Headlines for New Baptist Covenant

The religion sections of newspapers around the country are publishing stories about the coming Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant. Here are some links:

Atlanta Journal Constitution

Augusta Chronicle

Columbus Ledger Inquirer

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

News & Observer

New York Times

Washington Post

Winston-Salem Journal

Black and Christian Notes Celebration

The Black and Christian website, a popular internet site for African-Americans, has noted the involvement of Black Christians in the Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant. Here's a quote from their news release:

Presidents and delegates from the National Baptist Convention, USA; National Baptist Convention of America, National Missionary Baptist Convention and the Progressive National Baptist Convention signed on to participate not only in a joint session among themselves but also to lend support to the New Baptist Covenant Movement.

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.

Mark Johnson's Hopes for the New Baptist Covenant

Ethics Daily has posted an essay by Mark Johnson, pastor at Central Baptist Church in Lexington, KY, about his hopes for the New Baptist Covenant. He's praying for a movement that will respect difference, transcend politics, and discover a new spirituality. Here's a quote:

As I mentioned in an earlier column, this meeting cannot avoid politics, but I hope it will articulate a perspective that cannot easily be captivated or identified with either the Republicans or Democrats. May the collective voice of this meeting call both parties to a greater expression of an ethical standard that reflects the deeper and more persistent themes of the very Biblical traditional we honor: concern for the needy, the stranger and the marginalized are exactly these sorts of priorities.

Praying that Clinton Will Stay on Message

The Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant is a week away and, for the first time, I am starting to have an uneasy feeling about what Bill Clinton will say at the meeting.

I attended the press conference last April when Carter and Clinton announced the Celebration to the public. At that meeting, I heard Clinton openly speak about his faith and left convinced that his profession of faith in Christ is genuine, that his grasp of Baptist pinciples is profound, and that his commitment to separation of church and state is sincere. If Clinton speaks at the Celebration the way that he spoke during that press conference, then my uneasiness about the speech he will give at the Celebration will prove unfounded.

Last April, however, no one suspected that an African-American would be the chief rival standing between Bill Clinton's wife and the presidency. Then, no one suspected that the African-American community would be severly divided about who they would support for president. T. DeWitt Smith, President of the Progressive National Baptist Convention, joked at the press conference that his son was impressed that his father would be meeting "the first African-American President." The possibility that Clinton would be tempted to veer away from a message about faith to make a statement in support of Hillary's candidacy seemed remote.

Now we know that the stakes for the February 5th Democratic primaries are enormous. Now we know that Bill's role in Hillary's campaign has been to "lash out" against Obama and that his message is targeted towards African-Americans and young people.

There are going to be a lot of African-Americans and young people at the Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant. The temptation for Bill to deliver a political message, instead of a spiritual message, will be great.

It may be too great a temptation.

I pray that it isn't.

Carter at Center of the Stage in Celebration

The Atlanta Journal Constitution has published a story about the Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant under the title, "Carter Center Stage of Baptist Gathering." Here's a quote:

William Leonard, a Baptist scholar from Wake Forest University, said, "This meeting is historic if for no other reason, it has the potential to be the largest African-American, Anglo and Latino gathering of Baptists ever in this country. That alone makes it historic, and one of the few people who could have gotten black and white Baptists together at the table is Jimmy Carter because of the credibility he has as a world leader and a Sunday school-teaching Baptist."

Carter said Sunday that he hopes the meeting will show the world that Christians with theological differences can get beyond them and minister together, including working on broader social causes like justice, HIV/AIDS, sexual trafficking and feeding the hungry.

Charles Johnson Sees New Baptist Covenant Addressing Race Issue

Ethics Daily has posted an essay by Charles Johnson, Visiting Instructor of Preaching at McAfee School of Theology, that envisions the Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant as marking a new day in reconciling racial divisions among Baptists. Here's a quote:

Much is at stake at this gathering. Never before has such a constellation of Baptist bodies from across our spectrum of diversity come together at the same time in the same place to prayerfully deliberate our common future and mission. Only an individual with the moral stature of former President Jimmy Carter could convene such a diverse group.

If Euro-American Baptist pastors of the South are fearful of being accused of political partisanship because Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and Al Gore, all Baptist Democrats, are on the program, then we need to hear again that God has not given us a spirit of fear but of love.

Campbell Student Blogs About Being Baptist

Tim Ratzlaff, a student at Campbell University Divinity School, says he plans to attend the Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant in a blog about how he became a Baptist. Here's a quote:

When my father left the military and moved our family to North Carolina, we moved into main street, small town, NC. Quite the change from our life in New Mexico. I guess my father felt the Episcopal Church was a bit too upper class for us, and the Assemblies of God Church didn’t fit us; so we settled on the Baptist Church.

The line about being from New Mexico caught my eye. So am I.

Baptist Young Professionals and the New Baptist Covenant

Baptist Young Professionals has planned a Networking Event and Ice Cream Social at the Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant from 10:00-Midnight on Wednesday Jan. 30th.

Here's a link with some details.

Mike Huckabee and the Irony of Baptist History

Now that Mike Huckabee has emerged as a leading contender for the GOP Presidential nomination, wouldn't it be ironic if his candidacy fails due to an inability to connect with young Americans and ethnic evangelicals?

Huckabee, a Baptist minister, initially agreed to speak at the Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant. His name was listed with Democratic former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton along with Republican Congressmen Charles Grassley and Lindsey Graham on tens of thousands of cards and posters to publicize the event. All speakers were invited to participate because they were prominent Baptist leaders. Invitations were issued on a bi-partisan basis. The meeting has been designed to bring Baptists of all ethnicities from North and South together to celebrate our common Baptist identity and to recommit ourselves to the "good news" of the gospel.

As soon as the meeting was announced, SBC leaders denounced the meeting and Huckabee made a lame excuse for withdrawing from participation in the meeting. Apparently, in their eyes, uniting ethnic Baptists with Anglo Baptists could only be viewed as an attempt to dilute the power of the SBC's aging Southern white Republican voting block.

As it has developed, the Celebration is shaping up to be combination of a Baptist revival meeting, mission conference and youth rally. By a wide margin, college age young people are showing the greatest enthusiasm for the Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant. There will be plenty of gray hairs (and no hairs), but it is certain there will be a lot of youthful energy along with spiritual vitality. If for no other reason, the Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant is sure to be memorable for both its youth and mixed complexion.

The Celebration may offer a glimpse of our future. It is going to be younger and ethnically diverse. The sooner Baptists in both political parties realize this, the better.

It's a New Year in Baptist Life

Joel McClendon rings in the New Year at The Fellowship Portal with a discussion of the Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant. He gives special attention to events for young leaders. Here's a quote:

For those of us on the younger side….Current is having their retreat right before the NBC meeting. Jan 29-30 at First Baptist Decatur, GA (just outside Atlanta). The Current network is a great way to get to connected to other young CBFers, and the retreat is a great time to get involved.