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A Rancher's Rumblings | |
| February 5, 2008 |
| A MOUNTAINTOP EXPERIENCE |
I have just returned from the Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant in Atlanta. It was like nothing I have ever experienced before.
Thirty years ago, I joined the staff of the SBC Christian Life Commission, working with the great Foy Valentine. I was 25 years old. In that summer of 1978, I attended the SBC annual meeting in Atlanta, where Jimmy Allen was reelected president of the SBC for a second term.
Since that convention, I have attended well over 100 Baptist gatherings: SBC annual meetings; BGCT annual meetings; CBF general assemblies; Christian Life Commission seminars – both SBC and BGCT; Mainstream Baptist Network and TBC convocations; evangelism conferences; and numerous other gatherings of Baptists.
But last week’s Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant in Atlanta stands alone – it was not just another Baptist meeting. It was truly a mountaintop experience.
I have heard great preaching before – but not so many outstanding preachers and sermons, one following after the other.
I have heard great music in worship – but not music that constantly moved me to tears, session after session.
And I have never experienced worship in a gathering of such racial diversity – all of us worshipping together as Baptists whose only desire was to praise the Lord together and love each other. Unity in diversity – what a wonderful thing to celebrate!
Several people told me that they knew that I had been involved in the planning for this event. Some even asked me how I “put this program together.” I simply smiled and replied, “I didn’t. Jimmy Allen did, with a great deal of help from Jimmy Carter and Bill Underwood.”
It was truly a remarkable experience. Around 15,000 people are reported to have attended at least one plenary (general) session, although I have heard that there may have been even more than that. But I believe that this event will prove to be so historic that, in years to come, many others will want to claim that they were there, and that is fine with me. After all, I know that many were there in spirit but were either unable to come or chose – for various reasons – not to come.
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In the months leading up to the meeting, there were warnings from critics that this would be nothing more than a political pep rally. They were wrong. Throughout the 3 days, I never heard a single partisan political statement. Several politicians spoke to the gathering, but they checked their politics at the door. Every one of them was faithful to the spirit and theme of the meeting – unity in Christ as free and faithful Baptists – and focused their messages on subjects appropriate to the Luke 4 theme of the meeting.
I credit that to the influence of President Carter. At the press conference held on Wednesday afternoon, shortly before the first session began, a reporter from the Boston Globe asked President Carter to comment on Senator Ted Kennedy’s endorsement of Barack Obama. President Carter cut him off quickly, saying, “call me Saturday, and I will answer your questions, but this meeting is not partisan in any manner.” President Carter made it clear to everyone involved that the meeting was about Jesus and Baptist unity; everyone followed his lead.
If you were not able to attend, I urge you to go to www.newbaptistcelebration.org. Then click the Videos tab to access a list of videos of the messages given at this celebration. Please watch and listen as these speakers give their own perspective on how Baptists can unite to carry out Christ’s mission, as He announced it in Luke 4:18-19. Will you agree with everything that you hear? Not necessarily. But you don’t have to worry about hearing anything that smacks of partisan politics – there was none of that. However, there were many things said that will give you something to think about as you seek to carry out Christ’s mission in your own life and your own church.
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A personal word – my favorite message was given on Friday evening by Charles G. Adams, pastor of Hartford Baptist Church in Detroit. I urge you to listen to this remarkable sermon – you will be blessed. But I hope you will listen to all of the messages given at this meeting – all of them will inspire you and challenge you.
So what does the future hold? Where do we go from here? President Carter will convene the planners next month to evaluate the meeting and begin making plans for turning this moment into a movement that will further unite Baptists and make us more effective in carrying out Christ’s mission. I expect that we will eventually meet again in another Celebration, and I hope and pray that many more will join us in this movement.
I do know one thing – it is the future, not the past, on which we Baptists need to focus. Yes, we must remember the mistakes and tragedies of the past to avoid repeating them. The SBC takeover is history, but we must remember it by being vigilant to prevent such a Fundamentalist takeover of our beloved state convention. However, God is calling Texas Baptists to do much more than this – He is calling us to a future in which we seek ways to partner with Him in new and fresh ministries.
Yes, Atlanta was a mountaintop experience. As we come down from the mountaintop, I pray that God will lead us to find ways to partner with folks with whom we have never partnered before, in exciting new Kingdom ministries. Please pray about how you can be a part of this exciting Baptist future.