ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, July 7, 1996 TAG: 9607050131
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: the back pew
SOURCE: CODY LOWE
To split or to merge; that is the question for the state's Baptists.
Several stripes of Baptists in Virginia have held annual meetings this month, a number of which included a traditional question in Baptist life: should "we" separate from or join together with "them."
For many of the commonwealth's black Baptists, the question is one of healing a century-old division that led to the creation of two state associations 97 years ago. This year, both the Baptist General Convention of Virginia and the Virginia Baptist State Convention voted to pursue talks to effect a merger.
The two groups represent about 2,000 of the state's black Baptist congregations, who have decided - in theory, anyway - that whatever differences led to the split, they are now long over. They have found instead that the common history and common mission of faith calls them to be together again.
What they hope for are even stronger efforts to teach their members and evangelize their state.
The state's Southern Baptists - who are predominantly white - appear to be on another road, however. The signs this year point to division, both physical and spiritual.
It can be argued that the Southern Baptist Convention, on a national as well as a state level, is already a divided institution.
The battle for the soul of the denomination began in earnest a decade and a half ago, when a "conservative" faction began winning battles to assert its theology as the norm for the convention.
They insisted on strict adherence to a doctrine of the inerrancy of Scripture - meaning that seminary professors, pastors and lay people were expected to agree with their view. That includes believing that Adam and Eve were real people and that the Bible is entirely accurate in matters of science and history as well as theology. It also meant demanding consistency with conservative positions against such things as the ordination of women, abortion and homosexual behavior.
Today, that conservative faction - apparently representing the denomination's majority - controls all Southern Baptist agencies and institutions. Equally importantly, it controls the voice of the denomination to the outside world.
In Virginia, however, "moderates" control the Baptist General Association of Virginia - and have taken action to safeguard that control by limiting participation by conservative churches that send their financial support primarily to the Southern Baptist Convention rather than to state causes.
Consequently, those conservatives are talking seriously about making their organization, Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia, a separate affiliate of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Leaders of the conservative organization have already received legal advice saying that there is no impediment to creating a second Southern Baptist state association. And many of them believe they have no alternative to doing so.
Questions about specifics remain unanswered - and some of the implications of such a move certainly wouldn't be understood until after it happened - but the theological and spiritual split is already a reality.
Just over a week ago, a relatively new national association of "moderate" churches and individuals who still are affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention held its fifth annual meeting in Richmond.
The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship since its founding has included those who want to create a new denomination, sever ties with the Southern Baptists and start fresh. Once again, the members of the annual general assembly rejected that idea.
This year, a study commission issued a report on that subject that also steered the group away from complete independence. But this time, in addition to the usual arguments that countless individual congregations would be ripped apart by fights over affiliation with a new body, there was a relatively new argument against it - that denominations represent an outdated way to be the church of Christ.
Several speakers and authors reported that the evidence - including declining membership, attendance and financial support - shows that most denominations are headed toward oblivion. Of course, the Southern Baptist Convention leadership would argue that under the new conservative direction, that body, which is already the largest Protestant denomination in the country, has continued to grow and thrive.
In any case, there seemed to be a recognition among fellowship members that the current system of church hierarchies and relationships may not last forever. And that maybe a new and presumably better form is about to emerge, if they will just be patient.
In the end, the vote was overwhelmingly against a declaration of independence from the Southern Baptist Convention - even though that body is held in disdain, distrust and disgust by most of those present in Richmond.
For outsiders, it can seem a confusing mess of several distinctive denominations, all of whom do agree - in theory at least - in baptism by immersion for believers who have made a "public profession of faith" in Jesus Christ as their savior.
Despite all the differences and the in-fighting, the key to any understanding of Baptist life lies in recognizing a determined congregationalism and individualism. When Baptists talk about independence, they're talking theological foundation, as well as national roots.
No one - neither the Southern Baptist Convention, the National Baptist Convention or the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship - can tell a Baptist congregation what it has to believe, whom it may ordain, whom it has to hire as a pastor, whom it may accept as members.
And for most of the history of the Baptist branch of Christianity, there has been an equally strong doctrinal assertion that every individual believer is capable of communicating directly with the Almighty and interpreting the word of God for herself or himself.
The structures may be changing, but there will be Baptists around for a long time yet.
LENGTH: Long : 106 linesby CNB