| Opinion: Georgia Baptists isolate themselves |
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| By David Gushee | |
| Thursday, November 13, 2008 | |
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(ABP) -- On Nov. 12, in a front-page story, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution broke the news that the Georgia Baptist Convention has approved a new policy giving GBC executives the freedom to refuse donations from churches it finds to be out of step with Southern Baptist beliefs. The policy move is aimed (for now) at First Baptist Church Decatur, because it called a woman, Julie Pennington-Russell, to serve as pastor. It happens that this is my congregation, and Julie is my pastor. And so I would like to begin this unofficial, unauthorized response by saying that the daily Christian ministry offered by my wonderful church will not be at all affected by this decision. The preaching of the gospel, prayer, benevolence ministries, after-school programs for children, youth ministry, global missions, counseling ministry, women’s ministry, care for homeless and abused women and children -- all of these will go on just as before. The decision does apparently mean that the GBC would prefer not to receive the thousands of dollars that we otherwise would have chosen to send them, as we have done for 145 years. In a time of economic recession, with money tight all over, the GBC will choose to reject our financial support for their activities. This must be an unusual organization, sufficiently flush with funds that it can refuse money -- in this economy -- based on differences over a disputed doctrinal matter. Would someone else like our money? This action gets the relationship between church and denomination entirely wrong. In a religious tradition that believes in congregational polity, state and national conventions exist as a result of the free decisions of congregations to work together on common projects. They pool their funds to do together what none of them can do as well on their own. State and national conventions exist to serve congregations, and congregations are the ones who get to decide whether the entities that they created to help them advance their mission are still worth supporting. But here, the situation is reversed. That’s just wrong. Baptists used to believe that God’s plan is for congregations to order their own affairs, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, in obedience to Christ. First Baptist Decatur undertook a slow communal process of discernment in the months before they called Julie Pennington-Russell as their pastor. This 145-year-old congregation with 2,700 members did their biblical and theological homework, they prayed earnestly, and they finally emerged with the decision that they did. It is more than a little insulting for other Georgia Baptists, and the GBC itself, to decide that this autonomous congregation made such a bad decision that our missions money is now tainted. This puts FBC Decatur in company with, as Journal-Constitution reporter Christopher Quinn reported after a conversation with GBC Executive Director Robert White, other “gifts from questionable sources, such as alcohol distributors.” I’m sure that comparison will go down exceptionally well in our congregation. Most Baptist churches are in a situation of flat or declining membership. Many are in serious trouble, fighting for their very survival. But First Baptist Decatur is doing well. Many are coming to faith in Christ for the first time. Our innovative early worship service is booming, with many new visitors each week. I have the joyful privilege of teaching a Bible study class each week to dozens who have never really participated in adult Christian education before. We are actually reaching our community, and our congregation’s increasing racial and ethnic diversity clearly attests to this happy fact. At the heart of it all is Julie Pennington-Russell herself. The sober-minded search committee that called Julie saw in her what we have all now experienced. She is a pastor, called of God. She has all the requisite gifts of preaching, teaching, leadership, and care for souls. She exemplifies the fruit of the Spirit. She loves people, and people respond accordingly. But by calling her, FBC apparently joined the morally questionable ranks populated by alcohol distributors. Daily readers of the Atlanta newspaper know that religion news rarely makes the front page. But today it did, under this title: “Baptist change isolates church.” Baptists made the newspaper -- not for loving people or serving the poor, but for a decision to reject one of their oldest, most significant churches. “Baptist change isolates church?” Not really. The headline should read: “Baptist change isolates Georgia Baptist Convention.” Our congregation will be just fine. -30- -- David P. Gushee is Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics at Mercer University.                 Comments (5)
 FBC Decatur, on the contrary, has isolated itself
written by cfsmith, November 18, 2008
It is not that GA Baptists have isolated themselves at all. They have merely asserted a historic Baptist principle--association on the basis of like faith and practice (order). Ninety nine percent of the Baptist Churches in GA don't believe that women should pastor a church. Under the historic principle of local church autonomy, that is their right. These churches also believe that each local congregation should make its own decision on the matter, and that congregations should unite around like faith and order.
FBC Decatur has freely made its decision. No one forced it. No pressure was put on the congregation whatsoever, in either direction by anyone. Since it has made a decision that is out of line with the practice in the overwhelming majority of Baptist Churches in Georgia, then it has isolated itself, rather than Georgia Baptists isolating themselves. Again, FBC Decatur has every right to do so, under local church autonomy. But then, the GA Baptist Convention has every right to assert its historic principle of association around like faith and practice. Members of FBC Decatur, especially those with a "platform" from which to speak, should revel in how well the system itself works, rather than complaining about the free actions of a state convention which is acting properly under historic Baptist principles. response to CFSmith
written by Dr. J, November 20, 2008
Dear CFSmith:
The GBC has every right to deny membership to any church. A similar situation took place in Missouri about 2 years ago. The Missouri Baptist Convention kicked about 8 churches out because the churches made contributions to conventions in addition to the MBC. I think these actions are irrational and have nothing to do with Biblical beliefs or historic Baptist principles. In the case of the GBC, it is nothing more than male chauvinism. To view the Gospel in a manner in which males are more gifted than females diminishes the Gospel. I guarantee you that 99% of the females in the GBC do not agree with the GBC so-called "historic baptist principles." Baptist churches used to believe...
written by jglas, November 24, 2008
Baptist churches uphold autonomy, obedience to Christ, and leadership by the Holy Spirit. Gushee left out one key detail however, the authority of Scripture. Obedience to Christ is obedience to His word and the Holy Spirit convicts and leads believers in obedience to the Scriptures. It always comes back to one's view on the Bible...if you don't uphold the inerrancy of the Bible then it’s an “anything goes” theology; like FBC Decatur for example.
... written by SBPruett, November 25, 2008
jglas makes an assumption that FBC Decatur does not uphold the inerrancy of scripture. I believe this assumption is incorrect. There have been scholarly works by conservative theologians with a high view of scripture who have pointed out serious objections to interpretations excluding women as pastors. Similarly, a good case can be made for permitting women as pastors within the framework of inerrancy. Space and time do not permit a thorough pursuit of this issue here, but I would refer interested readers to "Scripture, Tradition, and Interpretation" edited by W. Ward Gasque and William Sanford LaSor, Chapter 17 by Robert K. Johnston. This even-handed treatment of the issue assumes scriptural reliability and truth at all points, but demonstrates approximately equal points in favor and opposition to each of the positions on women as pastors.
Baptists claim to be people of the Word, but my experience has been that many do not really want to act like Bereans when it turns out that someone can raise reasonable objections to their interpreation that they cannot definitively answer. This is an issue that Baptist congregations should agree to disagree about, and it should not be used to "disfellowship" particular churches. Readers alone are responsible for the content of the comments they post here. The comments are subject to the site’s terms and conditions of use and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or approval of the ABP News. Readers whose comments violate the terms of use may have their comments removed or all of their content blocked from viewing by other users without notification.
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Although I agree with Gushee on this item, there is no way I would sit in his Bible study class or pay for my child to go to Mercer.