I see that a suggestion for the name change of our denomination has been offered. I am trying to be charitable here, but it is both unwieldy and confusing; it looks like something designed by a committee.
The concerns about African-Americans being offended because the roots of our denomination stem from a split during the Civil War are not the issue. The concerns of white members about their Confederate heritage not being honored are not the issue. These issues come from the past. We are not looking to the past. Baptists are looking to take the good news of Jesus Christ into the future and to take his message around the world.
I believe there are only two issues in our decision. First, if we want to share the message of Jesus globally, then we shouldn’t be identified with a region, or even a nation.
The second issue is, we are Baptists. Jesus was a Baptist, baptized by John the Baptist. The apostles were Baptists. All of the members of the early church were Baptists – full immersion, usually in a river, just like Jesus.
Things got off track when the Roman Empire began turning Christianity into a government. This was not the message Jesus expressed. Jesus didn’t seek institutions or rituals or government involvement of any kind.
Jesus’ message was simple and personal. Jesus sought a personal relationship with each one of us, and he hoped for the same from each one of us.
Baptists are the original inheritors of Christianity. Baptists are probably the only denomination still preaching the original, clear, unadorned word of Jesus. This truth is not something to brag about or take pride in. The glory goes to Jesus. We are merely the voices sharing his word.
Our denomination is the Baptist convention. Nothing should distract the people to whom we are witnessing from the central message of Jesus Christ. The members of the Baptist convention don’t need adjectives before our name. We are Baptists.
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