under God: The History of Prayer in America.”  Attached to the PBS special will be a half hour Rhode Island interfaith conversation about prayer for us here. In preparation for this program PBS has organized a conference on the subject for January 24th at URI South Kingstown. You will receive the announcement through the ABCORI notes. At this conference I will be co-leading a workshop on Prayer and Forgiveness.  After reading the pertinent material I am awestruck by the depthness of the topic.

Dr. Susanna Morrill, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Lewis and Clark College, states that the themes of prayer and forgiveness have receded from American public discourse. I think the impact of this is huge for our society. On the one hand, prayer has become obsolete for many; more and more people claim not to be religious at all in our Country. Of course we must accept the reality that we don’t live in a Christian Country, and as Baptists we celebrate the diversity. But the issue here is that secularism leaves out all forms of religious expression, not only Christianity. On the other hand, forgiveness is not an option for many. We are imbarked in a war of retaliation; we hope for death penalty to be a way of getting even with harsh criminals, and we claim our privilege to bear arms as our God-given right to destroy those who attack us first. Perhaps you, like me, don’t identify with any of these feelings, but what are we doing about it?

The power of forgiveness for the purpose of healing is invaluable. If we don’t learn to forgive one another, and even our enemies, we will never be whole as a Nation. Let me clarify that forginess is always possible because it’s a matter of the heart. Now, reconciliation requires repentance. I would not forgive an abusive husband and stay in dangerous relationship. I would leave the abuse, and forgive in my heart. If we carry the resentment everywhere we go, we are the ones to suffer. The healing qualities of forgiveness go in every direction. We must forgive ourselves and believe that we can live without guilt. We can accept God’s forgiveness in Jesus Christ and his restoring gift. We can forgive others who have hurt us and move on. We can also repent and ask for others to forgive us for our own wrongdoings.

In this we must understand the difference between repentance and guilt. When I worked in hospice I dealt with a lot of people with guilty feelings. Some of them had real things in their past lives that required true repentance. But many others had unfounded reasons to feel guilty. After trying really hard to explain to people that there was no reason to feel that way I realize you cannot change the way people feel just by telling them. Something larger that this was needed. So, I remembered-how could I forget?-the concept of Grace! What do we do with our guilt, real or undounded? We receive the grace of Jesus and accept his forgiveness. Dr. Harold Dean Trulear, Associate Professor of Applied Theology at Howard University Divinity School, says that “the experience of forgiveness brings with it a chance to begin anew the journey of life.” We shall not dwell in our past guilt. We cannot go from generation to generation dragging the guilt of our foreparents injustice to African or Native Americans, for example. We must repent; true repentance in this issue means the end of all racist feelings. And then we must move on at once without re-living the experience over and over again. That’s real cleansing. It requires radical love-a topic I have addressed before- and a close relationship with the giver of grace.

Would you give me your thoughts on this?

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5. November 2007 by Liliana.

Dr. Walter Shurden came to New England and was the speaker at a program organized by the Baptist Heritage Center of ABCORI Saturday, November 3rd. He said that there are a number of issues related to our identity in this society: cultural issues, survival issues, and denominational issues.

In considering our history and baptist principles, I believe that we have a golden opportunity in these postmodern times to raise the banner of freedom and celebrate our diversity. We are the only baptist denomination that has lived out this passion for diversity. Yet, many have attempted to achieve uniformity among us.

What do you think?

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5. November 2007 by Liliana.

Do you receive The Christian Citizen magazine? It’s published by National Ministries and it’s a great resource. I just read the last issue that is dedicated to prophetic ministry. This is a passion of mine. Ever since I came across Liberation Theology in Seminary I have a special place in my heart for denouncing oppression and announcing hope to the poor and disenfranchised.

I think that the core of the message of Jesus was that we must give up our self-righteous and egotistic ways in order to make room for others in our world. I’ve just spent two days in Indianapolis doing a facilitating a consultation on multicultural ministry, and it all comes down to the same thing: move over to make room for others!

Anyway, back to the Christian Citizen, on page 16 there is an article on sustaining Leadership for social Change that is great. It offers a list of insights that are very much on point. I’d love to know what you think about this.

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10. October 2007 by Liliana.

Hello friends,

We have a Communications Task Force in ABCORI working to help us improve our communications. This is an attempt to make good use of technology. The way it works is that you can read this and send your comments so myself and other people can respond with comments.

Keeping good communication is great because then we can all be in the same page. If you are inclined to using technology, please feel free to let me know. We are experimenting with this, so let me know also if you have suggestions to improve it.

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10. October 2007 by Liliana.

It is official: we are embarked in two Mission Explosions, one to Southern India and one to Honduras. On September 24^th at our Mission Celebration we launched both efforts with a resounding “Yes, we can do it” from everyone present.

It is very encouraging to see how the people of Rhode Island responds to God’s call to engage mission work together. We are touched by stories of need and possibility. In India by twelve orphans who need a house to live in, in Honduras by the need of many children for a school.

As you and your congregation are led to join in either or both of these endeavors, here are some things you can do:

• Pray for ABCORI, for the mission fields, for the relationship between ABCORI and the mission fields.
• Call ABCORI to secure a mission speaker for your church.
• Discuss with your Missions Committee in what ways you can increase your United Missions giving
• Explore the possibility of participating in a mission trip.
• Share your enthusiasm with everybody you know!

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