Timothy George – “The Future of Baptist Identity in a Post Denominational World”
My original title, and the one I will speak on, is “Is Jesus a Baptist?” in spite of this being the home area of Graves and Pendleton. (Landmarkers, I think he is joking…)
Brief personal prelude. I was born near Chattanooga. My family was what is known today as dysfunctional. First person in my family to receive a college education. My family could not read or write, but could think and argue. We grew up in an impoverished neighborhood. In that community, there was a little Baptist Church. They were a country church in the urban city. Sandy Creek tradition. Received Christ and began to preach wherever I could. I am a baptist because of the Baptists that invested in me and brought me to it.
I never liked what was going on in the resurgence, but realized there were several very real issues that needed to be addressed. Had the leaders of the time (moderates) reacted differently when parity was sought, we would not have had the rupture that we have had. I am glad we have stopped accepting leaders who cannot affirm the veracity of the Bible. Nevertheless, we will never make the future by fighting the battles of the past.
3 strategies
1. Retrieval for the sake of renewal. We must retrieve the Baptist heritage so that we can equip ourselves for the future. The reformation was about this. They went “back to the source” – the written Word of God. Understanding our heritage will help us deal, constructively, with the things that are facing us now.
a) Are Baptists a creedal people? We are confessional, but have never been “creedalists.” We have, in fact opposed state enforced conformity. Believing that God alone is the authority, that no one has the right to attempt to require conformity. We also look only to Scripture for authority. There is no man made canonized statement to which we hold. We have held our confessions as revisable in light of Scripture. Confessions must be used carefully. Confessionalism, like Creedalism, can choke. When secondary and tertiary matters are elevated to primary importance, we are approaching a situation where tradition reigns.
b) Are Baptists Calvinists? Some are and some aren’t. It has been thus for 400 years. *LOOOONG List of Calvinist Baptists* I know of nothing that has happened since them that makes what they said wrong. We need not kill each other over such things. This is a family discussion, and we need not divide over it – Frank Page. Extremists on both sides threaten to kill us, and to pull themselves, and possibly the SBC with them, into the heresies of Pelagianism or , real – not merely alleged, Hyper Calvinism, respectively. Let us do away with the label “Calvinism.” It is an “in” word for some and a badge of pride for others. Let us simply love one another and work together for the Gospel. All are welcome *Long quote from Spurgeon.* Jesus will receive all, for no matter who comes, He will not cast them out.
2. Particularity in the service of unity. Theology matters because truth matters. We can not fall head long into ecuminism at the expense of papering over truth. Is Jesus a Baptist? The question should be, “Are Baptists Christian?” We are part of the Church, the universal, holy, catholic and apostolic church. We believe, by the way in many things invisible. Demons, Holy Spirit, etc. The reference to the church in Scripture is about local churches, but also about the universal church. “Upon this rock I will build my Church,” not “churches.” We are called to pray for, work for and embody the unity of John 17. We need particularity in the service of unity. There is no need to give away our Baptist distinctives in order to work with others whom are not those who hold to them. Jesus gives the ability for the lost to come to Him through the OBSERVABLE love for one another. William Carey, a strict Baptist, called for the first Missionary conference so that working together with other Christians would have “great effect.”
3. Humility in the presence of the holy. 2 caveats: 1. It is difficult to preach on humility. Not something to be cultivated, but a by-product of the fruit of the Spirit – the fragrance of the fruit. 2. Isn’t it somewhat narcissistic to be speaking about Baptist Identity? There is a fine line between looking to Baptist past and a “Baptocentricity.” Let us keep ourselves in perspective. There are more Muslims in the smallest province of China than there are Southern Baptists in the whole world.
When we lose our humility, we will lose our blessing from God in His endeavors. We are no more than donkeys – called by our master to carry our master’s burden.
(I’m not blogging the Q&A. Sorry.)
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brad andrews
on Feb 18th, 2007
@ 7:17 am:
wondering if you heard any of shaddix’s comments and wondered what your thoughts were?
is it just me or is this a prime example of what greg was talking about or the exact opposite of what stetzer was talking about? broad generalizations and narrow-mindedness?
here are some of Shaddix’s quotes:
“The emerging churches and alternative venues are not as appealing to the unchurched as the marginally churched in our camps.”
This is interesting to me. If by ‘in our camps’ he means Baptists, I might agree that in more rural areas, smaller stand-alone metropolitan areas , and outlying suburbs of large metropolitan areas, but not in large metro areas like Denver, where Riverside is. This is a guess, but I’m sure there is a plethora of emerging churches in metro Denver attended by disenfranchised Baptists [among others] and primarily under the age of 35. Where is Shaddix’s context?
“Did you know that the organ is played more in a professional baseball game than in our churches today?”
Eh? Isn’t this another example of one exalting a cultural expression of the 50’s & 60’s as THE way worship should be done. In a way, it an elitist view. Those that do start down the road have to answer the question: How far back do we go? Why stop at organs?
“Have you noticed that our young people listen to David Letterman and Jay Leno who wear suits and ties?”
This is more of a slam on seeker churches [and rightfully so] than on most of the emerging churches I know, especially in the Acts 29 network. Broad generalization…btw, there is nothing wrong with a little humor
“Postmodernism and its child, the emerging church, is faddish.”
Wow. Postmodernism isn’t a fad it is an age. And though we may be in its, as Robert Webber says, ‘first breath,’ it is a legitimate era. How can the age after modernism be called a fad when it is reality?
“The more recent the movement and mindset, the shorter it will be, the shorter the shelf life.”
Then how have any movements sustained? Weren’t all movements ’short’ at one point before they grew to a more sustained movement? Again, I am growing tired of what comes off as an elitist viewpoint about ‘movements’ from those who seem to have a narrow viewpoint…
“Every church grabbing towards the latest trend and fad are looking for methodolody, not theology.”
Eh? What a horrible generalization? Has this guy heard Stetzer?
Curious about your thoughts Art
Art Rogers
on Feb 18th, 2007
@ 9:06 am:
Brad,
I did not hear him in person. I went out to eat with some friends instead. I did listen to it on the way home. Some of the questions you raise were mine, and some you raise are not.
Unfortunately, I won’t be able to address any of it until next week, I suspect. I am packing right now to go to Mexico and meet up with a mission team from my church. I just got online to print my boarding pass.
See everyone later.