Escaping the SBC Shadow

While we wrestle with schism, some 30 different Baptist denominations are talking about uniting, according to an Associated Press report:

ATLANTA (AP) -- A conference organized by former President Carter and others that aims to unite Baptists from more than 30 denominations says major political figures from both parties are tentatively planning to come.

Former Vice President Al Gore, former President Clinton and Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Charles Grassley of Iowa, are slated to appear at the event in Atlanta. Among the conference topics are evangelism, criminal justice, preaching, interfaith relations, racism, HIV/AIDS and religious liberty. The meeting is scheduled for Jan. 30-Feb. 1.

The gathering is part of an effort, called the New Baptist Covenant, that's meant to pool the resources of the many Baptist groups and escape the shadow of the conservative Southern Baptist Convention.

"For the first time in more than 160 years, we will have a major convocation of Baptists in America with neither our unity nor freedom threatened by differences of race, politics, geography, or legalistic interpretations of the Scriptures," Carter said in a statement Monday.

From AP Religion News Briefs, here.

Posted on December 13, 2007 1:07 PM | |
Comments (1)

Sounds like an excellent effort. In the past, efforts like Campbell's Disciples of Christ movement hoped to unite protestant Christians and get beyond the multiplications of effort required to maintain so many institutions. As we all know, they wound up being unable to unite and the Disciples of Christ wound up as one more denomination in the mix.

Americans have a hard time putting their churches together. In the time period that the United Church of Canada and the Uniting Church of Australia have come into being, we still seem to be mucking around with Churches Uniting in Christ.

I hope that this Baptist effort finds favor under heaven. It could spell hope for all of our denominations. A lot has changed since Campbell or the United Church!

Posted by Jason Wells [TypeKey Profile Page] | December 13, 2007 1:33 PM

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