THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, November 11, 1995 TAG: 9511110574
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ESTHER DISKIN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Short : 47 lines
A Churchland minister on Friday was elected president of the Baptist General Association of Virginia.
The Rev. R. Clint Hopkins, 59, of the 700-member Churchland Baptist Church, said that he hopes to bring conservative and moderate Baptists in the state - who have battled for years over interpretation of the Bible and issues like abortion and homosexuality - into greater cooperation on mission work.
``With our re-emphasis on mission work, we will get reconciliation as a byproduct,'' Hopkins said in a brief interview. ``We have been so intent on Biblical definitions that we took our eyes off our leader, Jesus Christ.''
Several conservative churches boycotted the association's annual meeting, dropping attendance to about 2,000 - a decrease from recent years when conservatives and moderates competed to pack the meeting with their representatives.
Hopkins said that one of his goals as president will be emphasizing the diversity of religious perspectives within the Baptist community.
As national and state legislation tackles issues with clear moral overtones - such as abortion and homosexuality - some religious leaders are urging all Christians to unite behind a single stance, Hopkins said.
Baptists, who have historically valued independence of conscience on religious and political matters, must resist that pressure toward enforcing a single view, he said.
``Some political issues have been raised up as litmus tests for Christians, and that's been a divisive factor for many of our churches,'' Hopkins said.
``There is no single organization or general board that defines our stance toward issues.''
Hopkins has been a pastor in Churchland for seven years. Before that, he served as pastor at Viers Mill Baptist Church in Silver Spring, Md.
Other officers elected Friday: first vice president is Alden L. Hicks, director of missions for Pittsylvania Baptist association; second vice president is Catherine D. Johnson, of Monument Heights Baptist Church in Richmond; clerk is Frederick J. Anderson, executive director of the Virginia Baptist Historical Society. by CNB