By Robert Dilday
First Baptist Church of Rome, Ga., is considering ending its affiliation with the Georgia Baptist Convention and joining the Baptist General Association of Virginia, whose Richmond headquarters are 600 miles away.
And two other north Georgia churches are exploring possible links with the BGAV.
The 1,800-member congregation in Rome, about 75 miles north of Atlanta, will vote on the issue March 13, said Joel Snider, pastor of the church.
The move is unusual for Southern Baptist churches, which almost universally affiliate with conventions in their states or region. But it represents a growing interest in denominational links by affinity rather than geography, say some observers.
First Baptist, which ordains women as deacons and supports the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, has increasingly found itself out of step with the conservative Georgia Baptist Convention, which frowns on both. The Virginia convention, however, includes many churches with women deacons and ministers, and assists congregations to channel funds to the CBF, if they choose to do so.
“In looking around at our options, we found the BGAV's principles are very much like our own,” said Snider.
“We want to demonstrate that we are not just cutting ourselves off [in severing ties to the Georgia Baptist Convention]; we think the BGAV relationship might be an additional avenue for our congregation to participate with other Baptists,” he said, adding that the CBF will continue to be the church's primary denominational relationship.
Also looking at a Virginia affiliation is North Broad Baptist Church in Rome, which recently withdrew from the Rome-area Floyd County Baptist Association rather than dismiss its husband and wife pastoring team, Tony and Katrina Brooks.
The Brooks were pastor and associate pastor, respectively, at Bethel Baptist Church in Scottsburg, Va., before accepting the co-pastorate of the 600-member North Broad church in 2003.
“We are in the initial stages” of studying the affiliation issue, Katrina Brooks told the Rome News-Tribune. “We want to make sure that whatever option we explore is consistent with our church mission statement.”
Meanwhile, in nearby Dalton, Ga., the First Baptist Church there is finding the BGAV's extensive partnership mission program an attractive option. Last year a team from the church joined Virginia Baptists in a project in Brazil.
“We had a great experience,” said Bill Wilson, pastor of the 1,800-member church. “The service they provided us was superb. We've come back to them and said we want to do more with them, and are looking at some projects in the Caribbean.
“That's the door that our connection is taking,” said Wilson, a former pastor in Virginia who served as BGAV president in 1998.
The BGAV's constitution and bylaws do not restrict its member churches to Virginia. The state association has long included churches just across the North Carolina and West Virginia borders among its 1,413 affiliated congregations. But geography, not affinity, was the reason-the oddities of the Atlantic coast and the Appalachian Mountains made travel to Virginia easier for some North Carolinians and West Virginians.
However, four years ago the BGAV clarified its policy to permit a more widespread affiliation. In response to requests from a few churches-which apparently didn't immediately pursue their requests and whose names and locations were never divulged-the Virginia Baptist Mission Board in 2001 developed an affiliation statement to be given to any church requesting BGAV membership.
The statement cites financial requirements and lists the BGAV's vision and values, as well as its resolutions on theological and social issues adopted over the past few years.
In addition, the statement includes several “parameters and expectations” which urge out-of-state churches to:
• Relate and minister “in a fashion that is supportive of the purpose, vision, values and positions” of the BGAV;
• Send messengers to the BGAV annual meeting.
• Contribute to the cooperative missions budget of the BGAV.
• Utilize the resources of the Virginia Baptist Mission Board.
• Participate in Virginia Baptist partnership mission projects.
“We're certainly not soliciting membership from churches outside Virginia,” said John Upton, the BGAV's executive director. “We respect the integrity of other state Baptist conventions and maintain good working relations with each of them.
“But there's no question that church affiliation by affinity rather than geography is an appealing option for many churches who are seeking the best resources to assist them in ministry. The BGAV's task is-has always been-to help local congregations to carry out the Great Commission in their communities.”
Upton said he has not had an opportunity to talk to Bob White, the Georgia convention's executive director.
In a statement released to the Rome newspaper responding to the potential action of the churches there, White said, “I'm aware that these two churches have not agreed with some of the decisions and directions of the Georgia Baptist Convention. We wish them the very best in their new [possible] affiliation with the BGAV.”
Though the three Georgia churches may be the first to explore affiliation by affinity, Wilson says they won't be the last.
“The new model of denominational relations is based on services provided,” he said. “I'm willing to purchase those from the people who provide the best services. At this point some of the best services we've seen come from Virginia Baptists and we're willing to give money to access that.
“As far as affiliation goes, we don't know what the future holds,” Wilson said about his church. “But
if an organization provides things that add value to a congregation, that congregation will look seriously at it. My prediction is that if Virginia does these things well, there will be churches all over the country standing in line to join.”
Robert Dilday is interim editor of the Religious Herald.