Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant

It will be interesting to see where this movement goes, but in the short term it is heartening to see that a growing number of Baptists do not like being included within the general messages of homophobia, hate and intolerance which have become the hallmark of the Southern Baptist Convention. The Baptists described in this article (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/30/AR2008013003745.html?hpid=sec-religion) seek to be seen as a kinder, more loving and Christ centered type of Christians that focus on social justice as opposed to a never ending anti-gay jihad and constant condemnation of others. We certainly need more Christians acting like Christians following Christ as opposed to what has become the norm when one listens to the likes of Richard Land, James Dobson, Pat Robertson, et al. Here are some story high lights:

ATLANTA -- Former President Carter called divisions among Christians a "cancer" in the church, as he opened a meeting meant to unite moderate Baptists across racial and theological lines and show their tradition goes beyond conservative Southern Baptist beliefs. The assembly, "Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant," included four major black denominations, Baptists from throughout North America and former members of the Southern Baptist Convention upset by its rightward shift. Carter was a lead organizer of the event.

Thousands of participants prayed and held hands across a massive exhibit hall at the first session Wednesday night. Carter, a longtime Bible teacher at his Plains, Ga., church, called the three-day gathering "the most momentous event in my religious life." He repeatedly cautioned the audience not to criticize others during the meeting. "What is the prevailing image of Christians today?" Carter said. "It's the image of divisions among brothers and sisters of Christ as we struggle for authority or argue about the interpretation of individual verses in the Holy Scripture."

The meeting involves 30 Baptist groups that represent millions of people and span a range of theological and political beliefs. Many oppose abortion and same-sex marriage and ordain only men. However, they all heavily emphasize Scripture on social justice. Carter and many other Baptists severed ties with the Southern Baptist Convention when conservatives took control of the denomination in the 1970s and 1980s, waging a bitter fight over interpreting the Bible. With 16.3 million members, Southern Baptists are not only the largest U.S. Baptist group, but also the largest Protestant denomination in the country.

Northern and Southern Baptists split in 1845, when Northerners said they wouldn't support missionaries who were slaveholders. Black Baptists generally formed their own denominations and had their own splits over civil rights strategies and other issues.