Section 1
I will hold in trust the traditions and practices of our American Baptist Churches; I will not accept a position in the American Baptist family unless I am in accord with those traditions and practices; nor will I use my influence to alienate my congregation/constituents or any part thereof from its relationship and support of the denomination. If my convictions change, I will resign my position.
Different ecclesiastical bodies come into existence for particular reasons. The Lutheran Church grew out of the convictions of Martin Luther, who was disenfranchised by the Roman Catholic Church. The Church of England came about because corruption in the church created a vacuum that easily allowed the political rulers to declare themselves “head of the church.” There are some denominations which form around doctrinal issues and others that come about because of a desire to practice their faith in a particular way. (See LaTourette’s History of Christianity).
Simplistically, we might say we Baptists are a denomination because our forebears disagreed with the Church of England about their reading of the Scriptures, but we all know there is much more to it than that! Our Baptist forebears hammered out some basic principles of freedom, responsibility, and church organization that are consistent with Biblical teaching and supportive of the church’s mission. We need to hold in trust these distinctive traits which are gifts from our forebears: Soul Freedom, the Authority of Scripture, the Priesthood of All Believers, Local Church Autonomy, Voluntary Association and Believer’s Baptism. They should be more than words to us, for the creative tension of these traits make us a unique group of churches filled with dynamic diversity and united in the particular purpose of proclamation!
The Apostle Paul has important things to say to those of us who have the influence of leadership. In Philippians 2, he stresses the humility that regards others as better than oneself in the context of calling for the church to have the same mind and love. When a minister’s convictions lead him or her away from the historic convictions and covenant commitments of a local church, humility and respect for the larger community of faith suggests that resignation of the minister is an honorable solution.
Questions for consideration: Read Matthew 16:13-18, Philippians 2, Galatians 5, Ephesians and James 1:19-27