Editorial for June 23, 2005
By Jim White
I understand the rationale for leaving the name Baptist out of so many new church starts-but that doesn't mean I like it.
Conventional religious wisdom asserts that denominational loyalty is a thing of the past. Ask your friends who don't attend church what comes to mind when they hear the word “Baptist” and, in addition to “the big church with the tall steeple,” you may hear “fanatics,” “those people who fight” or “people who are against everything.” Stereotyping is not good; especially when applied to us!
“Community Church” is more palatable to unchurched folks who are not particularly up on denominational differences, we are told. From all appearances, it isn't just the unchurched who seem unconcerned about denominational differences.
Still, as a life-long Baptist who learned about our history and polity from Training Union long before I ever felt called to ministry and considered seminary, I grieve that Baptist isn't a name to which the unchurched are drawn. Wouldn't it be great if we were known by something positive-like love, for instance? Now, there's a novel idea. And a biblical one, too: “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another.”
Or “service.” What if Baptists were known world-wide for our work with the poor and down-trodden? We do have, of course, those saints among us who closely resemble Mother Teresa. Unfortunately, these faithful, salt-of-the-earth souls are often overshadowed by those few who more closely resemble Roseanne Barr.
Or, what if people really knew how indebted all Americans are to those pesky Baptists who would not allow favoritism to be bestowed by the government on any ecclesiastical body-even themselves. A cherished word like freedom came into its own when linked with the word Baptist. With the chartering of Rhode Island, Baptists became responsible for the first civil government in the history of the world to recognize the rights of its citizens to experience complete religious freedom.
Visions of this freedom, known more commonly as “the separation of church and state” or simply “religious liberty” were planted in the minds of influential founding fathers by Baptists. The genius of religious liberty is the idea that each person is, and ought to be, free to relate to God individually without having to approach him through a human intermediary. This notion is called simply, soul competency.
If the unchurched only knew of the sacrifices Baptists made to secure their taken-for-granted freedoms, perhaps they would flock to Baptist churches. Maybe new churches would once more be eager to have Baptist as part of their name.
We shouldn't blame the unchurched for not recognizing the honor associated with the name Baptist, however. We Baptists seem confused about it ourselves. A curious irony is that as our Baptist body has corporately professed movement to a more biblical position, the less concerned we seem to be that we are abandoning long-held principles. Were our principles unbiblical? Would the Baptists of old-back when the name stood for convictions based on principles-vote to secure for themselves vouchers from the state to educate their children in religious schools? When we Baptists stood firmly for the principle of separation of church and state, were we being unbiblical? No, we were practicing neighbor-love by recognizing that good citizens would reasonably object to paying taxes used to promote the spread of religious beliefs they do not hold. Moreover, we were guarding against governmental incursion into our own religious freedoms.
Was the principle of soul competency so unbiblical that it required corrective measures affirming the authority of the pastor? Religious pragmatists affirm that pastoral authority streamlines the organization making it more efficient and responsive. Using verses that admonish followers to submit to the authority of leaders and ignoring that moving passage in which Jesus proclaims that greatness is achieved through servanthood, they build a case and dismantle a cherished principle that God speaks through all his people.
Baptists of today stand on a slippery slope. We are sliding toward sacrificing our principles on the altar of pragmatism. It is tempting, in this fast-paced, highly-charged, whatever-works world to value short-term gain above time-tested truth. If we loosen our grip on the principles that made us the people we are, however, we might as well leave Baptist out of our name. We won't be them anymore, anyway.
“There is a name I love to hear. I love to sing its worth.” In fact, there are two names I love to hear. The name of Jesus is above every name. But, that other name, the name Baptist-I love that one, too.
What's in a name? Time will tell.
Jim White is editor and business manager of the Religious Herald.