On Sunday, Oct. 16, an historic vote will be taken. In one form or another, the Albemarle Baptist Association has been around since 1791, when the Orange Baptist Association divided to form Culpeper, Goshen and Albemarle itself. In 2003, it became the Central Virginia Baptist Association. Now it may disband altogether.
Messengers from the churches will assemble Sunday afternoon at 2:30 at the Belmont Baptist Church to consider the following motion, taken from the association’s website:
Jim White
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“The CVBA Steering Committee unanimously moves for the adoption of the following resolution: RESOLVED by the Central Virginia Baptist Association at its Spring Meeting, held on May 13, 2011, that the Association be dissolved, effective at the close of its Fall 2011 Meeting. The officers and Steering Committee are directed to take all steps required under the law to: 1) accomplish the dissolution of the Association; 2) complete the liquidation of its assets; 3a) apply those assets first to the payment of any remaining obligations of the Association; and 3b) gift the remainder by one or more gifts which the Steering Committee, in its sole judgment, determines will constitute a legacy of the ministry of the Association.”
Respecting the wisdom and spiritual discernment of the messengers and the autonomy the association, I will not weigh in on whether this action should or should not be taken. They are in a far better position than I to know what is best for them. I have, however, like the Baptists of Charlottesville, and the counties of Greene, Fluvanna and Albemarle, been thinking a great deal about the future of Baptist associations.
No doubt exists that many associations are finding it more and more difficult to fund and staff local ministries based on geography alone. Many have also discovered that interest in associational meetings and events has waned. Based on declining resources, in both finances and volunteers, is it any wonder the future of Baptist associations is being questioned? Not only by CVBA, but others in the Mid-Atlantic region and beyond are asking.
Some point to the fact that churches tend to associate in our times by affinity rather than by geography, and declare the associational concept to be on life support with death inevitable. They allude to groupings of churches that follow the leads of model churches like Saddleback, Willow Creek, North Point and others as the new associations.
Others are mindful of groupings based on specific need rather than doctrinal similarity, such as multi-site churches, as the associations of the future. These will be organizationally fluid as churches engage while they get help, then move to other “associations” as their needs change.
In 1791, nine churches scattered along the Blue Ridge made up the Albemarle Association. As you can imagine, these were generally “a fer piece” from each other. It might help to remember the circumstances which prompted the growth of Baptist associations in the first place.
Generally speaking, Baptists looked to other area churches for support. At a time when it was not uncommon for Baptist preachers to be dragged out of their pulpits and beaten, or church families fined for not baptizing their infants, having the emotional and even physical support of like-minded folks was essential. It was important to identify them by getting together every once in a while. Traveling was slow and cumbersome, so making the effort to assemble meant they made their gatherings count. All-day meetings with dinner on the grounds were commonplace. So was courting among Baptist boys and girls who would eventually marry and produce more Baptists!
At a time when theological education for Baptists was sparse and many preachers depended on someone who was literate to read the Bible to them, getting together to examine candidates for ordination was essential. Later, with the standardization of theological education in seminaries, heresy became less likely. But in those early days, with little in the way of study helps, preachers were left to proclaim their own interpretations. Associations provided a means for preachers to hold each other accountable for what they proclaimed.
Innovations in travel and communication through the years meant associations could expand geographically, and many did as the purpose morphed from fellowship and doctrine to missions.
As time passed, changes occurred more and more quickly. In our times, the price of gasoline notwithstanding, travel is not much a problem for us, and in many cases it isn’t even necessary. We sit at our computers and within minutes send messages to and receive replies from colleagues in distant parts of the world. While geography is not meaningless, it is no longer the factor it once was.
These days many of us find fellowship in social media forums online. Even the word “fellowship” has a strangely anachronistic sound to it.
So the question needs asking again. Is there a future for associations? It seems to me that the answer is, “No.” And, “Yes.” Just as associations in the past have needed to adjust to changes associations must morph into entities that meet real needs and provide mutual benefit.
On the same weekend, the CVBA is meeting to vote on disbanding and the Pittsylvania Baptist Association is meeting to take Jesus to the streets. They will be doing projects aimed at helping the area needy and handing out quarters to people in laundromats according to reports I’ve received.
They are attempting to connect to the unchurched and to each other.
Associations of the future will be more pragmatic than programmatic. They will find ways to help churches fulfill their missions rather than present a method for all to follow. They will be more concerned with nurture and the human dimensions of missions and mutual support than with doctrinal orthodoxy.
Churches in China have a lot to teach us. Despite some doctrinal differences, they rightly understood their mission to be more significant than their differences. In the future, associations will find ways to bring churches together in missions to meet human needs despite some doctrinal differences.
In some ways, geography is not important, as I have described. But in other ways, it is essential. Several years ago, when I was serving as a pastor, my family experienced a crisis. In my grief, a pastor from a church in our association came to see me. On many issues he and I did not see eye-to-eye. But we loved each other in the Lord. He knelt beside me, put his arm around me and prayed for me. It wasn’t a virtual arm or an online presence, but a flesh and blood brother who came to be with me. As long as there are human needs, there will be a need for human touch. Associations will do more touching or they will be remembered fondly.
Jim White ([email protected]) is editor of the Religious Herald.