Walking around at the Baptist General Association of Virginia meeting in Hampton I realized how fortunate I was to be a pastor in Virginia.
I’m not from these parts but have traveled in the BGAV twice in my life now. My first time was as a seminary student in Richmond in the 1990s and now I’m back as a pastor. I’ve served in two states in between and I’m here to give thanks and praise to what we have at the BGAV.
Derik Hamby
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Now I’m not going to say that the annual BGAV meeting is one big unified moment of holding hands and singing, “We are the world!” We all know we here in Virginia have our challenges. We keep trimming our budget and that means we are not able to do the things that need to be done. Yet we don’t have much choice since there is no Baptist Bailout Plan coming our way anytime soon. And we all know that like all Christian denominations we are seeing more churches decline and church conflict seems to make life a bit Jerry Springer-like for some pastors I know. Still, all things considered, we are a blessed people and we better not forget it.
The Baptist wars of the 1980s cost everyone more than some want to admit. The state convention battles of the ’90s left much damage. Being Baptist outside of Virginia is difficult. And so when I go to the BGAV and find that there are workshops for the Smyth & Helwys Bible study and one for the LifeWay Bible study, that alone is a strong statement.
Let’s be honest. If you travel in state conventions outside of Texas or Virginia things are simply very different. I’ve been there and I know this to be a reality. I’ll also confess as someone who is involved in the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship I also know there are many Baptists missing from our meetings as well. The battles we fought left lines drawn in the sand and few are willing to budge.
So consider the BGAV for a moment. At the BGAV this historic state convention welcomes churches who are SBC, CBF or neither. And now we are finding churches outside of this state joining us. This truth is found in the worship services, in workshops and at the booths throughout the resource fair.
One might argue that there are some who do not come and I’m not ignorant that while we met there was another group meeting across the state. Yet those groups are not present by their own choice. At the BGAV I really do see that all Virginia Baptists are welcome.
This is not true in other gatherings. I’ll be honest — when I left Virginia in 1998 I never thought I’d be involved in state meetings or associational meetings. And in other places I would not be welcome. Here I am. Thank you, BGAV!
We are diverse and yet we are one. This doesn’t mean we just sit in silence without disagreement. If you were present for the discussion during the religious liberty motion then you are aware that when Baptists gather we share our opinions in good Baptist polity. There were so many motions, amendments and back and forth that I got whiplash. It was great. I was talking to one pastor in the resource fair who said he didn’t agree with the final vote and voted against it but said that it didn’t make him mad or anything.
The very fact that John Upton is now not only leading Virginia Baptists but is president of the Baptist World Alliance is a signal that we in Virginia are very fortunate. I might even say, blessed.
The future is not written. We have big decisions before us. Yet the BGAV is in a position to offer a path were we can work together as one body despite our many differences.
I know we aren’t looking to use the “D” word and add to the many Baptist “teams” out there. Yet I have to say that the BGAV is becoming a movement that is going to go past boundaries, including geography, race and theology.
So when we come together good things might just happen!
Derik Hamby is pastor of Randolph Memorial Baptist Church in Madison Heights, Va., and is a trustee of the Religious Herald.