On the wrong flight?

by John Yeats                                                                                             Vol. XIII, No. 7, August 2000

Most Oklahoma Baptists know there are more than 100 different conventions of Baptists in North America. Most Baptists belong to Southern Baptist churches. There is a small Baptist group called the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. This denominational group met in Orlando, June 30-July 1. Many of the churches in this group are "dually-aligned" with the Southern Baptist Convention. The number of "uniquely-aligned" churches is barely enough to form a metropolitan association. Of course, Baptists believe a Baptist church has every right to align with whatever group it determines as the will of God for its church. And as a local church is autonomous, so are Baptist organizations and conventions.

Since the inception of the CBF, some of its leaders have said they were not forming a new convention. But to borrow the phrase, "if it talks like a duck, walks like duck, flies like a duck, it probably is a duck." What must a denominational identity look like before it is? Guess it depends on one's definition of "is."

What are the facts?

The CBF has its own missionaries and global mission offerings. It has an affiliated press service, Associated Baptist Press. Smith Helways and the publications division of the Baptist General Convention of Texas provide curriculum for many of its churches. A dozen schools provide theological education for the ministers who serve its churches. The CBF voted this year to partner with the American Baptist Convention for its ministers' retirement plans. In several states, CBF has affinity groups usually called Baptists Committed or Mainstream Baptists. CBF voted this year to apply for recognition with the Baptist World Alliance. Wouldn't the above factors be sufficient to identify the CBF as a denominational identity?

There are several ministries that receive CBF funds. One is the Baptist Peace Fellowship. According to a June 30 Baptist Press article, BPF produces a curriculum in partnership with the Alliance of Baptists affirming same-sex partnerships, denying the Bible condemns homosexual behavior, and affirming homosexuality as an unchangeable sexual orientation. This is a view the vast majority of Baptists find despicable and would not want to financially support.

Instead, most Baptists affirm and support a redemptive ministry toward those caught in a web of sexual confusion.

A ministry that receives a CBF grant is Baptist Women in Ministry. In a Baptist Press interview, a BWIM board member said, "We (women in ministry) charge ahead with preaching and the sacraments."

My immediate thought was "Has this person forgotten historic Baptist theology? Doesn't that kind of statement belong with some faith group other than a Baptist group?" I had to double-check the article to make sure she said "sacraments."

This is major news.

When did Baptists start doing sacraments? The answer is "we don't!" A sacrament belongs to those denominational groups who believe that a right relationship with God comes through a person's performance of religious duty. For example, the Roman Catholic Church requires seven sacraments. Baptists do not have sacraments. We know from the truth of God's Word that a person enters into right relationship with God through repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. A person cannot come to God on the basis of performance of religious duty (see Ephesians 2:8-9).

Perhaps the BWIM board member had a mental lapse and she meant to say "ordinances." However, she is a professor of theology at one of the CBF aligned institutions.

Historically, Baptist churches have two ordinances: The Lord's Supper and Baptism. These ordinances symbolize our identity with the Lord Jesus. Some other denominations make these precious symbols into sacraments. They require their adherents to participate in them before granting their denomination's brand of salvation.

Historic Baptists want to help people understand that performance of religious duty is not the way of genuine salvation in Jesus Christ. Surely, as Baptists, one of our goals is to teach the truth of God's Word about people coming to Jesus by faith alone. It would be a good thing for true, faithful Baptists to pray for those who are forming new Baptist identities. While these folks seek to market their identity before the world, pray they will present a clear understanding of the core teachings in God's Word.

[John Yeats is editor of the Oklahoma Baptist Messenger where this editorial appeared.]