Opinion: Faith of Our Fathers

by John A. Brockwell, Sr.                                                                           Vol. XIX, No. 8, October 2006

[Introduction: This article is an “Opinion” piece. As such, it represents the views of the author, not necessarily your editor. It is published in hopes it will stimulate productive thought on both sides of the issue. TCP]

"Change" is today's byword everywhere in our society. It is a given that the way we currently are doing something is simply wrong by definition, and in order to succeed we must change our methodology and, sometimes, even our basic thought processes. Over the past 25 years or so, consultants have had a heyday selling the products of the change mentality to American business. They have made huge profits pushing such things as total quality, re-engineering, team management, restructuring, diversity, outsourcing-to name a few. Once the change has been accepted, the consultants are back again with something new since the current "new" way of doing things is now wrong, and business must adapt to their latest change. This "churning" of how we do business has become a profession in its own right with questionable positive business results.

Churches are not immune to this change mentality. Southern Baptists have been in the thick of it. FMB has become IMB. HMB has become NAMB. The Baptist Sunday School Board has become LifeWay Christian Resources. The sanctuary has become the worship center. The church social hall has become the family life center. The building fund has become Together We Build. The ABC Baptist Church has become the XYZ Community Church. Choruses have replaced hymns. Dance band drums have displaced the organ. AWANA has replaced RA's and GA's. WMU has become Women on Mission or has disappeared from churches altogether. The list goes on.

This multiplicity of changes has brought us to the point where many churches claiming affiliation with the Southern Baptist Convention are unrecognizable as Southern Baptist churches as they existed only a few years ago. An increasing number don't even call themselves Baptist anymore, as if they are somehow ashamed of the name "Baptist." Many Southern Baptists feel alienated at worship services featuring simplistic, repetitive choruses in the place of hymns, soft rock musical accompaniment with decibels making up for talent, and preaching to make "seekers" feel good rather than challenging, gospel- based sermons rightly dividing the Word.

With increasing tempo, we see a polarization of Southern Baptist churches into a "high" church where worship approaches that of an Episcopal service and a "contemporary" church where services border on Pentecostal worship. The former category is usually associated with the "moderate" persuasion, supporting "moderate" (or liberal) causes such as the CBF, liberal seminaries, the Alliance of Baptists, and, in Virginia, the BGAV. The latter tend to be inclined toward the "conservative" (or fundamentalist) persuasion, supporting conservative organizations such as the current SBC organizations and, in Virginia, the SBCV.

This is not to say that there are not churches in between these poles. There are still a number of them; however, the drift is toward one pole or the other. The ultimate outcome will likely be separate national and state conventions with no more of a relationship than that which exists between Methodists and Nazarenes or Episcopalians and Seventh Day Adventists.

There is a serious problem here for those of us Baptists who grew up in Southern Baptist churches before all of these changes started to take place. We look around and see the church we knew a thing of the past, and we are forced to choose between two almost unacceptable alternatives. If we opt for a church fellowship with a traditional worship service with a robed choir, piano, organ, hymns of the faith, etc., we face affiliation with "moderate" or liberal causes. If we opt for a fellowship that supports the SBC and its organizations, we face Pentecostal-type worship and Calvinism.

The drift to these poles is especially evident to one who has visited a number of churches over the past several years. The drift of the more formal church is evidenced by opening processions, lighted altar candles, reading of OT and NT lessons by laity, robing of the clergy, and support of "moderate" causes. The contemporary drift is seen as praise choruses replace hymns, the organ gives way to talent-limited orchestras and dance-band drums provide a beat, "worship leaders" with microphones lead the singing, non-SBC fundamentalist causes are supported, and Calvinism is accepted.

Change in our Baptist churches is inevitable, but we must be cautious that we don't dispose of the things that have made Southern Baptists unique and so influential for Christ's Kingdom for over 150 years. We must be careful not to destroy our heritage in the manner of other denominations. The Methodist church of today bears little resemblance to the Methodist church of 100 (or even 50) years ago, and it's Kingdom influence has greatly diminished. John and Charles Wesley wouldn't recognize it! We are in danger of giving up our Baptist heritage molded over the years by such giants as James P. Boyce, J. A. Broadus, B. H. Carroll, R. G. Lee, Lottie Moon, E. Y. Mullins, Bertha Smith, George W. Truett, and Bill Wallace. And we are forsaking the great music of revered composers such as Fannie Crosby and B. B. McKinney.

Before we go too far, it is time to step back and consider that there were some things good in the way we used to "do" worship and that maybe, just maybe, some of those things might still be applicable today. We must not totally abandon the "Faith of Our Fathers" in an attempt to entertain and make folks feel good. Our attempt to attract people is bringing the world into the church, and we are vainly depending on these worldly attractions to bring people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. If we are indeed a "people of the Book", we must acknowledge that the written Word and the Living Word are sufficient, and we don't have to embellish either. The Word will challenge! The Spirit will attract! Neither needs our current "lights-action-camera" approach to worship.

Maranatha!

[John Brockwell is a retired U.S. Navy officer and electric power engineer. He has been a Southern Baptist for over 62 years and has earned a diploma in Biblical Studies from the Southern Baptist Seminaries extension program. You may contact John Brockwell via mmbjab63@msn.com.]