Is CBF a Denomination?

by    Dave Couric                                                                                                                                  Vol. VII, No. 7, September 1994

The question stirs debate and strong emotion at times despite how simply it's phrased: Is the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship a denomination? The issue may not be settled as yet, but there are several indicators that the CBF is at least well on its way to denominational status, according to Tom Nettles of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School near Chicago.

"Whether or not they perceive themselves as a denomination, they certainly are going to have the option very soon of engaging in all the different things a denomination sees itself as doing," said Nettles, chairman of the church history department and former Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary professor. Nettles cited education, missions, publishing and news as examples of denominational activities in which the CBF already is engaged.

"It's up to them to define whether they want to become a denomination," Nettles said. "It's still up in the air whether they want to. The things that are going to make them determine that will be just how much support they will have, what kind of theological unity they can maintain, and how effective these alternate agencies will actually be." It remains to be seen, Nettles added, whether the Southern Baptist Convention's official rejection of CBF funds will have a negative or positive effect on the latter's supporters.

Baptist Press recently made an executive decision to officially refer to the CBF as a "denomination" in news releases. That action elicited a sharp response from Cecil Sherman, CBF coordinator, who sent a memo to Baptist state paper editors denying the CBF is a denomination. The memo secondarily objected to implications concerning CBF's views on abortion, Scripture, homosexuality, and the virgin birth.

In his primary concern, Sherman reacted specifically against a description of the CBF as "breakaway moderates launching a new denomination" in a Baptist Press report on the SBC's decision in June to move ahead without CBF funds. "(It) is not a statement of fact; it is opinion," Sherman wrote. "Furthermore, it is not true. The Fellowship has worked hard to remain within the SBC." Admitting the SBC's rejection of CBF funds "certainly makes that task harder," Sherman said the SBC action may have been intended "to drive the CBF into becoming what they claim we are" - a denomination.

Noting the CBF previously had voted in its annual session not to withdraw funds from some SBC seminaries, Sherman said, "The truth is that we are neither ‘breakaway moderates,' nor have we made any efforts to ‘launch a new denomination."'

Although he didn't state how the CBF perceives itself, Sherman did consider the issue important enough to state how the CBF does not want to be perceived by Southern Baptists. In other words, he said what the CBF is not, but he did not say what it is.

After three years of existence, the Atlanta based CBF, organized by moderates dissatisfied with the conservative SBC leadership, remains somewhat of a mystery.

Baptist Press' rationale behind using the term "denomination" is that by definition the CBF is clearly in that category, according to Herb Hollinger, vice president for convention news with the SBC Executive Committee who drafted the rationale. For example, Hollinger cited Webster's dictionary definition of "denomination" as "a particular religious sect or body, with a specific name, organization, etc." What further supports the contention the CBF is, for all practical purposes, a new denomination is that its entities can accurately be described as "denominational," which Webster's defines as "of, sponsored by, or under the control of, a religious denomination," Hollinger noted.

For instance, the CBF has its own executive board, mission board and foundation, Hollinger wrote. The CBF "Coordinating Council" is the equivalent of the SBC Executive Committee. The CBF has sent out more than 40 missionaries so far. And similar to the SBC, the CBF has a foundation for fund-raising via wills and endowments, created at the annual session in Greensboro, N.C., in May. In addition, Hollinger said, the CBF heavily supports alternative agencies and institutions. While the Christian Life Commission handles religious liberty issues for the SBC, the CBF financially supports the Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs. Also in place of the CLC, the CBF contributes to an ethics agency, the Baptist Center for Ethics.

Although the CBF voted to continue contributing to some SBC seminaries, it supports moderate seminaries such as The Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond and Truett Seminary at Baylor University, Waco, TX. The CBF provides more than half of the Associated Baptist Press budget. And the publishing house Smyth & Helwys serves the CBF much as the Sunday School Board does the SBC.

"A denomination within the (SBC) denomination" is the way its own western coordinator, Bill Bruster, described the CBF in a Baptist Press report on the recent Mexican Baptist Convention of Texas meeting in San Antonio. Bruster was there to introduce the CBF as an alternative for missions giving by Hispanic churches. He affirmed the CBF wants to have some kind of official connection with Southern Baptists.

[Couric is a free-lance writer in Dallas.]