In reference to the letter concerning it being a waste of time to discuss a name change for the Southern Baptist Convention (“Your Views,” Oct. 13) and the chivalrous defense of “Southern” being a name of integrity, I would like to share the following:
As a Christian, I chose the SBC for its doctrinal foundation, not for the integrity ascribed to being Southern. Are we not part of an international body of Christ? I am concerned – though this was not the intention of the writer – that we are implying that our brothers and sisters in other places do not have integrity. If we keep Southern in our organizational name, it should only be to represent our location. Do we only want to relegated to the South? Our biblical commission is to be global. Even the North American Mission Board’s name simply represents a location, not a revered and holy name. Is there not only one name that is holy – Yahweh?
Throughout the Bible, when God began to do something new, he would give people a new name. I can see that God is doing something new in the SBC. Perhaps the leaders, who have been elected by the people, brought this to the table only after being led by the Holy Spirit to choose a name that will celebrate a new thing. Are we not all crying out for a renewal? Colossians 3:16 tells us to “let the message of Christ dwell richly in us.” Perhaps there is a name that will more richly express the message of Christ. Are we wanting to preserve a man-made heritage or a God-driven movement of missional living?
The real question is not should it be changed, but are we willing to change it if God is leading in that direction? Or do we love the name more than we love the one who called us? I think not. Do we love our brethren enough to hear what the Holy Spirit has been speaking to them? Yes, we do.
Church history is filled with splits because people could not come to be “like-minded,” which we are biblically commanded to do. We must remember that at any moment we can be found lacking in understanding and need the light of God’s word to direct us. Paul wrote that he became all things to all people for the cause of Christ. Is God asking us to become something different?
Our motives must be filtered by the Holy Spirit. We cannot seek change for change’s sake, and we cannot seek to preserve manmade traditions and risk becoming like the leaders during the Messiah’s time who were guilty of loving their laws more than their brother.
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