THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, June 21, 1995 TAG: 9506210537
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: FROM WIRE REPORTS
DATELINE: ATLANTA LENGTH: Medium: 88 lines
In the quiet rush of thousands of orange ballots, the Southern Baptist Convention apologized Tuesday for their forebears' support of slavery and repented for their own sins of racism.
The resolution of repentance broke a long and painful silence: It was the first acknowledgment of slavery by the full Southern Baptist Convention.
The vote in favor of the resolution received a standing ovation from 20,000 members of the nation's largest Protestant denomination, gathered for their annual convention. The Convention was born 150 years ago of the split between North and South over slavery.
The resolution denounces racism, repudiates ``historic acts of evil such as slavery'' and asks for forgiveness. It commits the 15.6 million-member church to eradicating vestiges of racism and notes that the denomination failed to support the civil rights movement of the 1950s and '60s.
Gary L. Frost, the only black in the faith's leadership, accepted the apology on behalf of black Southern Baptists.
``We pray that the genuineness of your repentance will be reflected in your attitude and your actions,'' said Frost, a pastor from Youngstown, Ohio. He and the denomination's president, James B. Henry, embraced at the podium after the vote.
The resolution was wrought out of emotional and sometimes tearful meetings between black and white denominational leaders.
Its supporters hope it will open the door wider to evangelizing among blacks and other ethnic groups. The convention has been making strides in that area recently by founding mostly black churches.
Members of the denomination include President Clinton, Vice President Al Gore and Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, R-Ga.
The Southern Baptist Convention was created in 1845 in a split with the American Baptist Convention over the question of whether slave owners could be missionaries.
The church was silent on civil rights, or actively opposed them, through the 1970s, and many congregations excluded blacks. In 1989, the denomination declared racism a sin. The apology resolution was approved by a show of the orange ballot cards after just a few minutes' debate - then celebrated with prayer and applause.
Several delegates complained the measure doesn't recognize discrimination against other minorities; discredits all the denomination's founders, even though some may not have espoused slavery; and casts a shadow on fair-minded members.
``It asks all Southern Baptists to apologize,'' said Dale Smith of Oxford, Ala., one opponent.
``Certainly we do not ask anyone to join in confessing wrong of which you are not guilty,'' said the Rev. Charles Carter, chairman of the resolution committee.
Referring to the 150th anniversary of the denomination's founding amid the slavery debate, he added, ``This could be Southern Baptists' finest hour.''
``I think it's an admirable resolution, and I would hope that it would not merely be a resolution that is on paper,'' said the Rev.
Clifford Jones, president of the General Baptist Convention in North Carolina, a predominantly black Baptist denomination. ``To merely denounce historical racism and/or slavery, and yet not actively seeking to promote parity, justice and equality in the 21st century, is really an act of futility.''
About 1,800 of the 39,910 churches in the SBCare primarily black, said spokesman Herb Hollinger. Several of the 39 Southern Baptist state conventions already have approved a version of the racism resolution.
``I think it will go a long way towards uniting the convention at all levels,'' said the Rev. J.C. Rose of Lakeland, Fla., who is black. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Prayers in Atlanta: Deanna Anderson, second from right, with other
members of an Orlando church on Tuesday. The resolution was the
convention's first acknowledgement of slavery.
Graphic
ORIGINS:
The Southern Baptists began in 1845, when Southerners split with
Northern Baptists over slavery.
TODAY: With 15.6 million members, the Southern Baptist Convention is
the largest Protestant denomination in the country.
500,000 members are African American, and 300,000 are other races.
by CNB