September 11, 2000

Baptist faith gives roots & wings
___By Dan Martin
___Texas Baptist Communications
___DALLAS--True faith should give both roots and wings, Rick Spencer told Baptist students attending Focus 2000.
___Spencer, Baptist Student Ministries coordinator for Central Texas, used the quote during a breakout session at the weekend gathering of more than 2,500 college students from across Texas.
___During a session on "Being Baptist--Does It Matter?" Spencer asked the students to

MORE THAN 2,500 college students had their faith challenged by Focus 2000 speakers.

give him a short description of what the term "Baptist" means to them.
___Some students listed such terms as tradition, hypocrisy, politics, legalism, conservative, arrogant, condescending.
___One said a predominant impression is that Baptists have a preoccupation with rules: "For Baptists, it seems rules are more important than people."
___Others spoke of Baptists as giving positive impressions. Positive terms included refreshing, open, missions-oriented, biblically based and even traditional.
___"Hodding Carter, who served in the White House with President Jimmy Carter, said that our faith ought to give us both roots and wings," Spencer said. "For me, being a Baptist offers both of those.
___"Roots include traditions. We are grounded in our history. We are not just floating out there. Tradition can be a good thing."
___"Tradition is the living faith of those now dead, while traditionalism is the dead faith of those now living," he explained.
___Being a Baptist gives his faith roots, but also provides wings, he said.
___"As a Baptist, I have a great deal of freedom. We believe in the priesthood of every believer, the autonomy of the local church, being led by the Spirit of the Living God as we interpret Scripture. For me, being a Baptist offers the best of tradition while giving me freedom of expression," he said.
___At their best, Baptists do not practice an "in your face" faith, but strive to live the "in your heart" variety, Spencer said.

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