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

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?

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?

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?

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.

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.

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!