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Note: This essay first appeared in the
September 2007 Baptist Studies Bulletin.
Imagine that your local church invited a wide spectrum of well-known
Baptists to speak at a conference on biblical Christianity―taking
the love of Jesus to the neediest people in our world, just as Jesus
did when he walked the earth. The Baptists invited represented the
theological spectrum of Baptists, some of which, in addition to
well-known Christians, were politicians, Republicans as well as
Democrats.
Now imagine that some of the Baptists you invited decided
that it would hurt their image to speak at a conference on biblical
Christianity. Why would it hurt their image? Because they would,
horror of horrors, share the stage with fellow Baptists who happen to
belong to the opposing American political party! And so, placing
secular politics before the Gospel of Jesus Christ, some prominent
Baptists turned down the invitation, while others backed out after
having initially said they would participate.
And as if this were not bad enough, now imagine that after
the politically correct Baptists shunned your church's conference on
biblical Christianity, some who shared their political ideologies
attacked your church for hosting a conference on biblical Christianity
that failed to represent the spectrum of Baptist life.
If this sounds too ludicrous to be true, think again.
Leading Baptists in America―liberal, moderate and conservative,
Republican and Democrat―were invited to speak at the upcoming New
Baptist Covenant meeting on biblical Christianity. The Baptists who
happen to be Democrats, and were invited to speak, agreed to do so.
But some Baptists who are also Republicans declined right away,
refusing to stand on the same platform as Baptists who are also
Democrats. Another Baptist, a very prominent Republican, initially
agreed to speak, then changed his mind, declaring he would not speak
alongside Baptists who happen to be Democrats. After those invited
Republicans declined or backed out, many among the larger Baptist
public who are also Republicans, began criticizing the New Baptist
Covenant meeting as a political event, and continue to do so.
I am not kidding. There are some Baptists whose identity
is so tied to a certain political party that they refuse the
opportunity to give witness to biblical Christianity, because in so
doing they would be associated with Baptists who happen to be members
of a different political party. Such shameful behavior places
politics before faith.
Yet the political correctness works both ways. Some
theologically moderate Baptists, some of whom may also be Democrats,
are criticizing the New Baptist Covenant for not including the most
liberal Baptists on the speaker's stage.
Despite the political correctness and captivity of some
Baptists, the upcoming
New Baptist Covenant
Celebration may well be the most diverse gathering of
Baptists in America since the Triennial Convention meetings of the
early 19th century, drawing from a wide
variety of ethnic and racial backgrounds throughout America.
How marvelous and wonderful it would be for the most
liberal and most fundamentalist of Baptists to be able to join hands
in preaching the Gospel! Yet, sadly, this is not going to happen
anytime soon. But at the least―at the
very least―those from the broad middle of Baptist life, all but the
most fundamentalist and most liberal, should be able to set aside
their political and ideological differences to come together in
witness to the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a world that
desperately needs the love of God.
Do I hear an Amen?
Photos: Julie
Pennington-Russell (top-left), Dorothy Patterson (bottom-right)
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