Why do I contribute to Texas Baptist Committed?
By John A. Petty

In a word, freedom. I cherish the freedom to interpret scripture under the Lordship of Christ. I treasure the freedom of personal and immediate access to God without a mediator. I believe in and love the freedom of the local church. That's why. And perhaps most of all, I cherish the scriptural basis of religious liberty -- a religious liberty for people of all faiths and of no faith. For me, freedom is at the heart of what it means to be a Baptist, but sadly enough freedom is an endangered species in Baptist life. To the average person on the street, the word "Baptist" is synonymous with "narrow minded, fundamentalist, uneducated, creedal, coercive, divisive, and oppressive." TBC is changing that perception.

TBC serves freedom-loving Baptists. TBC is a determined and steady chorus of whispers in the Baptist ear -- the voice of Jesus saying, "If the Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed." It is the voice of the Apostle Paul reminding the Galatians "It is for freedom that Christ set us free." It's the voice of George W. Truett preaching, "God wants free worshipers and no other kind." It is the voice of Herschel Hobbs urging Baptists to "exercise constant vigilance in warding off the threats to religious freedom, both within our denomination and outside it."

Will you add your voice to the chorus? Together we can preserve authentic Baptist identity for generations to come.

--John A. Petty

April 2004