
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, March 17, 1991                   TAG: 9103170100
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: D-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Medium

BAPTISTS HEALING OLD RIFT/ SOUTHERN, NORTHERN GROUPS PLAN PROJECTS

An alliance of moderate Southern Baptists has moved closer to healing a century-old rift with northern Baptists and further away from the national Southern Baptist Convention.

During a convocation Friday at Grace Baptist Church, the Southern Baptist Alliance unveiled plans for projects with the American Baptist Churches in the United States and other Baptist denominations. One of those projects would be the support and placement of missionaries, a key part of Baptist beliefs.

"I think it's conceivable by next year to have joint appointments with the ABC [American Baptist Churches]," said the Rev. Stan Hastey, executive director of the Southern Baptist Alliance, which is based in Washington.

The move to join American Baptists comes after more than a century of separation between northern Baptists, who became American Baptists, and Baptists in the southern United States, the forerunners of the Southern Baptist Convention.

The groups broke over slavery and other Civil War issues. The Southern Baptist Alliance was formed after more than 12 years of fighting over theological and political issues between moderates and fundamentalists. Fundamentalists now control the 14.9 million member denomination.

"From the outset, one of our concerns has been about bridging some old gaps," said the Rev. Richard Groves, the alliance's president, explaining the venture with other Baptists.

Jeanette Holt, associate director of the alliance, said she could foresee a type of umbrella group composed of American Baptists, the alliance and the Baptist Fellowship, another moderate Southern Baptist group.

Officials said joining with other groups does not mean the end of the alliance.

"It's very important that the alliance stay in place for now," Hastey said. "But I don't know what the life span of this group will be. The churches [who are members] will determine when the usefulness of this organization is past. How long that will take, I have no way of knowing.

"Until the fellowship takes more of an institutional shape, there is no compelling reason for the alliance to fold up the tent."

Hastey said the alliance's role could be considered "as that of a forerunner, like John [the Baptist], willing to decrease for the sake of the increase of others."

He said the alliance and fellowship are growing closer in a number of areas, and he noted that a number of alliance leaders also serve in key positions in the fellowship.

Also Friday, the 500 delegates approved a constitutional change that eliminated a reference to the alliance continuing its work "within the Southern Baptist Convention."

Officials also decided they would not change the name of the organization. A change had been suggested because of the alliance's increasing distance from the Southern Baptist Convention.

by CNB