A Concise Baptist History Supplement to BTCP Book #9 – Church History Instructions for using the addendum The BTCP Book #9 is the main textbook. This document was written solely as supplement information to provide more detail on Baptist origins leading to the formation of the Southern Baptist Convention and subsequently the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. Where page numbers are noted, the addendum material will be limited in information as the BTCP material adequately covers the topic in more detail. Add to Chapter 9, “Era of the Reformation” (page 153). Four Primary Theories on Baptist Origin – 1. Began as an outgrowth of English Separatism around 1609. This view maintains that Baptist beliefs and practices are inherent in the Puritans and subsequent Separatists of 16th and 17th century England. 2. The theory of Dual Ancestry agrees on the 1609 date and the primary influence of the English Puritanism/Separatists, but gives much more credit to the influence of Continental Anabaptists. It argues that Anabaptists prepared the way for Separatism; however, there are significant differences between most Anabaptists and Baptists. 3. The Trail of Blood Theory that says Baptists are an organic succession from Jesus, John the Baptist and the Jordan River. This theory argues for the succession of organized Baptist churches (although under other names such as the Donatists, the Cathari, the Waldenses, and the Anabaptists) through the ages from the time of Jesus. 4. The Modified Trail of Blood Theory argues that there is a continuation of Baptistic groups that taught biblical teaching through the ages and were never identified with Rome. That is, there has been a continuity of Baptist teachings from the first century. Conclusion: Whatever conclusion one arrives at concerning Baptist origins, it is important to note that Baptists never invented doctrine, but discovered or re-­‐discovered biblical doctrines and stated them in ways that could be preached, taught, understood, and applied for the day in which they found themselves. As historian Leon McBeth states about theories 1 and 2, “The seventeenth-­‐century Baptists did not invent these doctrines, they rediscovered and articulated them afresh for a new era.” The Anabaptists (see page 187-­‐189) The General Baptists (fits just after time frame of pages 187-­‐199) John Smyth was a minister in the Church of England, but came to question a number of the ideas that he had been taught, especially infant baptism. As a student and later as a pastor and teacher he wanted to bring biblical reform to the church. When this failed, he joined a small Separatist congregation near London. As these Separatists grew so that it became 1 dangerous for them to meet openly, they divided into two groups for convenience. One group became the nucleus of the "Pilgrim Fathers" who sailed to America on the Mayflower. The other group, led by John Smyth, was in daily danger. English law prohibited independent or dissenting churches, and King James I had vowed to deal harshly with any who refused to attend the Church of England. In 1607, this group, which was not yet Baptist, migrated to Amsterdam, a city with far more religious liberty. In Amsterdam, they came into contact with Dutch Mennonites, a branch of the Anabaptists that taught religious liberty and baptism of believers only. While in Holland, and upon further study of the Bible, John Smyth became convinced that he needed to be baptized as a believer. In January of 1609 Smyth poured water over himself and fellow lay-­‐leader Thomas Helwys as an expression of believer's baptism. They then baptized the remainder of the congregation. In 1611, Thomas Helwys led a portion of this church (about 12 people) back to the London area, where they set up the first Baptist church on English soil. Helwys was later imprisoned for his views on religious liberty and died in prison in 1616. Smyth and his followers were strongly influenced by the Arminian view of salvation. They were called "General Baptists" because they held to a universal or general view of the atonement (i.e., that Jesus did not die solely for the elect, but for all people). They also believed, however, that it was possible for one to fall from grace or lose his salvation. Their ordinances included baptism, the Lord’s Supper and footwashing. Pastor and deacons were the two ministerial offices. They were missionary and cooperative, often forming associations. Associations and churches sent representatives to a national assembly, which acted as a churchly body. This meant that the assembly or “denomination” had quite a bit of jurisdiction or control over local churches and could perform baptisms, ordinations, and church discipline. The Rise of the Particular Baptists (see page 196) Particular Baptists started later and grew more slowly, but had greater doctrinal influence over modern Baptists. Three men, Henry Jacob, John Lothrop, and Henry Jessey separated from the Puritans and eventually become the first three pastors of a church in London that would give rise to the Particular Baptists. In 1633, Samuel Eaton separated from this group and was later joined by John Spilsbury, who had also left the Puritans. In 1638 they formed what historians say was the first Particular Baptist church. John Spilsbury was the first to recapture baptism by immersion in 1641. By 1644, William Kiffin, a wool merchant and pastor, listed seven Particular Baptists churches in London. Interestingly, it was a Particular Baptist, Benjamin Keach, who is often credited with introducing the singing of hymns into Baptist churches. In 1691 he wrote Spiritual Melody, a collection of 300 hymns. Particular Baptists were called thus because of their view on limited atonement (that Christ died only for the elect), but were still evangelistic. They reinforced the General Baptist emphasis on believer’s baptism, and also formed associations and a General Assembly. Whereas the General Baptists saw the assembly of churches as a churchly body, the Particular Baptists did not. They carefully guarded the autonomy of the local church. 2 Further Development and Decline of English Baptists From 1625-­‐1689, Baptists and other separatists suffered persecution from the King of England. Even so, by 1650, there were at least forty-­‐seven General Baptist churches in and around London and some 96 Particular Baptist churches. Unfortunately, between 1689 and 1770, Baptist churches in England began to suffer a decline for several reasons: 1) They became preoccupied with theological debate over minute points 2) Many preachers became cold and developed a critical spirit emphasizing consolidation and organization over evangelism and missions. As a result, they stopped sending paid evangelists into the countryside. 3) The theology of both groups of Baptists changed, moving away from Biblical truth. On the one hand, the General Baptists became diluted in their theology and drifted from Arminianism into Unitarianism. Some pastors, such as Matthew Caffyn (1628-­‐1714) denied Christ as God and declared that anything incomprehensible in the Bible must be false. He even went on to start the Unitarian movement. Another pastor, William Vidler led a large group in 1710 to become Universalist, arguing that all people will eventually be saved anyway. Fortunately, in 1770, Dan Taylor, who had been converted in a Methodist church and soon after became a Baptist, led a revival that rekindled the General Baptist church. On the other hand, while the General Baptists were degenerating into Unitarianism in the eighteenth century, the Particular Baptists began to decline through the influence of hyper-­‐
Calvinism. Although they remained orthodox in belief, many Particular Baptist churches became hardened by a fatalistic spirit, which killed evangelism. One hymn from this period exemplifies their attitude: We are the Lord’s elected few, Let all the rest be damned. There’s room enough in hell for you, We’ll not have heaven crammed! Fortunately, this hyper-­‐Calvinism did not go unchecked. Ultimately it was challenged and overcome in the late eighteenth century by pastors and missionaries such as Andrew Fuller, William Carey, John Suttcliffe and others. These men and their colleagues rejected what they called “false Calvinism” and returned to the evangelical Calvinism (what they called “true or strict Calvinism”) of their Particular Baptist forefathers. These men organized the formation of the Baptist Missionary Society in 1792. William Carey was one of the first two men that were sent as missionaries from the BMS. In 1813, the Particular Baptists formed the Baptist Union. It was restructured in 1833 to allow General Baptists to become members. In 1891, the General Baptists and Particular Baptists were formally united as one denomination. Early English Baptist Facts n Like most religious groups, Baptists were named by their opponents. The name comes from the Baptist practice of immersion. 3 n The first known reference to these believers in England as "Baptists" was in 1644. They did not like the name and did not use it of themselves until years later. The early Baptists preferred to be called "Brethren" or "Brethren of the Baptized Way." Sometimes they called themselves the "Baptized Churches." n Early opponents of the Baptists often called them Anabaptists or other less complimentary names. Baptists rejected the name Anabaptist, not wishing to be confused with or identified with the people who bore that name. (In fact, the true Anabaptists were not fond of that name either, because it had unfavorable overtones from early church history.) Even as late as the eighteenth century, many Baptists referred to themselves as "the Christians commonly (tho’ falsely) called Anabaptists." n The earliest Baptist worship was lengthy and dealt primarily with Bible exposition. There was no singing, and Baptists put great value upon spontaneity and audience participation. n By the 1670s some Baptist churches were singing both the Psalms and "man-­‐made" songs. This was quite controversial, and many churches split over the "singing controversy." Benjamin Keach, a London pastor, led his church to sing a hymn after the Lord’s Supper, and within a few years they were also singing during regular worship services. In 1691, Keach published the first Baptist hymnal, Spiritual Melody, a collection of over three hundred hymns. Baptists in America (page 233) We do not know who was the first Baptist was in America, but we do know that the first organized Baptist church was formed in Providence, Rhode Island by Roger Williams. Williams was born in London to Anglicans 1603. He went to Cambridge University and became a separatist after he concluded that the Church of England was false. He arrived in Boston in 1631 and formed the first Baptist church in the new colonies in 1639. He was one of the first missionaries to the American Indians. He stood for religious liberty for all and the separation between church and state. Another Baptist church was started in Newport, Rhode Island in 1639. The First Baptist Church of Massachusetts was founded in 1663 and the First Baptist Church of Boston in 1665. Elias Keach founded the first Baptist Church in Pennepeck, Pennsylvania. Later, Philadelphia became an influential center for Baptists: the First Baptist Association was started in Philadelphia in 1707, and in 1742, Baptists adopted a confession of faith called the Philadelphia Confession. In the south, Baptists arrived in Charleston in 1696 and started a church. By 1700, Baptists in America could count only 24 churches and 839 members. The First Great Awakening (see page 235) The revival fires of the 1st Great Awakening impacted all American churches positively. Baptist churches were impacted in several positive ways: 1) The sole authority of the Bible was re-­‐emphasized. 4 2)
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Evidence of conversion became a requirement for church membership. Preaching became, in some cases, more emotional and expressive. Baptist work was strong among the lower economic classes and very evangelistic. All this resulted in aggressive and rapid growth all across the country. The Move South and West Baptists continued to grow in New England, although in some cases they were opposed and even persecuted by established state churches. The religious freedom in the middle colonies allowed for rapid expansion in Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware, and New Jersey. Although Baptists are more numerous today in the South, the reality is that they had their slowest beginnings in this part of the country, in part because of restrictions imposed by the established Anglican church in some areas. However, due to migration, evangelistic zeal, and their cooperation through Associations, Baptists grew in all the Southern states (it is important to note that most growth at this time was due to migration, not to any organized mission activity). Regular and Separate Baptists It is important to note two influential streams in Baptist life, for they both are part of the Southern Baptist heritage. After the 1st Great Awakening one group shied away from the emotionalism found in much of the revivals of the Awakening were known as the Regular Baptists. These churches were usually urban, of the upper classes, pastored by more well educated men, formal in style and approach, and preferring an orderly worship service. The other group was known as the Separate Baptists. They tended to be rural, of the lower classes, far less formal and educated, and saw the revivals (and their emotionalism) as a genuine work of God. It was as Baptists grew in the South that these distinctions became more prominent. The Separate Baptist stream grew more influential, best exemplified by the Sandy Creek tradition. In 1755 a couple of Baptist preachers (Stearns and Marshall) moved to Sandy Creek, NC where they set up the Sandy Creek Baptist Association in 1758. During the next 17 years they would start 42 other churches and send out 125 preacher boys to the frontier. The evangelistic and church planting fervor of these Baptists spread throughout the south. Eventually, both the Regular and the Separate Baptists merged, and by 1800 the stage was set for Baptists to become the largest denomination in America. One historian has described the differences between the Regular or “Charleston” Tradition and the Separate or “Sandy Creek” Tradition as the difference between Order and Ardor. The Regular Baptists valued dignity in worship, the singing of stately hymns, theological order in their confessions, churches working together in association, and formally trained ministers. The Separate Baptists valued faith expressed emotionally, revivalist type worship services; they saw little need for formal training for ministers for they were called of God; they emphasized independent congregations working together primarily for evangelism, and mistrusted confessions and creeds, preferring a Biblicist approach to their theology. Why is it important to know about these two streams? Because they influenced, to a large degree, what we are as Southern Baptists. Elements from both streams merged into the “one river” that became the SBC. The tensions from both are still felt to this day; however, we are enriched by both traditions and need both to be a fruitful convention. 5 Baptists and Missions Two methods of missions support arose in early Baptist life: the associational method and the societal method. The associational method involved all affiliates of the association or convention working together to pursue a common task. This method became the preferred method of the south. However, many churches viewed this as another way in which the associations might rob them of their freedom, so they began to consider other ways to do mission work that would safeguard the authority of the churches. The societal method came into being in 1792 when William Carey (see page 254) led in the formation of the Baptist Missionary Society in England. This kind of missionary body would make it possible for individuals to work together in missions or any other Christian task without surrendering any church authority. Under this method, any Baptists interested in foreign missions (or domestic missions) could organize an independent society for foreign missions whose membership would consist of those who would make a financial gift for foreign missions. A larger challenge soon faced Baptists in America. Adoniram and Ann Judson (see page 255) and Luther Rice sailed to India in 1812 as missionaries for another denomination. En route, they studied the Bible and other books carefully, concluding that Baptist beliefs were closer to the New Testament teachings than their former views. All three were baptized by immersion in India. They wanted to be missionaries for Baptists of the United States, but at this time there was no Baptist foreign mission society. Local societies were formed in the North and the South to meet the immediate needs of these new Baptist foreign missionaries. Then, on May 18, 1814, thirty-­‐three messengers representing Baptists in America met at Philadelphia and formed a national foreign mission society called the General Missionary Convention. Meeting only once every three years, this body was sometimes called the Triennial Convention. The Convention was organized on the society pattern (organizing a separate society for each Christian ministry), although Southern leaders sought for several years to change it into the associational type. Baptists in America formed a second society in 1824 for tract publication and distribution. In 1832, they organized a home mission society. The societal method became a unifying strategy for Baptists. The Southern Baptist Convention By 1619 slavery had surfaced in England and by 1639, persons were permitted to own slaves for life. Before 1830, slavery was considered to be an economic system. Between 1830-­‐1840, it was considered a moral issue and after 1840 it became a political issue. William Wilberforce developed the act to abolish slavery from the British Empire in 1807, although it wasn’t until 1833, the year that Wilberforce died, that the slaves in all of Britain were set free. In the USA, slavery had been brought to the colonies by England and became commonplace as an economic system. Baptists really hadn’t given much concern over the topic one way or the other. In 1800, a Baptist anti-­‐slavery group, Friends of Humanity, was created. By 1830, Baptists of North and South had adopted regional views of slavery, although, by and large, Baptists were too poor to own slaves anyway. 6 When Baptists in America formed the first of their three national societies in 1814, many of their leaders recognized that there were numerous social, cultural, economic, and political differences between the businessmen of the North, the farmers of the West, and the planters of the South. These differences had already brought much rivalry between the several sections of the new nation. Each section continued to revive old colonial disagreements and wrestled with questions about how the new constitution should be interpreted, what constituted the final legal power, and similar problems. These tensions were still building at the very time when Baptists united in the three national societies for Christian work. Naturally, Baptist unity was affected by such tensions. Furthermore, the meetings of these societies between 1814 and 1845 revealed some basic differences in the thinking of northern and southern Baptists. Southern leaders desired a stronger denominational unity than the society plan afforded. They argued for the formation of a separate home missions agency in the south just three years after organizing the national home mission body in 1832. In 1839 they attempted to form their own agency, but it did not last. Southern leaders simply did not believe that southern mission needs were being met by the northern-­‐based society. Historians theorize that a north-­‐south separation was eminent even without the issue of slavery, but was escalated by slavery becoming a hot political issue between the two regions. Historian Robert Baker has said that “the meetings of the three Baptist national societies in the 1840s brought angry debates between Northerners and Southerners. These debates concerned the interpretation of the constitutions of the societies on slavery, the right of Southerners (some who were slave owners) to receive missionary appointments, the authority of a denominational society to discipline church members, and the neglect of the South in the appointment of missionaries. The stage was set for separation.” In 1844, the Home Mission Society was asked on two different occasions to appoint a qualified southerner, both slave owners, as missionaries. When the society said no to both, Virginia Baptists called for Baptists of the South to meet at Augusta, Georgia, in early May, 1845, for the purpose of consulting "on the best means of promoting the Foreign Mission cause, and other interests of the Baptist denomination in the South." On May 8, 1845, in Augusta, Georgia, with 293 messengers, representing 360,000 Baptists, the Southern Baptist Convention was created. William B. Johnson, the first SBC president, explained the need for the split was so that more Christian work could be accomplished if there were a southern body established for missionary work. The Foreign Mission Board and the Home Mission Board were organized, both to be governed by the new convention. Denominational Development Until 1913, the convention only handled business during the 5 days a year that it met. The Executive Committee was formed in 1913 so that national business decisions could be taken care of year round and to handle national treasury issues. By 1882 there were 37 state conventions. As the westward expansion by settlers across America continued, the SBC grew to 1,282,220 members and 16,654 churches in 1891. Today, there are 41 autonomous state conventions, about 16,000,000 church members and 7 about 45,000 churches. It is the most ethnically diverse denomination in the United States, as it has congregations that meet in over 100 different languages across the country. SBC Institutional Development Over the years, several boards and agencies have been created to help Southern Baptists carry out their mission. The Foreign Mission Board was created in 1845 and renamed International Mission Board in 1997. The Domestic Mission Board, also created in 1845, became Home Mission Board, 1874, and later North American Mission Board in 1997. The Sunday School Board was formed in 1891 for the purpose of supplying Southern Baptist churches with curriculum for bible study groups and Sunday School. This task had still been done by the Northern Baptist agency until this time. This agency is now LifeWay Christian Resources. The Board of Ministerial Relief and Annuities became the Annuity Board in 1961, and as of 2004 is Guidestone Financial Services of the SBC. Its initial task was to provide relief funds for aged ministers, widows and orphans. Since then, it has added on the management of life and health insurance coverage and retirement funding for SBC leaders. Its services have also been opened to other evangelical groups. Six Seminaries are operated under the SBC, each with its own Board of Trustees (as are all other SBC agencies). Southern Seminary in Louisville, Ky started in 1859. Southwestern in Fort Worth, Tx started in 1908. New Orleans in New Orleans, La started in 1917. Golden Gate in Mill Valley, Ca started in 1944. Southeastern in Wake Forest, NC started in 1951. Midwestern in Kansas City, Mo started in 1957. In its history, the National Convention has operated 51 colleges and 2 high schools. None are currently still managed by the SBC. These have either passed on to state conventions or have become independent colleges. The Women’s Missionary Union was started in 1888 and is considered an auxiliary organization to the SBC. Lottie Moon, Annie Armstrong and Martha McIntosh all helped to start the WMU. Other Contributions by Southern Baptists The American Bible Society was started with the help of Baptists. Southern Baptists also helped to form the Baptist World Alliance although they officially withdrew from it in 2004 citing theological concerns. The Cooperative Program Before 1925, all mission work was done through societal giving; that is, churches or individuals giving directly to the specific agency or entity. In 1919, the SBC leaders proposed the $75 million campaign to raise funds for missions and the ministries of all the state conventions. It resulted in the increase of per capita giving among Southern Baptists and raised $58 million. 8 During the 1925 annual convention, a task force brought to the delegates a recommendation to encourage a volunteer offering from the churches. The Cooperative Program (CP), as it would be called, had several basic working principles: 1) CP was an equal partnership between the SBC and the state conventions 2) General promotional responsibility would rest with the executive committee, while field promotion would be done by the state conventions 3) Money given by the churches would be evenly divided between the SBC and the state conventions. The SBC would then divide its share and the state conventions would divide their share according to their respective causes or agencies 4) Agencies benefiting from the offering would not be permitted to approach the churches directly. Austin Crouch, president of the executive committee from 1927-­‐1949, was instrumental in solidifying the Cooperative Program as the means by which Southern Baptists would continue to support their cooperative missions endeavors and ministries. Exactly how does the Cooperative Program work? As it is explained at www.sbc.net, Simply put, it begins with you. You give yourself first to God (2 Cor. 8:5). Next, out of gratitude and obedience to God for what He has done for you, you commit to give back to Him, through your church, a portion of what He provides. This is commonly called a tithe and represents ten percent of your income (Lev. 27:30, Mal. 3:10). Your church decides the next step. Every year your church prayerfully decides how much of its undesignated gifts will be committed to reaching people in your state and around the world through Cooperative Program. This amount is then forwarded to your state Baptist convention. During the annual meeting of your state convention, messengers from your church and other churches across the state decide what percentage of Cooperative Program gifts contributed by local congregations stays in your state to support local missions and ministries. The percentage to be forwarded to the Southern Baptist Convention for North American and international missions and ministries is also determined at this time. (The SBTC forwards 55% to the SBC and keeps only 45%. This is the highest percentage amount forwarded of any state convention in the SBC). At the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting, messengers from across the country decide how the gifts received from the states will be distributed among SBC entities. These gifts are used by Southern Baptist entities to send and support missionaries, train pastors, and other ministry leaders; provide relief for retired ministers and widows; and address social, moral, and ethical concerns relating to our faith and families. Today, between the International Mission Board and North American Mission Board, the SBC currently supports about approximately 4,500 missionaries around the world and several thousand jointly funded missionaries in North America. This voluntary joint giving effort of Southern Baptist churches supports all of this mission work, including support for the six seminaries and the Ethics and Religious Liberties Commission. This means that our SBC international missionaries don’t waste a second of time having to raise their own support. It enables Southern Baptists to get solid Biblically based ministry training at a 9 lower cost. The Cooperative Program provides resources to undergird the God given mission efforts of the local church including: planting new churches, training leaders, community impact, missions mobilization, and pastoral care. The Cooperative Program means together we can do more than any one church, mega or small, can do on their own. Southern Baptist Beliefs Southern Baptists delight in calling themselves “People of the Book.” We do not have a creed, which states what must be believed and is used to force conformity. We do have a confessional statement of beliefs, which is a confession that affirms what is believed and what is agreed upon as common doctrinal ground and parameters within which we can work together. In 1925, addressing controversies primarily driven by modernism, evolution, and liberalism, the SBC adopted its first statement of faith. Based in part upon the 1833 New Hampshire Confession, the framers carefully pointed out that the statement of faith was merely a confession of what most Baptists believed. It was neither to be a creed nor to enforce the conformity of belief. In 1963 a committee was given the task to revise the document, again necessitated by controversies driven by liberal views of the Bible. The Baptist Faith and Message was revised again in 2000. The revision this time clarified positions on the Bible’s truthfulness and addressed numerous social issues such as abortion, homosexuality, and the family. You can view the entire text of the Baptist Faith & Message 2000 (BFM2000) in multiple languages at http://www.sbc.net/bfm/multilingualbfm.asp. A summary from the SBC website is as follows: (David, this summary is also on the website in Spanish) The Scriptures The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God's revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter. Therefore, all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. It reveals the principles by which God judges us, and therefore is, and will remain to the end of the world the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried. All Scripture is a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of divine revelation. God There is one and only one living and true God. …The eternal triune God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being. God the Father God as Father reigns with providential care over His universe, His creatures, and the flow of the stream of human history according to the purposes of His grace. …God is Father in truth to those who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ. God the Son Christ is the eternal Son of God. In His incarnation as Jesus Christ, He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. …He honored the divine law by His personal 10 obedience, and in His substitutionary death on the cross, He made provision for the redemption of men from sin. God the Holy Spirit The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, fully divine. …He exalts Christ. He convicts men of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. …He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism, and service. Man Man is the special creation of God, in His own image. He created them male and female as the crowning work of His creation. …By his free choice man sinned against God and brought sin into the human race. … The sacredness of human personality is evident in that God created man in His own image, and in that Christ died for man; therefore every person of every race possesses dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love. Salvation Salvation involves the redemption of the whole man, and is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, who by His own blood obtained eternal redemption for the believer. In its broadest sense salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. God's Purpose of Grace Election is the gracious purpose of God, according to which He regenerates, justifies, sanctifies, and glorifies sinners. …All true believers endure to the end. Those whom God has accepted in Christ, and sanctified by His Spirit will never fall away from the state of grace, but shall persevere to the end. The Church A New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel, observing the two ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word, and seeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth. Each congregation operates under the Lordship of Christ through democratic processes. In such a congregation each member is responsible and accountable to Christ as Lord. Its scriptural officers are pastors and deacons. While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture. Baptism & the Lord's Supper Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water. …It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer's faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Saviour, the believer's death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. The Lord's Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby members … memorialize the death of the Redeemer and anticipate His second coming. Evangelism & Missions It is the duty and privelege of every follower of Christ and every church of the Lord Jesus Christ to endeavor to make disciples of all nations... to seek constantly to win the lost to Christ by verbal witness undergirded by a Christian lifestyle, and by other methods in harmony with the gospel of Christ. 11 The Lord's Day The first day of the week is the Lord's Day. …It commemorates the resurrection of Christ from the dead and should be employed in exercises of worship and spiritual devotion. Last Things God, in His own time and in His own way, will bring the world to its appropriate end. …Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly…the dead will be raised; and Christ will judge all men in righteousness. The unrighteous will be consigned to Hell. …The righteous… will receive their reward and will dwell forever in Heaven with the Lord. Education The cause of education in the Kingdom of Christ is co-­‐ordinate with the causes of missions and general benevolence … there should be a proper balance between academic freedom and academic responsibility. …The freedom of a teacher in a Christian school, college, or seminary is limited by the pre-­‐eminence of Jesus Christ, by the authoritative nature of the Scriptures, and by the distinct purpose for which the school exists. Stewardship God is the source of all blessings, temporal and spiritual; all that we have and are we owe to Him. Christians have a spiritual debtorship to the whole world, a holy trusteeship in the gospel, and a binding stewardship in their possessions. They are therefore under obligation to serve Him with their time, talents, and material possessions. Cooperation Christ's people should … organize such associations and conventions as may best secure cooperation for the great objects of the Kingdom of God. Such organizations have no authority over one another or over the churches. …Cooperation is desirable between the various Christian denominations. The Christian & the Social Order All Christians are under obligation to seek to make the will of Christ supreme in our own lives and in human society... in the spirit of Christ, Christians should oppose racism, every form of greed, selfishness, and vice, and all forms of sexual immorality, including adultery, homosexuality, and pornography. We should work to provide for the orphaned, the needy, the abused, the aged, the helpless, and the sick. We should speak on behalf of the unborn and contend for the sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death... Religious Liberty Church and state should be separate. The state owes to every church protection and full freedom in the pursuit of its spiritual ends. …A free church in a free state is the Christian ideal. Family God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. It is composed of persons related to one another by marriage, blood or adoption. Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. ... The husband and wife are of equal worth before God, since both are created in God's image. A husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church. He has the God-­‐given responsibility to provide for, to protect, and to lead his family. A wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant 12 leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ. She, being in the image of God as is her husband and thus equal to him, has the God-­‐given responsibility to respect her husband and to serve as his helper in managing the household and nurturing the next generation... Children, from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord. Parents are to demonstrate to their children God's pattern for marriage. The Southern Baptists of Texas Convention (SBTC) During the nineteenth and early twentieth century the Bible and conservative Biblical doctrine came under attack by the rise of liberal theology. Influenced by Darwinism, Modernism, and excessive confidence in science and man’s own reason, many theologians questioned the truth of the Bible. The Biblical accounts of creation, the stated authors of the books, the miracles reported in Scripture, the deity of Jesus Christ, and the cross as substitutionary atonement were among the many doctrines challenged by liberalism. Even when liberalism was challenged by new theological movements like neo-­‐orthodoxy, these did not hold to traditional orthodoxy, especially as it regards the nature of Scripture. In the twentieth century many of these liberal ideas crept into Southern Baptist seminaries and entities. Neo-­‐orthodoxy’s view of the Bible especially was problematic. This view claims that the Bible is not the revelation of God, but that it is only the record of God’s revelation (and thus susceptible to errors), and only becomes revelation to the particular reader. Therefore, the Bible contains errors and becomes authoritative only when the reader subjectively experiences its authority. Obviously, this view leaves the Bible wide open for any and all personal re-­‐interpretation. As hard as it may be to believe, some of our Southern Baptist Seminaries (and state owned Baptist universities) had professors who held to these views. Although the great majority of SBC churches and church members did not hold to such liberal views, the “trickle down” effect was being felt – students trained under such views inevitably preached and taught the same from the pulpit. All this led to what has been called the “battle for the Bible.” In the 1970s conservative leaders in the SBC began pushing for change and a return to a belief in the inerrancy of the Bible. It was a slow and challenging process, but it did happen. In 1979 Adrian Rogers, one of those conservative leaders, was elected President of the Southern Baptist Convention. This was important because the President appoints the members of the Committee on Committees, which in turn recommends to the Convention the members of the Committee on Nominations. This Committee then nominates the members of the Trustee Boards of SBC entities. Slowly but surely, over the next fifteen years, the Boards of SBC seminaries, the mission boards, and other entities were populated by Bible believing Baptists. While the conservative resurgence was taking place in the national convention, all state conventions were also taking stock of the doctrinal condition of their colleges, institutions, and state convention leadership. In the 1990s all state conventions except for two (Virginia and Texas) followed in the footsteps of the conservative resurgence. Conservative leaders in Texas tried time and again to work with the existing leadership of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, particularly to affirm the inerrancy of Scripture and to keep the traditional definition of the Cooperative Program. The Cooperative Program issue was that the BGCT was redefining CP giving to include money sent to moderate non-­‐SBC missions 13 and ministries. This meant that less and less money was going to SBC causes. When it became apparent to the conservative leaders in Texas that there would not be agreement on these two critical issues, they decided with heavy hearts that it was time to form a new state convention that would affirm both the doctrinal direction and the funding mechanism of the Southern Baptist Convention. On November 10, 1998, messengers from 120 churches met at Woodforest Baptist Church and voted to form a new Southern Baptist state convention in Texas. Those churches desired a confessional state fellowship based on the inerrancy of the Bible and working in full cooperation with the Southern Baptist Convention. After a ten-­‐year effort to influence the existing Texas state convention toward greater harmony with the SBC Conservative Resurgence, there was excitement at finally having a group that affirmed and would work under the same doctrinal parameters. Issues such as the inerrancy of Scripture, the sanctity of human life, and working together as a confessional fellowship were immediately at the forefront of the new state convention. The new convention also determined to keep missions and evangelism at the forefront of its funding and staffing. To do this required a new strategy that would keep bureaucracy to a minimum. Furthermore, the convention’s board also committed to send 50 percent of undesignated receipts through the SBC Cooperative Program, and determined to raise that percentage to 55 percent within the first decade of the convention’s life. That goal was met and represents the convention’s current commitment to worldwide missions. The Southern Baptists of Texas Mission Statement and Core Values reflect these fought-­‐for values: Mission: “The SBTC exists to facilitate, extend, and enlarge the Great Commission ministries of the Southern Baptist Convention and the Southern Baptist churches and associations in Texas, upon the authority of God’s inerrant Word, to the glory of God the Father, under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and by the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.” Core Values: Biblically Based The Bible defines the rule of faith and practice of the SBTC. Biblical inerrancy is a foundational element of the SBTC. According to the Preamble of the SBTC Constitution, any ministry or business conducted “found to be inconsistent with or contrary to the Word of God” is null and void. The SBTC is a confessional convention. Each affiliated church has to affirm a minimal set of doctrinal beliefs as stated in the Baptist Faith and Message 2000. This provides a framework for churches to work together in mutual accountability. Kingdom Focused The SBTC exists to support the missional needs of the local church rather than direct its ministries. The SBTC is organized to prioritize its budget and staffing around its primary focus on missions and evangelism. From its origin, the intent has been to keep bureaucracy to a minimum by encouraging networking and using volunteers and paid consultants. 14 Missionally Driven The SBTC is funded by the gifts of Southern Baptist churches in Texas to the cooperative program. The SBTC sends 55% of those gifts on to fund national SBC ministries and retains the other 45% to support the mission work of the local church in Texas. In the spirit of cooperation, the SBTC utilizes the resources of the SBC agencies in order to maximize its own ministry effectiveness and that of its affiliated churches. The Present and the Future The SBTC is currently a convention with almost 2,400 affiliated churches. Of those, over 350 are new church plants. Reflecting the diversity of the state of Texas, we have over 200 affiliated Hispanic churches, over 200 African-­‐American churches, and over 100 Asian and other ethnicities and languages. These are megachurch, medium, and small; urban, suburban, and rural; of all styles and in all parts of Texas. What holds them together is a commitment to the truth, authority, and supremacy of the Bible and cooperation in funding missions and ministry. Through three ministry teams – Missional Ministries, Leadership Ministries, and Supporting Ministries, the convention provides consultation, resources, training, and assistance to churches in over 100 areas of ministry and in multiple languages. Evangelism and missions continue to lead the way in both the number of staff and the amount of resources. Key statewide annual events such as the Bible Conference, the Annual Meeting, the Empower Evangelism Conference, the SENT Missions Conference, and the Equip Conference offer top quality events for inspiration, training, and fellowship. More targeted events throughout the year include retreats, camps, conferences, and training for youth, couples, church planters, and ministry staff. Similarly, there are events for Asian Pastors, and numerous events in Spanish throughout the year. The bottom line is that the convention exists to serve churches – to assist them in fulfilling the Great Commission in their communities, counties, regions, and around the world. Texas is a rapidly growing and ever changing state. It is a mission field. We believe that the SBTC is uniquely positioned to reach Texas and touch the world. Agreeing on and holding to doctrinal fidelity, cooperation in giving, going, and sending, and staying focused on reaching lost people for Christ means that we are able to move forward without a lot of distractions. We work together to strengthen existing churches, share the gospel in ways that it can be clearly understood and responded to, and plant churches so that every person in Texas has the opportunity to hear the gospel. The future is bright! 15