resisting preemptive condemnation

January 13, 2007

Clinton and Baptist. Those are two words I thought I’d never hear in the same sentence…

The blogosphere is rife with the story of former U.S. presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton joining leaders of 40 Baptist organizations to announce a major meeting called Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant, tentatively scheduled for Jan. 30-Feb. 1, 2008 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.

For this announcement, Carter and Clinton met with groups aligned with the North American Baptist Fellowship at the Carter Center in Atlanta. This meeting in early 2008 is being touted as an attempt to offer an alternative Baptist voice to what they are claiming is often-negative messages of the Religious Right [i.e. Southern Baptists]

A little background: The North American Baptist Fellowship is one of six regional fellowships that are part of the Baptist World Alliance, which is made up of 214 Baptist unions and conventions comprising a membership of more than 34 million baptized believers.

Here’s the rub: This organization doesn’t include the 16-million-member Southern Baptist Convention, which dropped out of BWA in 2004, alleging a drift toward liberalism in the global fellowship. And some of SBC’s leading voices are taking issue with remarks apparently aimed at their convention.

Here’s Frank Page, president of the Southern Baptist Convention and pastor of First Baptist Church in Taylors, S.C. from the Baptist Press:

Instead of engaging in a war of words, let’s do a reality check. Word games are fine, but reality says Southern Baptists are presenting a positive life-changing message, impacting our culture with our ministries and sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Here’s Morris H. Chapman, president of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee from the Baptist Press on Carter:

He has been one of the most vocal critics of Southern Baptists, using ‘fundamentalist’ as a pejorative and drawing a caustic comparison between Ayatollah Khomeini’s rise to power in Iran and the resurgence of conservative leadership being elected in the SBC.

It makes sense that there would some ‘towing’ from the upper leadership in the SBC, but their comments come off somewhat defensive. There is no doubt that the SBC is addressing world hunger, as well as bringing the Gospel to many people, but this seems to be very reactionary.

The subtlety to me is, according to Charle Wade, executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, this meeting does not amount to an effort to start a new Baptist convention that would compete with the Southern Baptist Convention.

We have no intention of starting a new convention. We do need a new opportunity to express the heart of the Baptist vision.

I think it is too early to make sweeping statements about this meeting. Anyone that takes the time to address poverty, the environment and global conflicts deserves the chance to be heard. Even if Clinton is involved.

What I think is most important for evangelicals to do in light of this meeting is to be careful not to pass judgement too soon. I prefer to align myself with folks like Ben Cole, pastor of Parkview Baptist in Arlington, Texas:

Southern Baptists had better be careful when it comes to criticizing efforts to unite people of faith who seek social justice for the poor and oppressed. The role of the Levite or the priest in Christ’s parable of the Good Samaritan is not one to be preferred. It could be that men whom the Southern Baptist fundamentalist elites regard as undesirable are the very ones who gain heaven’s blessing in their efforts to bind up the wounds of those in our society who have fallen among thieves.

…and Wade Burleson, pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Enid, Oklahoma,:

I am not familiar with ‘The Baptist Covenant,’ nor am I acquainted with the leaders of the 2008 convocation in Atlanta. However, it would be difficult for me to criticize any evangelical Christian movement whose stated goals are to live out the gospel through doing justice and loving mercy. There comes a time when we as Southern Baptists should simply remain silent if we cannot say anything supportive of other Baptist attempts at addressing pressing social and cultural issues in a prophetic manner. To provide a public defense of our convention’s record, while at the same time criticizing others, seems to be acting in a manner contrary to the spirit of our Lord and the good of His kingdom at large. I wish nothing but success for all Baptists who seek to live out the gospel for a world in need of a Savior.

I think Cole and Burleson are bold and balanced in their assessments. Bold, in that they are willing to challenge what is considered to be the ‘establishment.’ Balanced, in that they are willing to withhold judgment until the other side has had an opportunity to pursue their efforts.

Perception is everything. The SBC’s leaders had a chance to improve the perception that most have of their convention on issues of social justice. Taken at face value, they fell short.

Sometimes, when you come off defensive, it can be interpreted that you feel threatened. And when that happens, it can be perceived as battle you are already losing.

Posted in Christianity, news, politics, quotes of note, religion, social justice