November 3, 1999

Currie & Sloan praise Baptist distinctives
___By Marv Knox
___Editor
___DALLAS--Baptist principles are vital not only for Baptists but for society, and they must be preserved through theological education, David Currie and Robert Sloan stressed at a Texas Baptists Committed meeting Oct. 25.
___Distinctive Baptist principles were bought and defended "at the cost of thousands and thousands of lives," said Currie, who recounted stories of martyrs for the faith.
___ Unfortunately, "there no longer is a shared concept of freedom in Baptist life," said Currie, executive director of Texas Baptists Committed. The organization has worked to keep the Baptist General Convention of Texas independent and autonomous from the Southern Baptist Convention, which has become more theologically and politically conservative during the past two decades.
___The Texas Baptists Committed program needs to be exported to preserve Baptist principles in other states, he urged.
___"The Baptist principles Texas Baptists Committed has stood for are the same principles the Southern Baptist Convention was founded upon--the authority of Scripture, the autonomy of the local church, the priesthood of the believer and religious liberty for all," Currie said.
___"When people tell me, 'I don't want to be part of either side' (of the Baptist controversy), I want to ask them, 'What principles don't you stand for?'" he said.
___Baptist distinctives are needed among Baptists and in society, Currie insisted. He listed:
___ Authority of Scripture. "This book," he said, holding up his Bible, "is our final authority, but it is not a creed."
___"Our society needs authority," he added. "For a Baptist, it is freeing authority, not binding authority. It is authority that liberates us."
___The authority of Scripture liberates the people who follow it, because it directs them into the will of God, he explained.
___ Priesthood of believers. "Everybody's a 'priest' if you're a Baptist," Currie said, noting the concept of "priesthood" enables Christians to relate directly to God and also holds them accountable for their actions, particularly telling others about Christ.
___What Baptists have to offer society in terms of the priesthood of believers is respect for the beliefs of others, he said. "You do not coerce people into the kingdom of God. Jesus never did it. But our respect for the priesthood of believers leads us to the sharing of faith that is authentic."
___ Local-church autonomy. "Baptists understood the importance of the creativity of the Holy Spirit" to lead each church to utilize its unique gifts, to meet its particular challenges and to take advantage of its special opportunities, he explained.
___The autonomy of local churches is important to society because it illustrates the importance of being able to "dialogue about faith with respect and toleration," Currie said. Those qualities are needed in the world today, he added, citing violence in such places as Northern Ireland, where religious toleration and respect are not practiced.
___ Religious liberty. "We have a group of folks in this country who mean well, who want a Christian nation, but a 'Christian nation' burned martyrs at the stake," he said, referencing religious law enforced by such religious reformers as John Calvin.
___Noting some people claim the United States is a "Christian nation" founded upon Christian principles, he pointed out, "Ninety Baptist preachers were imprisoned in (Early American) Virginia for preaching the gospel."
___"We need a nation of Christians, not a Christian nation," he stressed.
___These Baptist distinctives must be preserved, Currie urged. "Being a Baptist doesn't save us," he acknowledged. "But these principles always come back to evangelism--to tell people about Jesus."
___Baptists have stressed "important dimensions" of the Christian faith, Sloan added in his message. These include the lordship of Christ, the primacy or importance of Scripture, the "voluntary nature of participation in the body of Christ," the "imperative of missions" and freedom of conscience.
___Well-trained Baptists can lead Baptists through controversy and even domination, toward a positive future, despite the immediate odds, he assured.
___"Power works for awhile, but even Soviet power could not win out over what is good and right and true," he said. "Theological education embodies the power of theological ideas. It won't win out quickly, but it will win out ultimately."
___In the long run, the influence of Baptist theological education will shape Baptist life, he predicted. "If we lose the battle for theological education at the point of the hearts and minds of those who are called to minister, then we will lose for a very long time."

---

Contents/ Masthead / Why We're Here / Links / Archive / E-mail us/ SUBSCRIBE!