Atlanta

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?

This entry was posted on 7. January 2008 at 07:45 and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.