Gushee's Journey

David Gushee, Professor of Christian Ethics at Mercer University, has written an outstanding essay about his journey to the New Baptist Covenant. Here's an excerpt:

Never in all my years at Providence can I remember the first word being said about politics. Never was there an expectation or even the slightest hint that a good Christian or good Baptist would vote this way or that. We just "did church." I'm sure there were both Democrats and Republicans in that congregation, but it didn't matter.

I am firmly convinced that throughout the Baptist world -- black, white, Asian, Hispanic, African and so on, in all of our dozens of denominations -- one can still find thousands upon thousands of individuals and churches that feel something like Providence Baptist Church did in those days when I needed it so badly. Such churches are centered on Jesus Christ. They preach the authoritative and inspired Bible as refracted through the tender lens of Jesus Christ. They are morally serious. They focus on obeying the Great Commission through evangelism, discipleship and missions. They build meaningful experiences of Christian community, they know what they believe but are not overly focused on doctrinal purity. They respect the freedom of fellow believers to express their faith in differing ways. And above all they love people. They are open, trusting, welcoming, kind and warm-hearted. They look you in the eye. They hate fighting. They are known for what they are for, not what they are against.

I know that I am at home spiritually whenever I find Christians who exude this spirit. I have met them all over the world.

I know there are many churches and individuals still affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention that are right there. I know there are many affiliated with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship that are right there. The same can be said of churches in the dozens of other Baptist denominations. One of the great tragedies of our divided people is that our divisions of race, class, secular politics and denominational controversy have been so profound as to prevent us from knowing one another well enough to find this out, to meet the saints on the other side of the barbed wire.