October 2, 2000

Arkansas asked to embrace revised BF&M
___LITTLE ROCK, Ark.--The charter and bylaws committee of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention has recommended that the 2000 version of the Baptist Faith & Message be adopted as the doctrinal guideline for the state convention.
___The recommendation will be presented to messengers at the annual meeting of the state convention Oct. 31-Nov. 1.
___The committee recommended revising the convention's Articles of Incorporation to read, "Affirming the autonomy of the local church and the priesthood of the believer, the Baptist Faith & Message as adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention on June 14, 2000, shall be the doctrinal guideline for this convention."
___The convention currently identifies the 1963 Baptist Faith & Message as its guideline.
___Besides changing the date of the Baptist Faith & Message in two places, the recommendation would add the introductory phrase about the autonomy of the local church and priesthood of the believer.
___This language is offered as a compromise to allay the fears of some that the revised faith statement might be used as a creed, said Samuel Roberts, chairman of the charter and bylaws committee.
___"There were a couple of areas in the new Baptist Faith & Message that several of our committee members had concerns about," Roberts said. "Some felt that in a couple of places one interpretation of Scripture was being included as the only interpretation of Scripture. When anyone claims one interpretation is the only interpretation of Scripture, we have some problems."
___The proposal does not remove or amend a sentence in the Articles of Incorporation that says the Baptist Faith & Message "shall not be interpreted as to permit open communion and/or alien immersion."

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