Canadian Broadcasting on the New Baptist Covenant

Click here for a podcast of Dr. Bruce Prescott being interviewed by Rick MacInnes Rae of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation for his 2-11-08 Dispatches radio program (5 MB MP3). Prescott talks with Rae about the significance of the 2008 Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant.

Ruffin Longs for Home, Finds it at New Baptist Covenant

Mike Riffin, of the On the Jericho Road weblog, has posted an esaay about his experiences at the Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant under the title "The Longing for Home." Here's a quote:

It's a huge task that we have taken upon ourselves. But I hope that, to use Jimmy Allen's words, it becomes a "movement" rather than a moment. I need a home that builds upon the positive aspects of Baptist history and moves beyond the negative aspects. I need a home that transcends petty differences and debates over theological minutiae. I need a home where Jesus is Lord, where freedom is cherished, where people are accepted, and where the proclamation of the good news of Jesus Christ is the paramount concern.

Analysis of the Celebration

A new website called "Religion Dispatches" came online yesterday. It will attempt to provide some critical analysis of religion, politics and the common good.

I posted my review and an analysis of the Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant on their "RDBlog" under the title "Painting Elephants." Here's a quote:

Baptists in America may never be the same. For one shining moment in Atlanta, at a three-day gathering termed a “celebration”, Baptists were called to repent of their long history of racism and sexism and affirm a New Baptist Covenant. Never before in the 400-year history of the Baptist denomination have black Baptists and white Baptists met with equal participation on the platform and equal numbers in the audience; never before in history have Baptists – black and white, male and female – met with more than token representation of prophetic women speaking from the pulpit; never before in history have moderate and progressive Baptists from North and South and Canada and Mexico met together to network and organize for Christian social action. If this moment becomes a movement, as its organizers hope and intend, then by re-orienting the Baptist denomination it may also help to change the political priorities of the nation.

Dr. Walter Shurden's Speech at the Celebration

The coverage of the Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant by Associated Baptist Press, Ethics Daily, by Bloggers like Melissa Rogers, Ben Cole, Brian Kaylor, Aaron Weaver, The Bold Confessor and others. Videos of the sermons and speeches are being posted online at the New Baptist Covenant website.

I have no desire to duplicate their fine efforts. Here's something unique to Mainstream Baptists. Dr. Walter Shurden, premier historian among moderate Baptists, gave a speech at the Mainstream Baptist Network breakfast this morning on the historical significance of the Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant. Here's a link to a podcast of his speech (31 MB MP3). Here's one of the many significant statements that he made:

"The Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant is not an effort to form something together, it is an effort to say something together -- about what we ought to be doing together."

What we ought to be doing together is taking seriously what Jesus took seriously -- promoting peace with justice, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, sheltering the homeless, caring for the sick and marginalized, visiting the imprisoned and welcoming strangers.

Headlines for New Baptist Covenant

The religion sections of newspapers around the country are publishing stories about the coming Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant. Here are some links:

Atlanta Journal Constitution

Augusta Chronicle

Columbus Ledger Inquirer

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

News & Observer

New York Times

Washington Post

Winston-Salem Journal

Black and Christian Notes Celebration

The Black and Christian website, a popular internet site for African-Americans, has noted the involvement of Black Christians in the Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant. Here's a quote from their news release:

Presidents and delegates from the National Baptist Convention, USA; National Baptist Convention of America, National Missionary Baptist Convention and the Progressive National Baptist Convention signed on to participate not only in a joint session among themselves but also to lend support to the New Baptist Covenant Movement.

Gushee's Journey

David Gushee, Professor of Christian Ethics at Mercer University, has written an outstanding essay about his journey to the New Baptist Covenant. Here's an excerpt:

Never in all my years at Providence can I remember the first word being said about politics. Never was there an expectation or even the slightest hint that a good Christian or good Baptist would vote this way or that. We just "did church." I'm sure there were both Democrats and Republicans in that congregation, but it didn't matter.

I am firmly convinced that throughout the Baptist world -- black, white, Asian, Hispanic, African and so on, in all of our dozens of denominations -- one can still find thousands upon thousands of individuals and churches that feel something like Providence Baptist Church did in those days when I needed it so badly. Such churches are centered on Jesus Christ. They preach the authoritative and inspired Bible as refracted through the tender lens of Jesus Christ. They are morally serious. They focus on obeying the Great Commission through evangelism, discipleship and missions. They build meaningful experiences of Christian community, they know what they believe but are not overly focused on doctrinal purity. They respect the freedom of fellow believers to express their faith in differing ways. And above all they love people. They are open, trusting, welcoming, kind and warm-hearted. They look you in the eye. They hate fighting. They are known for what they are for, not what they are against.

I know that I am at home spiritually whenever I find Christians who exude this spirit. I have met them all over the world.

I know there are many churches and individuals still affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention that are right there. I know there are many affiliated with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship that are right there. The same can be said of churches in the dozens of other Baptist denominations. One of the great tragedies of our divided people is that our divisions of race, class, secular politics and denominational controversy have been so profound as to prevent us from knowing one another well enough to find this out, to meet the saints on the other side of the barbed wire.