Mention "cooperation" and many Baptists think of the Cooperative Program, the Southern Baptist Convention's unified giving plan.
But Baptists may have forgotten that instead of money, cooperation historically grew around accomplishing kingdom work together — primarily missions — when churches realized they could do more working together than they could on their own.
The idea that believers voluntarily could cooperate set Baptists apart, but it took decades for the concept to develop and to be used extensively among churches and other Baptist entities. That process took time because of Baptists' distinctive beliefs and history, said Bill Pinson, Baptist General Convention of Texas executive director emeritus, in a series of Baptist distinctives articles.
Objections to cooperation
Some objected to cooperative effort because the Bible, they said, makes no provision for any organization except the local church. But other Baptists cited passages such as Acts 15:2, 2 Corinthians 8-9, Galatians 1:2 and 2:1-10 and Revelation 1-3 as the basis for voluntary cooperation.
The strongly held belief in the autonomy of the local church caused others to resist the cooperative movement. Many feared organizations outside the local body would attempt to exercise control over the churches. Those who pushed cooperation overcame this objection by stressing its voluntary nature.
The Pennsylvania Association, formed in 1707, became the first formal outgrowth of the voluntary cooperative effort in America. Organized after the English model, it existed for fellowship and discussion of church issues.
Cooperation in diversity
Diversity and competition were additional problems the concept faced. Much of the diversity among Baptists—at least 50 groups and subgroups exist in the United States today — grew out of two distinctly Baptist principles — religious freedom, with its emphasis on soul competency and the congregational form of governance closely tied to it.
Diversity and competition "still keep some churches from cooperating with each other. However, many churches are willing to cooperate voluntarily, as long as basic convictions are not compromised, for the advancement of evangelism, missions, education and benevolence," Pinson wrote.
But diversity often did — and still does — stand in the way. Albert W. Wardin Jr., a retired history professor at Belmont University, noted theological and cultural differences often have disrupted cooperative attempts.
Theological differences around issues of Calvinism, Arminianism (free will) and fundamentalism (moderate and militant) have disrupted cooperation.
"Moderate fundamentalists will cooperate with evangelicals of like faith, but militant fundamentalists refuse cooperation with evangelicals who, in turn, may cooperate with theological liberals," Wardin wrote in Doing Diversity Baptist Style: Documents for Faith and Witness.
Cultural and ethnicity issues surfaced when Southern Baptists split with Northern Baptists, now known as American Baptist Churches-USA. Wardin asserts the initial split between the two was cultural, not theological. Northern Baptists objected to slavery, while Southern Baptists "defended" the South's "way of life." The Southern Baptist Convention declared the approach to missions caused the split.
A collaborative approach
Several factors challenge Baptists' traditional cooperative efforts, Pinson believes. Denominations are seen as relics and Baptist distinctives as irrelevant, with some Baptists preferring to cooperate through affinity groups. The rise of megachurches that can fund their own efforts and don't need the help associations or conventions can provide also disrupts cooperation.
Denominational conflict and pressure to conform to demonstrate "cooperation" also are factors.
But Bill Leonard, a professor of church history at Wake Forest University School of Divinity, believes Baptists can form new organizational relationships based on collaboration. "Twenty-first century 'concerns' suggest, perhaps demand, that multiple Baptist groups extend their collaborative ministries while pursuing more formal institutional connections," he wrote in an opinion article for Associated Baptist Press.
"Denominational realities compel consideration of a more integrative associationalism between such Baptist communions as the ABC/USA, the Progressive National Baptist Convention, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, the Lott Carey Missionary Convention and the Alliance of Baptists."
He pointed out the New Baptist Covenant effort has helped foster that type of cooperation. "But without more substantive denominational affiliations, that may be too little too late."
Vicki Brown (vbrown@wordandway.org) is managing editor of Missouri's Word and Way.