SEOUL, South Korea (ABP) — The Southern Baptist Convention's withdrawal from the Baptist World Alliance has caused “a compromise of the worldwide testimony of all Baptists,” declares a BWA General Council resolution adopted last week.
Declining to respond to specific accusations aired by an SBC study committee, the resolution notes BWA “rejects the charges made by the SBC leadership and supports the efforts of the BWA officers and staff to respond to these charges.”
The SBC, one of the founding members of BWA in 1905, voted in June to withdraw from the international Baptist organization. The SBC study committee accused the BWA of a “continual leftward drift” in recent years.
BWA leaders around the world strongly denied the charges but were unable to persuade SBC officials to remain part of the alliance. The SBC's withdrawal, set to take effect Oct. 1, will reduce BWA's global membership from approximately 48 million baptized believers to 32 million.
BWA also will lose the SBC's $300,000 annual contribution, which was reduced last year from $425,000. The split comes one year before BWA's 2005 centennial world congress in England.
Despite the SBC action, the resolution expresses gratitude for “the enormous contribution made by the Southern Baptist Convention in the formation of the Baptist World Alliance 100 years ago and in the continued development and effectiveness of the Baptist World Alliance since its inception.”
It also cites regret over the SBC's decision “to withdraw from the world Baptist family, resulting in loss of unity and a compromise of the worldwide testimony of all Baptists.”
The resolution expresses hope “for a future reconciliation and renewal of SBC membership” and “welcomes those from the SBC who wish to participate in the life of the BWA.”
Resolutions committee chairman Keith Jones said the committee “spent a very long time on this resolution.” Noting that some council members preferred a “soft” response while others “wanted to reject in a very clear way every charge presented,” Jones added, “We felt not to be specific in rejecting the charges, on balance, was the proper way to go.” The resolution was adopted without debate or opposition.
Other resolutions adopted by the council:
— Encourage all Baptists to attend BWA's centennial world congress July 27-31, 2005, in Birmingham, England. The congress is held every five years and organizers anticipate more than 12,000 participants from around the world.
— Urge Baptists to participate in the BWA's 2005-2010 “Christ the Living Water” global evangelism emphasis. The resolution affirms BWA's “strong conviction that salvation is offered to the world through Jesus Christ alone by means of his life, death and resurrection and continuing mission.”
— Endorse the Micah Challenge, an initiative by more than 270 evangelical Christian organizations to help reduce world poverty by 50 percent by the year 2015. The emphasis will seek to address such issues as extreme poverty and hunger, reducing diseases such as HIV/AIDS and reducing the debt of the world's poorest nations.
— Affirm the Korean Baptist Convention, the meeting's host organization, for its “faithful witness to the gospel both within South Korea and in its mission work throughout the world.” The measure also expresses concern for “the continued division of families and communities in the north and south of Korea,” urges “a peaceful resolution of the inspection regime for nuclear power facilities in North Korea” and expresses hope for “the ultimate peaceful reunification of the peoples of Korea.”
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EDITOR'S NOTE: This article updates one released July 29.