Amen! It is good to see Baptists supporting the goals of the Celebration.Whereas, the New Baptist Covenant was initiated to demonstrate the breadth of the umbrella of the Baptist faith in the United States and in Canada, reflecting the welcoming nature of our faith and our Baptist distinctives;
Whereas, the New Baptist Covenant was initiated to be a reflection of the breadth of Baptist polity and a reflection of the spirit of Jesus' sermon recorded in Luke 4: 18-19, to proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God;
Whereas, the New Baptist Covenant is designed as an open gathering of Baptists to remind ourselves and to proclaim to all of North America the expansive and expressive faith of Baptists;
Whereas, the Baptist General Association of Virginia (BGAV) entered into the New Baptist Covenant in the spirit of cooperation;
Whereas, the goals of the New Baptist Covenant require an open, inviting atmosphere representative of diverse Baptist views in an entirely nonpartisan forum;
Be it therefore resolved, that the BGAV's 184th annual meeting in Richmond, Virginia on November 14, 2007, endorses the principles for which the new Baptist Covenant was created;Be it further resolved, that the BGAV endorses the nonpartisan spirit of the New Baptist Covenant and calls upon the New Baptist Covenant to honor its promise and pledge for a nonpartisan gathering;
Be it finally resolved, that the officers and executive director of the BGAV continue their participation in the New Baptist Covenant in order to honor the BGAV's commitment to the principles of the New Baptist Covenant without involvement in partisan activities.
Celebration Resolution
During the recent annual meeting of the Baptist General Association of Virginia, the messengers passed a resolution about the Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant. Here it is:
Brian,
ReplyDeleteWhy the resolution? Is the BGAV attempting to stoke a fire in its ranks that's either going out or not yet lit?
Have its rank-and-file been alluding to partisan politics problems, or perceptions of such?
Of course, theology, rather than political partisanship, is the difficulty I see with the NBC. When it comes to cooperative Christian and Baptist efforts, I don't care as much if someone's poltical views are messed up as I care that their view of salvation be true to the Bible and to authentic, traditional Baptist values.
Jimmy Carter's prominence in the NBC doesn't inspire my confidence in its Baptist authenticity or Bible fidelity.
But then, you already know that.
Chuck: Conventions pass resolutions about all kinds of stuff so it should not be surprising that they would sound off on such a big and historic event. I do not know why the political partisanship part was added, but I whole-heartedly agree with it. The Celebration should not be political. It is focused on authentic, traditional Baptist values and firmly founded on the Bible despite what a couple of unreliable reports might suggest. Come and see for yourself!
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