I get this occasional eruption where I feel that the SBC made a mistake in exiting the Baptist World Alliance some years ago. I get to thinking that maybe we ought to be a part of that global Baptist outfit and just swallow hard every now and then.
Then I read about their meetings, like the splendid one just completed in Honolulu.
Can’t quite put my finger on it but an assortment of speakers on liberation theology of some sort, women’s issues, ethnocentrism, etc, although the session on the ethics of tourism was appropriate, if they could keep attendees in the classroom and off Waikiki Beach.
Associated Baptist Press (where SBCers go to get Baptist news that BP will not print) has a series of stories on the meeting.
The SBC’s Executive Committee, as a substitute for membership in BWA, hired Bobby Welch to be our Global Ambassador. Welch is our peripatetic preacher whose planetary travels has surely put him in the stratosphere with frequent flyer miles. Welch flys, meets, creates partnerships, returns, talks about it, etc. etc.
The guy is a stick of dynamite for Jesus but I just don’t catch the concept here.
So…if the BWA is not something we really want to rejoin and the Executive Committee has missed the mark with their Global whatever office, what should we do?
Maybe trust the International Mission Board with such work?
Have a nominal involvement with BWA?
Continue to have an impressive sounding name for our own in-house global Baptist thing?
Some Baptist at a higher pay level should enlighten us here.
7 comments:
William: ... be a part of that global Baptist outfit and just swallow hard every now and then ... Can’t quite put my finger on it but an assortment of speakers on liberation theology of some sort, women’s issues, ethnocentrism, etc, although the session on the ethics of tourism was appropriate ....
Norm: Appropriate: Ethics of tourism; non-appropriate: liberation theology, women’s issues, [geo-centrism], etc.?
William: So...if the BWA is not something we really want to rejoin ....
Norm: And engage in all that hard swallowing? With said sentiment, it is doubtful BWA would allow SBC to rejoin; doubtful that it wants to engage in hard swallowing, either.
William,
I, too, thought Pressler & Patterson showed their asininity when they got their feelings hurt and manipulated the SBC out of the BWA. However, I have had my fill of bureaucracies and cannot imagine joining one more.
Why create another entities that hands out paychecks? How much more money could be used to help local congregations rather than sending money to a central authority that thinks it is entitled.
Our world has been made much smaller thorough technology. It is fairly easy to develop relationships without an "official" organizational alliance of any kind.
Maybe someday, after the current Baptist war victors and vanquished have been called to give Jesus an account for their behavior, the younger generation can find ways to relate and build the Kingdom in a world which is growing much more hostile to our witness.
At the current rate, Islam will pass Christianity as the dominate religion later in the 21st century. Their idea of "liberation theology" is a bit different than the darling of "Christian" elitists today.
I share many of your views, and even your outrages, my populist Texas friend.
Still, being a part of some global Baptist organization has an innate appeal to me. I just don't see the Executive Committee Galaxial Ambassadorial office as much of a substitute, despite my admiration of Bobby Welch.
Perhaps the new IMB head, along with Frank Page, will be able to move this in a helpful direction.
I was bothered by the exit from the BWA when I first heard about it as well, but the more I find out how liberal a lot of Baptists are becoming the more okay with the exit I become. I wish they'd develop Welch's office into a resource to encourage local church pastors to be involved with other churches in their communities with reasonable doctrinal similarity. I saw a statistic once (probably from Stetzer) that showed a significant percentage of SBC pastors are involved in some kind of ministerial council in their communities. It would be nice to have an entity within the SBC developing materials to encourage pastors to make relationships with other denominations and churches in their areas to reach the community for Christ.
Welch, looking at defunding from the Executive Committee (his own prediction), might find such work at NAMB or LifeWay. His sole purpose was to develop SBC foreign relations.
William
Blake: ... okay with the [BWA] exit ... [A] significant percentage of SBC pastors are involved in some kind of ministerial council in their communities. It would be nice to have ... SBC [develop] materials to encourage ... relationships with other denominations and churches in their areas to reach the community for Christ.
Norm: Ministerial councils likely include mainlines, pentecostals, Catholics, etc., any of which have doctrines and practices that are roundly criticized by SBC leaders. It is OK to engage in shared ministry with such but God forbid a relationship with BWAers.
Bobby Welch does have a problem the BWA does not have; one, Jerry Boykin
http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Christianity/2005/01/Ear-Ripping-Off-Battles-With-Satan.aspx
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