Kyle Matthews ... on the move

Kyle Matthews is one of the most popular singer-songwriters around, especially within those circles populated by moderate Baptists. Jan and I have known him and his wife Susan for nearly 20 years, going back to their pre-children days when Susan frequently performed along with Kyle.

The Matthews have lived in the Nashville area for the past 17 years, allowing Kyle to build a portfolio of music, a reputation for creativity, and a large pool of fans.

Word spread quickly when it became known this summer that Kyle and Susan (and their children) would be leaving Music City for Greenville, S.C., where both of them will serve as bi-vocational ministers on staff at the First Baptist Church.

Kyle's afraid that many folks won't catch the "bi-vocational" part of that equation, and thus think he's no longer available for the concerts, retreats, and conferences at which he excels. To help him clarify just what his fans and friends can expect, I offered to conduct a bloggerview and post it here:

TC -- Kyle, I understand you're to be the "Minister of Worship and Mission" at FBC Greenville. What kind of expectations go with that impressive title?

KM -- Well, I wasn’t worried about their expectations until you brought it up, but now I’m afraid that they’ll expect me to be able to move pulpit furniture around with my mind.

The best way to describe it would be to say that the church wants to implement a staff structure based not upon the conventional roles (which, by the way, few people fit into exactly) but upon the leadership gifts they perceive their congregation needing in the years ahead. GFBC has always had one of the finest music programs to be found anywhere, but always headed by one supremely gifted person. The idea now (pastor Jeff Roger’s brainchild) is to see if a team approach won’t bring some depth and breadth that one person cannot bring to the job. There will now be at least six of us contributing ideas and leadership to worship, all of us bi-vocational. This means that I do not have to try to be something I am not, and can contribute in the ways I know how while learning from the rest of the team.

The “mission” part of my job will be combination of helping keep the church’s mission front and center as well as help coordinate “missions” opportunities and community projects as I have done on a small scale in Nashville. I have spent 20 years traveling to be part of conferences, retreats and other special programs, and now I hope to be able to host those kinds of events at GFBC.

TC -- How much freedom will you have to continue doing concerts, leading retreats, recording, and so forth?

KM -- Thanks for asking! It’s part-time so that I can continue my work as concert artist, speaker, and sometime consultant. My chief concern in this transition is that people will hear I’ve left Nashville to go to a church and think I’m no longer available for bookings.

But GFBC understands that the publishing catalogue and support network I’ve spent 20 years building is not the kind of thing I can just walk away from, and they’ve indicated that they see a value in my staying connected with the larger Church and the ecumenical community. I may lack certain kinds of ministry experience the other pastors have, but what I do have to offer is the product of traveling to such a wide variety of churches and ministries over such a long period of time. I’m hoping that with the responsibility of contributing in specific ways in a local church, I will have the opportunity to be more productive, and better equipped when I do travel to other places.

TC -- How about Susan's new job as assistant minister of music? What will her work entail?

KM -- I’m really riding into this job on Susan’s coattails, because the number of people on the planet who feel especially and specifically called to lead middle and high school choirs is pretty small. So, they were highly motivated to find someone with her background and interests. She will direct those two choirs and supervise the children’s choir program which, at GFBC, is strong enough to run itself. Her job, as well, is part-time, because she needs most of her time to compensate for all of my shortcomings.

TC -- What things excite you most about this new opportunity?

KM -- Too many to enumerate, but three biggies jump to mind. I’m tired of working alone, and I’m really excited about working with this staff. Each one of them has expertise I do not have and wish I did. Secondly, I actually get emotional thinking about being able to give my children the kind of church I had growing up. I’m excited for them. Thirdly, I remember that every family in the church has at least one really exceptional cook. I think about that a lot.

TC -- Is there anything you'd like your friends and fans to know about what they can expect of you in the future?

KM -- My fan base is so small that those actually constitute the same group. But having worked in entertainment-saturated Nashville for 17 years I wouldn’t have that any other way. I kid you not.

The first thing they can expect is a new CD in September, the first in three years. So, I’ll be looking for any and every opportunity to promote it. Secondly, they can expect my print catalogue to grow in musical pieces designed for church choirs and ensembles and non-musical resources for worship and discipleship. It’s time to focus my efforts where God can do the most with them: the local church.

TC -- And that, friends, is the Matthews news.

Does worship need deconstructing?

Worship and the so-called "worship wars" were on the agenda during the Baptist International Conference on Theological Education, held in Prague July 27-29. The banner at right hangs in the chapel of the International Baptist Theological Seminary, where sessions were held.

Edna Grenz, minister of worship for First Baptist Church in Vancouver, Canada, focused on music in worship, asking why we sing, what we should sing, and for whom do we sing.

Most of Grenz's presentation was very basic. "Why do we sing?", she asked. We sing in part because "singing encourages worship and provides the emotional substance for it," she said, with the result that "singing binds together a corporate gathering." Singing is also a helpful memory aid, she said, noting that more people leave worship humming the hymns than reprising the sermon. Through the message imparted by hymns with a good theological base, "singing is a means of teaching God's word," and can even help us to prepare for and endure times of crisis.

What do we sing? We sing songs of varying styles, she said, and must avoid the temptation to let our personal taste always dictate what music we choose. Singing in a variety of musical styles reminds us "that God loves the whole world and is the master of creation and diversity," she said. We should also sing songs that are theologically sound, Grenz said, noting that some songs are "heretical" and others put too much focus on the individual and not enough upon God. "We need more songs that proclaim the Gospel message and fewer songs that focus on our own yearnings and needs," she said.

Grenz asked "How do we sing?" as a way of suggesting that worship leaders should choose singable tunes, appropriate keys, and accompaniment -- whether a piano, organ or band -- that supports the singing rather than overshadowing it. "Instruments should not overpower the congregation," she said, "not to perform as if the congregation doesn't matter. Accompaniment is meant to enhance the singing, not to distract from it." Effective music leaders are those who demonstrate their own love for worship and for the congregation.

In answering the question "For whom do we sing?", Grenz said congregational singing is directed primarily to God, but also plays a role in encouraging fellow believers. "We sing for God and we sing for each other," she said, and "we sing for our own benefit as well ... for by releasing the dimensions of our emotions in the worship of God we are allowing truths about God to be ingrained in our hearts and minds."

I resonated particularly with Grenz's caution against music in which instruments drown out the voices. When the congregation joins in a hymn or song of praise, I want to hear the people sing, and even to hear my own voice (poor as it is) joined in hopeful harmony with them. When the people's voices are lost behind a wall of noise, whether it be from a big organ or a loud band, an important element of worship is missing. Perhaps that is why one of my favorite songs is from the musical play Les Miserables: "Can you hear the people sing?" I hope so.

Chris Ellis, former principal of Bristol Baptist College and presently pastor of West Bridgford Baptist Church in Nottingham, England, spoke more directly to the topic of "Deconstructing the Worship Impasse and Emerging Church Traditions."

Ellis bemoaned the conflicts and tensions felt in many churches where disagreement over a favored worship style is problematic. "There is no easy, technical solution to broken relationships and naked power games," he said: "The fundamental sickness is not a cultic one but a spiritual one," as sinful humans try to impose their favored worship style. "Whatever the theological argument for a particular worship practice, whatever the missionary imperative or cultural clincher, we can never honor God while dishonoring the Body, we can never be right when we behave so badly," Ellis said. Thus, "repentance and renewal are an essential part of recovery from worship conflict."

People often mistake their own personal taste for spirituality, Ellis said. "But the closeness of a person to God, or the authenticity of a person's discipleship, cannot be linked to their taste in music." Worship conflicts may involve matters or substance, but more often are about style, which is influenced by culture. "There is no culture-neutral essence of worship," he said, "only our encounter with God through the lens of our own culture or those cultures we adopt or have imposed." The question, perhaps, should not be "Which cultural expression is best?", but what best serves to build up the local expression of the Body of Christ and encourage its members.

Ellis offered five "guidelines for worthy worship" --

1. Worship expresses the faith of the Christian community, proclaiming the gospel of grace and praising the Triune God made known to us in Christ, he said: "Worship can be dysfunctional when it fails to proclaim the grace of God or honor the breadth and depth of God's mercy and love."

2. In worship we meet God and seek God's kingdom. Worship that seeks to escape the world also runs away from God, but "the God who draws near to us is the biblical God who brings in his kingdom."

3. Worship is not instrumental, yet in the providence of God when we truly worship we are edified. We should be clear in recognizing that worship is for God, but also know that "as we truly worship we are so changed into the likeness of the one we worship, our deepest needs are addressed and our lives transformed."

4. Worship forms believers and shapes disciples. It is the place where "faith is formed, men and women come to faith, comitment is deepened and visions are shared," he said.

5. Christian worship is 'in the name of Jesus' and so needs to be Christ-centered. "Asserting my own worship preferences over those of another, or manipulating the community to my ways of thinking cannot result in true worship, for these practices and attitudes take us away from the one who did not snatch at equality with God but took 'the journey downwards,' even to the point of death," Ellis said.

In responding to the papers, Joel Sienna of Mexico affirmed the value of worship within an appropriate cultural context. Sienna suggested the addition of another guideline, that of justice. "We cannot separate worship from justice," he said. Hymns should proclaim the justice of an awesome God who does mighty things to deliver little people, he said.

I found both papers to be a helpful reminder of important things to consider in designing worship for the people of God. Though neither struck me as particularly innovative, I was most appreciative of Ellis' frank insistence that "worship wars" are often more reflective of personal preference and power struggles than about mission. When churches face a "worship war," their greatest needs may have nothing to do with music and liturgy, and everything to do with repentance and reconciliation.

What if we knew?

What if we knew that more people are held in slavery today than at any time in recorded history? Some say as many as 27 million.

What if we knew that many thousands of girls and women are bought or stolen or tricked or into leaving their homes, then forced to work in brothels, servicing clients to satisfy human salaciousness and their traffickers’ greed?

What if we knew that literally millions of children – some of them born to women who have been forced into prostitution – serve as virtual slaves, deprived of freedom, of an education, of an opportunity?

If we knew it was true, would we do something about it?

Three women who are deeply informed and involved in this great crime against humanity brought a poignant note of practicality to the task of theological education for participants in the Baptist International Conference on Theological Education.

Asha Sanchu, director of the Miqlat Ministry in Dimapur, Nagaland, related one heart-breaking story after another about the sex trade and child exploitation. Nagaland, a province in northeastern India that probably has more Baptists per square mile than any country on earth, has seen a large increase in sex trafficking, she said -- something that was once unheard-of.

Sanchu spoke with pain in saying that the ministry she leads is the only voice being raised among Baptists in her country, who consider the subject taboo and do not wish to speak of it. She described urgent needs for rehabilitation programs, sustainable jobs for women, and for acceptance in the Baptist family.

Even if forced into prostitution, she said, if an unwed woman becomes pregnant, she is excommunicated from her Baptist church and cut off from ministry or care.

Louise Kretzschmar, who teaches in South Africa and is involved in the support of women there, decried a system in which women have such low status and such little power that they are easily subject to exploitation, and because they are treated as children, are unable to protect their children from the same.

Kretzschmar told stories of children being raped, of HIV positive men demanding that their wives have sex without a condom, and other horror stories. Sadly, she said, echoing Sanchu’s comments, the church has been part of the problem.

She cited instances in which women have gone to the church for help and have been raped by the pastor, or simply given no help. “Women cry to be treated as Jesus treated women,” she said.

Kretzshmar suggested several strategies for change, beginning with an awareness that violence is a theological problem that calls for a response from the church. Women and women’s groups need to be empowered for action and greater respect, rather than being devalued. Church services and activities should be more gender-conscious, she said, consciously trying to bridge the gap between what women actually experience from the church and the way Jesus treated women.

Women should also be given places of leadership, Kretzschmar said, acknowledging that the issue is really about power. The question is not just one of whether women can be ordained, but whether the church will grant them other places of leadership in the church, or just perpetuate the culture by keeping women in subservient roles. Women need skills training and financial empowerment, she said, and the church needs to be proactive in making that happen.

Lauran Bethell, who works in the Netherlands as a missionary of the American Baptist Churches, USA, spoke of her experiences, spanning more than 20 years, of confronting the sex trade that dehumanizes and exploits women.

Even women who supposedly “choose” to enter the sex trade. “Beneath the thin veneer of ‘choice,’” she said, there are always precipitating factors that seem to leave them no other choice.

Bethell, who began her ministry among prostitutes in Chiang Mai, Thailand, said she spend several years being very angry, but had become more hopeful as the news about human trafficking and its massive scope becomes more widely known.

When she opened the New Life Center in Chiang Mai in 1987, she said, few people had ever heard of human trafficking, and evangelicals were doing nothing about it. Since then, she said, there has been an exponential increase in concern among evangelicals, and some embarrassed governments have begun cracking down on the trade of human trafficking.

Even so, there is a long way to go before the scourge of such exploitation begins to diminish significantly. Bethel expressed joy that a number of prominent musicians and celebrities have become concerned about the issue, and have joined efforts to produce a movie called “Call and Response,” which should be in theaters in September. A trailer for the movie can be seen here.

I close with an old, unattributed saying that Kretzshmar repeated:

“People don’t change when they see the light. They change when they feel the heat.”

May Baptists be among the leaders in putting fire to the feet of the people, governments, cultural systems and human greed that allows such atrocities to go unchecked in our world.

[For further information, a few helpful websites are the Protection Project out of Johns Hopkins University, the International Justice Mission, and a page of U.S. government statistics on human trafficking -- a site that appears to track statistics for every country but the U.S. itself.]

Dominion, or stewardship?

Participants in the seventh Baptist International Conference on Theological Education focused on practical – but often neglected – theological issues during a lengthy morning session July 28. About 135 educators and interested persons are meeting at the International Baptist Theological Seminary in Prague, the Czech Republic.

Two papers were designed to address ecological issues and a proper understanding of creation. Three others dealt with the rampant exploitation of women and children, serious issues on which churches have largely remained silent.

John Weaver, dean of the theology faculty at Cardiff University in Wales, is trained both as a geologist and a theologian. Addressing the global environmental crisis, he reviewed examples of present and looming ecological catastrophes and advanced a theological position that humans are called to be channels of God’s redemption for the earth as well as humanity.

Humans are made in the image of God, Weaver said, and given stewardship of the earth (Genesis 1-2), a role freighted with responsibility. Christians are also “en Christo,” he said, and thus involved in the mission of God that seeds to redeem the world as well as the humans living on it.

Following Christ implies that we are to “take up the cross-shaped life f sacrificial love – sharing God’s good gifts of creation with all; and follow Jesus – in his compassion for others and for the world.” Such a commitment involves living more simply, using less of the world’s resources, and treating it with care, he said, living sacrificially for others and surrendering our greed, appreciating the world as an expression of God’s love, taking special care of the poor and outcast, and loving our neighbor as ourselves.

The implication for theological educators is that we should see creation care as a matter of justice. Promoting peace involves the welfare of the world. Repentance should include our failure to care for the world as well as the people in it, who depend on the world’s resources for life. Thus, aspects of environmental theology “should be a part of teaching in ethics, missiology, Christian doctrine, practical theology, and liturgy,” concerns that should also be expressed in the worship of the churches.

David Gushee, who writes widely and currently teaches at Mercer University, discussed a paper with the provocative title “Can a Sanctity of Human Life Ethic Ground Christian Ecological Responsibility?” Gushee emphasized that the “sanctity of human life” is a much broader topic than the abortion issue, with which it is most commonly heard.

Appreciating the sanctity of human life is something of a two-edged sword, Gushee said, because “the more we elevate the sacredness of humans, the more we downplay the rest of creation.” He called for “a radically reframed approach to God, humanity, and the rest of creation.”

The idea that humans are given “dominion” over the earth should be reframed to think in terms of “stewardship,” he said, with the recognition that God granted humans a great deal of power along with the mandate. Though some downplay human impact on the earth, humans have the power to care for the earth, or to render the planet uninhabitable, he said.

Gushee cited a long string of biblical texts that speak of God’s creation of and relationship with all of creation. God’s covenant with Noah, for example, was a covenant with all creatures, not just humans (Gen. 9:8ff). Likewise, laws about the Sabbath and the Jubilee, psalms that emphasize creation, and the wisdom literature (which is grounded in a theology of creation) can all be mined for instruction regarding human responsibility in a world where God, the creator, cares even for sparrows (Mat. 6:25-27).

Gushee suggested a number of moral implications for an ethic that extends the sanctity of life to embrace creation. These include paying attention to spillover effects of human actions on creation and looking for win-win solutions related to ecological and economic challenges. “Eco-sanctity reframes all human enterprises because all depend on the ecological systems that sustain life,” he said.

Following a round of lively discussion, Gushee concluded that Baptists need to get over their self-imposed insularity and be more open to conversation and cooperation with other religious traditions, many of which have been addressing the issue for years. “It has never been more clear that this earth is one community,” he said.

Amen, and amen.

More to come on why Baptists need to pay more regard to the exploitation of women and children. Stay tuned …

What makes a good theological education?

Participants in a Baptist International Conference on Theological Education – most of them theological educators – engaged in some self-reflection during their Sunday afternoon session at the International Baptist Theological Seminary in Prague.

Brian Harris, principal of the Vose Seminary in Perth, Australia, offered a paper on “Revisiting the Core Components in a Theological Curriculum.” Harris noted the near-impossibility of the task: “our training is expected to produce Hebrew, Greek and Patristic scholars who are capable of ensuring that all in leadership positions have police and working-with-chilren checks while they plant rapidly growing churches filled with new converts, eager to be discipled while they worship in contemporary and contextually relevant ways.”

Harris opted out of suggesting specific courses of study, choosing instead to talk about four “key stages” in the lives of people who seek theological training. Students begin with a call to ministry (the first stage), often spending some time in transition (stage two) between sensing a call and seeking theological education. That can be a very constructive period, he said, a good time for in-house training in the local church.

Formal training is the third stage, according to Harris, in which educators work at “quickly getting students to the stage where they can converse and reflect intelligently on the Bible, the history of the church, theology, ethics, ministry and mission.” Those who do it best, he said, “do this in such a way that these distinct disciplines increasingly overlap, with theological integration part of the order of the day.”

“Hopefully,” Harris added, “this will be done with a Christological lens and a missiological heartbeat.”

The fourth stage, Harris said, is fostering lifelong learning, an area “often neglected and where a paradigm shift is called for.” Too often schools “graduate and abandon,” he said, instead of encouraging graduates through methods such as “hosting relevant professional development opportunities, providing mentoring services, organizing vibrant web-based chat rooms, networking constantly and committing to keeping in touch.” Schools should engage “insightful practitioners” in the field to assist in this process, he said.

Harris suggested six markers for determining if a school’s curriculum for ministerial training is effective:

Marker One: Knowing our God Seminaries should be aware that theological study involves a certain amount of deconstruction that can be threatening and frightening to students. “At times the seminary can become the cemetery for simple trusting faith,” he said. That does not mean seminaries should avoid asking the hard questions, he said: “it is doubt denied rather than doubt itself that is the opposite of trust.” Theological educators should work to “reassure that a firm foundation of faith remains after simplistic and trite answers have been exposed as vacuous.”

Marker Two: Knowing our Book Here Harris highlighted the importance of emphasizing the redemptive intent of the scriptures. Following Stanley Grenz, he suggested a shift from promoting the scriptures as the single foundation for theology and moving to a trio of sources: scripture, tradition, and culture, with scripture as the “norming norm” in conversation with its two partners.

Marker Three: Knowing our Story A study of church history is sometimes not as heroic as we wish it had been, Harris said, but students should be “able to trawl the multiple eras of church history, noting both seasons of triumph and those of shame.” Thus, we can draw from the past as we write our own narrative for a journey toward what Christ is calling us to be.

Marker Four: Knowing our Context Seminaries commonly fail to provide “an adequate exploration of the interface between the gospel and its context,” Harris said, citing the challenge of postmodernism as a case in point. “Graduates should be able to read their local context through the lens of the Gospel,” he said, fostering sensitivity “to our status as residents of a global village.”

Marker Five: Knowing our Message “Theology is most safely constructed while listening to the conversation between our book, our story and our context,” he said. “Perhaps a key marker of graduates from our training institutions is that they will have a growing awareness of the wonder, richness and depth of the Christian gospel.”

Marker Six: Living and Communicating our Story The seminary is not an end in itself, Harris said. “Knowledge needs to blossom into wisdom, while theory needs to overflow into Christ honoring practices and skills.” Wherever we or our students serve, he said, “What really matters is that we live and communicate the good news of Jesus in a manner consistent with our ultimate destination.”

In conclusion, Harris said, a theological curriculum should be shaped with the end in view. “By working backwards from what we hope to attain, the appropriate steps for the journey become clearer.”

Trevor Edwards of Jamaica and Thomas Mackey of Argentina responded to the paper.

On Harris’ marker of “knowing God,” Edwards said the theological deconstruction of which Harris spoke should be widened “to understand that God cannot be limited to one religious tradition.” Recognizing that the statement could sound controversial, he added “I mean by that a willingness to dialogue with people of other religious traditions” and to do so in a respectful and cooperative way.

On “knowing the book,” Edwards said students should be skilled in a variety of interpretive methods, to understand that no one method is absolute, and to be aware that subjectivity and bias are always in the picture.

On “knowing the message,” Edwards stressed the importance of emphasizing the unity of the church, and building positive relationships with other Christians. “We need to teach good ecumenical manners,” he said, because “that will give credibility to the message and those who bear it.”

Mackey, of Argentina, said he resonated with Harris’ concept of stages in ministry preparation. Latin countries have tended to ignore the fourth stage, on lifelong learning and encouragement of graduates, he said.

Mackey suggested adding a “Stage Zero” that would recognize the importance of personal maturity and good relational skills if ministers are to become effective ministers who can foster churches with open minds who can appreciate both past traditions and things they need to hear about the present and future.

The addition of other verbs to Harris’ model would be helpful, Mackey said, such as adding “practicing” to “knowing.” Students should be encouraged to think for themselves, he said. “We don’t want to ‘clonate’ people,” he said, but lead students to a clear understanding of their gifts, their limits, and the many polar tensions in which they live.

I found Harris’ discussion to be helpful, though I thought his final two markers (“Knowing the Message” and “Knowing the Story”) needed fleshing out. It wasn’t clear to me in what way those were distinct from some of the earlier ideas.

Following the paper and responses, participants broke into regional groups to discuss the topic, and then report back to the larger group (the photo is from the North American group, courtesy of Curtis Freeman using my camera).

Dinorah Mendez said Latin Americans see students and teachers as partners in the educational process, with much emphasis on community and relationships with local churches.

Donald Morgan of Australia, speaking for the Asian group, said many Asian students lack basic traditioning in the Christian faith. “We need to reinvest Christian symbols with biblical meaning,” he said, rather than cultural meanings. Morgan also called for a distinction between theological education and pastoral training, and bemoaned that some pastors were getting minimal education or purchasing credentials from the Internet.

Parush Parushev spoke for the European group, calling for an integrated rather than disciplinary approach to theological education. He also called for more emphasis on how pastors can pass on important traditions through the church.

Louise Kretzschmar said African educators faced many difficulties, but had learned to recognize cultural practices such as music and dancing as strengths. “It is not enough just to train ministers,” she said, but also necessary to train other leaders through short-term programs, extension centers, or the like. She also said Africans must learn to value who they are rather than always looking outside the continent for expertise. Kretzschmar also emphasized the importance of teaching character.

Tommy Brisco said North American educators felt a need to focus more on community, and to ask questions about whether they were preparing ministers for the kind of churches in which they would most likely serve. He noted two recent conclusions from a “Pulpit and Pew” survey that Curtis Freeman had raised during the discussion: the top two frustrations pastors had expressed were (1) difficulty in connecting people with the gospel in a meaningful way, and (2) a sense of loneliness in ministry.

Eron Henry, speaking for the Caribbean, said his group recognized the importance of preparing leaders for international ministries and helping them to understand the importance of their unique cultural contexts.

To readers who made it to the end: congratulations!

What makes a Baptist?

The Prague-blogs continue, now from the seventh Baptist International Conference on Theological Education (BICTE), which got underway Saturday afternoon on the campus of the International Baptist Theological Seminay (IBTS). The stately campus is located in a peaceful setting on a ridge of the Sarka Valley, on the outskirts of Prague.

The opening session sought to look both backward and forward, with Ian Randall of IBTS offering a paper on “Tracing Baptist Theological Footprints over the Past Four Hundred Years.” He was followed by Daniel Carro, an Argentian theologian who currently teaches at the John Leland Center for theological studies, who spoke on “Anticipating Kairos Moments that Await the Baptist Theologian of the 21st Century.”

Carro’s delightfully presented and free-wheeling paper gave rise to much discussion but no real conclusions, as it became clear that there are many different approaches to what constitutes a “kairos” moment, a proper or crucial time in the biblical sense of the word. His paper is worthy of considerable attention, but here I’ll focus on the first paper, and that will probably be more than most readers want.

Randall, focusing mainly on Baptists in Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries, sought to identify “five crucial convictions” that marked early Baptist communities. The five he identified were:

1. Reading the Bible – What was distinctive was not a doctrine of biblical authority, but a particular way of reading the Bible, he said: members of the community would gather to read and discuss the Bible, each with an opportunity to contribute and to learn from others, rather than simply gathering to hear an approved sermon from the priest.

2. Living the life – Discipleship was a central theme among the Anabaptists, with the aim of “holy living in word and deed,” Randall said. As the Baptist movement began, Thomas Helwys stressed the importance of study the scriptures “for they testify of Christ.” This was also reflected in early Baptist confessions and a belief that “The true Christian is someone who loves Christ and walks in the ways of Christ,” Randall said.

3. Nurturing the community – Early Baptists held the concept of covenant as a central conviction, a mutual covenant between God and the members of the faith community, realizing also that the various churches lived under a common faith with Christ as the head. Randal suggested that the early Baptists saw the Lord’s Supper as more sacramental than symbolic, as commonly perceived by most contemporary Baptists.
4. Redeeming the powers – Though the Anabaptists and some early Baptists sought to distance themselves from association with human government, Baptists as early as Helwys saw the importance of Christians having a role in the nation. Helwys suggested a separation of church and state by citing clear differences between the “worldly power” of the king and the heavenly kingdom of God, but that did not prevent Baptists from wanting to be involved in public work such as helping the poor, but voluntarily, not under compulsion.

5. Telling the story – Early Baptists were quite evangelistic in their theology, following a strong missionary tradition among the Anabaptists. This was most explicitly enunciated, Randall suggested, by Johann Oncken, who declared “every member is a missionary.”

Randall concluded by recognizing that others have emphasized more soteriological or individualistic Baptist distinctives, such as a personal choice to accept Christ, soul liberty, individual interpretation of scripture, the priesthood of believers, and the autonomy of the local church. “It will be evident that this is not the vision that I have been seeking to put forward,” Randall said. “Indeed some of the supposed distinctives of Baptists seem to be to be a odds with the formative Baptist vision.”

Curtis Freeman, who directs the Baptist House of Studies at Duke University, and Neville Callam, General Secretary of the Baptist World Alliance, offered formal responses to Randall’s paper.

Freeman offered high praise for the paper, saying he resonated with its conclusions, especially Randall’s frequent references to the importance of creeds among early Bapists. “I respond with a hearty ‘amen’ to the recitation of the Orthodox Creed,” he said, “though some contemporary Baptists have an allergy to creeds as unbaptistic.”

Baptist life cannot adequately be described by what we are not, Freeman said, lauding Randall’s effort to describe Baptists based on living practices more than particular doctrines. “The value of these firm yet supple practices is that they are not limited to one culture or region.”

Callam said the paper had many “salutary features,” including the location of Baptist ecclesiology within orthodox church history by reference to historic Baptist creeds. The paper was “a masterful effort to retrieve the notion of Baptists as a people of community,” not as loners, but as “creatures of community shaped by the faith of the community.” The paper was “not harping on soul freedom against community responsibility,” he said.

Callam said he wished the paper had delved more into the role of the Holy Spirit as a guide when the community gathered to read and interpret scripture, and on what hermeneutical methods were employed by the early Baptists.

As for Randall’s claim that “redeeming the powers” was an early Baptist theme, Callam suggested that more attention should be given to those who thought the powers were unredeemable.

A variety of people raised questions and offered responses, and time ran out before I could contribute to the conversation. There seems to be a strong trend, at least among many academically oriented Baptists, away from the emphasis on individualism that has been predominant in Baptist circles for many years (at least among Baptists in the southern part of the U.S.), while pushing for a more communal and creedal understanding of the Baptist identity.

I was a bit surprised that no one who made it to the microphone spoke up for the individualistic aspects of the Baptist heritage. As one who was raised in the middle of that stream and who still finds it most attractive, I wanted to suggest that none of the community-oriented aspects of Baptist life could have come about apart from individualistic beliefs about soul freedom, the priesthood of the believer, and the ability of individuals to read and interpret scripture for themselves.

Baptists began as dissenters: how can one dissent without the recognition of his or her right to think outside of the previously-existing communal box?

How could early Baptist communities have gathered, as Randall noted, to read and discuss the scripture with a view toward its life application, if they did not presuppose that each individual believer had the freedom to interpret scripture and contribute to the conversation?

We must certainly not overlook the importance of learning from the larger community, but the wisdom of the community arises from the individuals within it as well as those who have come before. It is not static, but dynamic. Our understanding of the faith cannot be limited to creeds or confessions of Baptist forerunners, but must remain open to the fresh wind of the Spirit who remains free to speak to the hearts and minds of individuals – and communities – of today.

Thus, while the value of community is clear, I believe communal and individualistic aspects are not mutually exclusive, but complementary. The most vital communities of faith, I believe, are those who recognize that their members are not just creed-reciting drones, but individuals who stand free and competent before God, individuals who learn from the community and are shaped by it, but whose participation in Christ and the community comes by virtue of their own choice, not by ecclesial unction or authority.

Newsblog: BWA looks inward, outward

PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC -- The General Council of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) acted July 24-25 to restructure its Executive Committee, approved a 2009 budget of nearly $3 million, and adopted a variety of resolutions.

About 440 Baptists from 63 countries and 48 member bodies gathered in Prague to worship together and participate in a variety of study commissions, committees and workgroups preliminary to the General Council meeting.

The long-anticipated restructuring plan was part of a larger report from an Implementation Task Force appointed in 2005 to flesh out recommendations from a “21st century” vision adopted that year during the Baptist World Congress in Birmingham, England. Co-chairs Keith Jones and Wanda Lee presented the plan, which reduces the number of Executive Committee members from 69 to 25 and assigns the committee more decision-making responsibilities, while also creating a 17-member nominating committee to ensure that the Executive Committee and other key groups have a balance of representation on the basis of region, gender, and age.

The plan was discussed in open forums twice during the week, generated considerable debate, and was amended in several ways before its final presentation. Other amendments were offered from the floor, but none successfully.

The task force had intended to make an additional proposal that formal covenants be drawn up between the BWA and each of its six global regions. The covenants, individually developed, would have outlined mutual responsibilities between each region and the BWA. Discussion in the forums and hallways reflected a significant lack of consensus, however, so the task force chose not to go forward with the proposal.

The annual Denton and Janice Lotz Human Rights Award was presented to Dennis Datta of Bangladesh. Datta is a long-time leader among Baptists in Bangladesh who was exiled in 1969 for his outspoken advocacy of human rights and religious freedom. Since returning, he has served as a spokesman for the churches in conversations with the government. Datta, who has also been active in supporting economic, environmental, agricultural, and women’s rights causes, called for all BWA members to “raise your voices for freedom and justice” along with being more committed to helping the poor.

In a forum July 24, interested persons discussed the best way of responding to a lengthy letter received in October 2007 from a group of moderate Muslim scholars who seek understanding and reconciliation between Muslims, Christians, and Jews. Participants appointed a small group to draft a response that will be circulated to among the BWA regions for approval. Paul Fiddes, a theology professor at Oxford and one of those who will be working on the project, said he hopes an official response can be ready within three months.

The General Council approved nine resolutions, presented by chair Elaine Smith of the U.S. (right) and vice-chair Regina Claas of Germany. They expressed appreciation to Czech Baptists and the European Baptist Federation for acting as hosts, promised prayer for the more than 7,000 youth expected to attend a Baptist World Youth Conference next week in Leipzig, Germany, and noted the upcoming 400th anniversary of the formation of the first Baptist church. BWA’s 2009 Annual Gathering will be held in Ede, the Netherlands, July 26-30.

Two general resolutions promoted evangelism and reconciliation, while more specific ones lamented the current situation in Zimbabwe while promising support for suffering Zimbabwean Christians, and decried the compulsory fingerprinting of Roma people by the Italian government.

A resolution on the issue of refugees and immigration called for nations to deal compassionately and equitably with immigrants and refugees, for churches to act as advocates for them, and for Christians to show generous hospitality to refugees and immigrants.

A final resolution dealt with climate change, calling on leaders within the BWA to support specific “initiatives to address the human-induced causes of climate change.” Initiatives named in the resolution included greater use of renewable energy, caps on greenhouse gas emissions, carbon trading, “green” practices in building and transportation, and the conservation, reuse, or recycling of goods.

Both BWA president David Coffey, of England, and General Secretary Neville Callam, of Jamaica, based their reports on progress being made in five “clusters of commitment” that were adopted in 2007. The five organizing areas are worship and fellowship, mission and evangelism, religious liberty and human rights, relief and community development, and relevant theological reflection.

Coffey celebrated the BWA’s wide diversity and called for members to focus on unity, rather than allowing differences to become a driving force. He also reported on an agreement with the government of Jordan for a Baptist center near the Jordan River site of Jesus’ baptism at “Bethany Beyond the Jordan.” Jordan’s Baptism Site Commission will build and operate the center, which will bear a large plaque offering a special welcome to pilgrims from churches affiliated with the BWA.

During the general BWA report, General Secretary Neville Callam also pleaded for unity among Baptists and a renewed commitment to evangelism as he recited a long list of projects and ministries undertaken by the BWA in 2007. Callam called for special prayer for Baptists and others who are suffering oppression in places like Azerbaijan, Sudan, and Myanmar. He also reported good progress in the establishment of a designated BWA office to deal with freedom and justice issues. The personnel committee is now interviewing a short list of candidates for that position.

“Financially, 2007 was a challenging year for the BWA,” Callam said, but the organization still managed to finish the year in the black, due in part to a $150,000 increase in giving from member bodies.

Of castles and cathedrals

The people of Prague are particularly proud of the Prague Castle, parts of which date back 11 centuries, but none of which looks like a castle – at least to Western eyes. The castle complex consists mostly of inter- connected buildings that have housed Bohemian kings, Holy Roman emporers, and Czech presidents through the years. Many of the buildings are still used as government offices, surrounded by spacious courtyards, well-kept flower gardens, and the massive St. Vitus Cathedral.

After three days of sitting on hard chairs and eating high-carb Czech cooking, I was desperate for a good walk. So I opted out of an optional forum and struck out Thursday afternoon for a hike to the castle, which appeared to be about two miles from our hotel – and uphill all the way. Thirty minutes of steady climbing brought me to the entrance just in time to see the changing of the guard, an elaborate trade-off reminiscent of what I’ve seen at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. The main difference is that the Czech soldiers weren’t nearly so polished as the honor guard at Arlington. Two of them couldn’t keep a straight face during the ceremony, and when the departing guards marched out, they goose-stepped.

The castle complex may have had some very impressive sights that could only be seen by joining a tour, but I didn’t want to pay 950 crowns (about $75) for the privilege, so I wandered quickly through the public areas. Fortunately, those included the cathedral, named for St. Vitus of Sicily, who died as a martyr in 303. Relics of St. Vitus were brought to Germany in 756, so the records say, and in 925 Emporer Henry I of Germany presented to Wenceslaus I, the Duke of Bohemia, what were reported to be the bones of one hand from St. Vitus -- bones that are now housed in the cathedral.

Built mostly during the fourteenth century, the Gothic cathedral’s grand vault is home to tombs of long-dead Bohemian kings, oversized works of art, artistic altars, intricate stained glass windows, and even a few hard pews beneath an ornate, elevated pulpit.

Surprisingly, there were no banks of candles for visitors to light, as commonly found in cathedrals. Perhaps church officials decided that the dark, stained walls didn’t need any additional patina from candle smoke. So, I couldn't light a candle, as I usually do, in remembrance of our daughter Bethany -- but I still remembered her.

I’m about as far from being Catholic as one could get, so I’m certain there’s much about this and other cathedrals that I do not adequately appreciate. Trying to imagine the effort and expense that went into erecting such a giant edifice long before the invention of power tools or modern cranes simply boggles the mind. Part of me wonders how many poor people could have been helped with the funds that went into constructing a cathedral like St. Vitus’. But, another part of me suspects that many of those same poor people may have found both pride and hope in such a solid reminder of the glory of God.

Cathedrals are designed, I think, for the purpose of making one feel very small before the presence of God, whose greatness and mystery are reflected in the lofty arches and shadowy corners of the vault, and whose love is sensed in the warm glow of sunlight illuminating timeless stories in stained glass.

I wouldn’t build a cathedral, even if I had the means, but visiting such a magnificent monument to God helps me to appreciate why many others consider it to be truly sacred space.

Speaking in tongues

The Baptist World Alliance is not a Pentecostal group, but its meetings often include a lot of speaking in tongues. During morning worship this morning, for example, the Old Testament scripture was read in Dutch and the New Testament in Portuguese. We sang in Latin, German, Spanish, and English.
The multiplicity of languages and accents is a constant reminder that we live in a big world and come from widely varying backgrounds. If we don't understand another person's language or culture, we can't fully understand the person, but every effort to do so is worth the time and energy expended.

Experiences like this also remind me to be grateful that the closest thing we have to a universally understood language is English, so with the exception of a few waiters, I've rarely been unable to communicate with people.

Of course, not everyone handles English with equal facility, leading to unexpected moments of humor. In worship July 24, participants held an annual memorial service for former BWA supporters or participants who have died during the previous year. Different persons read out the names of the individuals, along with a brief note about their home and their relationship with BWA.

During an otherwise somber service, I couldn't help but smile when a citation was read for Norman Wiggins, the longtime president of Campbell University who also participated in BWA. The presenter had some difficulty pronouncing Wiggins' hometown of Buies Creek. Or, perhaps he'd heard of North Carolina's moonshining reputation.

In any case, the reader told us that Wiggins came from "Boozy Creek."

Ain't language fun?

A refugee in one’s own land

How can one be a refugee in his own land? It happens in the Promised Land every day, as the Israeli government, in the name of security, continues to build new settlements that encroach on Palestinian territory, and to construct a monstrous wall that divides Palestinians not only from Israelis, but often from their own land and families.

The Freedom and Justice Study Commission of the Baptist World Alliance met to discuss the issue July 23, with several members relating personal stories and experiences from their visits to Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip. Speakers acknowledged the dangers of terrorism and the Israeli concern for security, but expressed deep concern at the way innocent Palestinians are made to suffer in the process.

Rosemary Kidd (right), who works with Baptists in the United Kingdom, recently spent two weeks at the Tantur Center in Bethlehem. She spoke of how Palestinians – Christians as well as Muslims – are persistently harassed and delayed at hundreds of checkpoints, making it very difficult for them to travel to work or school. Evangelical free Christians, Baptists among them, are a tiny minority in Israel, and often overlooked, with no one to stand up for them.

Kidd spoke of a 17-year-old Muslim boy she met whose father had been gunned down without a trial by Israeli soldiers. He showed her pictures, taken on his cell phone, of a bloody pool and his father’s body slumped in a taxi. Kidd showed a picture of his beautiful six-year-old sister who cries herself to sleep every night.

Though built in the name of security, the huge wall that snakes through the land often senselessly separates Palestinian communities from each other, from their hospitals, from their olive groves, and their fields, she said. There is a great feeling of oppression there, she said: “The raw injustice of the wall leaves me deeply angry.”

Tony Peck, general secretary of the European Baptist Federation, noted that Baptists in the Middle East are too small to make up their own region, and are considered a part of the European Baptist Federation. There are 27 small Baptist churches in Israel proper, he said, and 16 Baptist or Baptist-like churches in the West Bank and Gaza. The 16 Palestinian churches have officially formed a union, but cannot meet together because of travel restrictions.

Bethlehem Bible College, a non-denominational school that has several Baptists on its staff, is struggling to provide educational opportunities for Christians, he said. That can be especially difficult when students have their travel permits arbitrarily revoked. Cupit cited one Palestinian Christian who needs just one more credit to graduate, but is no longer permitted to travel to the school.

Toma Magda, of Croatia, said the experience of living through the Serbian-Croatian conflict came back to him when visiting Israel, where there were lots of people with guns and a widespread sense of uncertainty. “I met Jesus there,” he said, but not at the holy sites visited by tourists. “I met Jesus at every checkpoint,” he said, “suffering with the Palestinians.” If the Wise Men came to visit the baby Jesus today, he said, they would not be allowed through the checkpoints.

Regina Claas, who leads German Baptists, said she found it odd that the same people who had been forced into ghettos in Eastern Europe now build walls to fence others in. As a German, Class said, having lived many years with the Berlin Wall before seeing it come down, she found it interesting to see that the Israeli’s security wall is twice as tall as the Berlin Wall.

Other participants added a variety of comments related to their own experiences and the pain they feel for the Palestinian people, and for the Christians in particular. As Christians go on pilgrimages to the Holy Land, they said, they should strive to meet with Palestinian Christians as well as seeing the sacred sites, that they might get a truer picture of what life is like in today’s Israel, where there is more than enough suffering to go around.

In the home of Hus

The historic city of Prague, where the Baptist World Alliance Annual Gathering is being held, was the home of Jan (Johannes) Hus, who was a Reformer when reforming wasn't cool. Hus (whose name means "Goose," and rhymes with it) was born about 1370 in Husinec, in the southern part of Bohemia. He traveled to Prague in order to study, earned degrees, and became dean of the faculty at the university -- a testimony to his scholarship.

Hus considered his true calling to be that of a minister, however. He was ordained as a priest in 1400, and appointed as rector of Prague's Bethlehem Chapel in 1402. Bethlehem Chapel (below right), less grand than the city's cathedral, had been financed by laymen and dedicated in 1394 as a place where the gospel could be preached in the Czech language. The chapel held 3,000 and was often full, for Hus was a popular preacher, sometimes preaching 200 sermons in a year.

Hus' message was popular in part because he believed in speaking to the people in their own language. Hus followed the pioneering work of the English theologian John Wycliffe, who advocated for translation of the Latin Bible into the vernacular of the people. But, daring to confront traditions of the Church did not go over well with the Catholic authorities, who were in the midst of a "Great Schism" that led to multiple popes, and the last thing they wanted was a priest who agitated for putting the Bible in the language of the people and allowing them to interpret it with the guidance of the Holy Spirit rather than trusting to church tradition alone.

Church leaders summoned Hus to Rome, but he woudn't go. They stripped him of his church and excommunicated him, but he wouldn't stop preaching. Finally, with a guarantee of safe passage from the emporer, Hus met with church officials during the Synod of Constance (or Konstanz). There Hus was betrayed, put on trial by the church, convicted of heresy, and condemned to death.

When he refused to recant, Hus was burned at the stake on July 6, 1415, now a national holiday in the Czech Republic. The city's "Old Town" square is home to a huge memorial to Hus and his followers, installed in 1915 to celebrate the 500th anniversary of his martyrdom.

BWA participants were reminded of Hus' heritage following morning worship on Wednesday, and formal papers on Hus' life and work were presented in the Academic and Theological Education workgroup during the week.

Hus' martyrdom, some say, gave rise to the saying "his goose was cooked." If the church found my deeply felt beliefs to be heresy and wanted to cook my goose on a public spit, would I have the courage of Hus to stand firm for that faith? Would you? It's a question worth pondering from time to time.

This could be one of those times.

Knedlik, long lines, and rainbows

Tuesday July 21 brought the first full day of work for committees, commissions, and workgroups of the Baptist World Alliance, meeting in Prague for its 2008 Annual Gathering.


More than 400 global Baptists are here, and most of them made it to the 8:00 a.m. morning worship service, where Jan Titera, leader of Czech Baptists, (left) offered a welcome, Rodney Macann of New Zealand led a touching devotion, and the congregation sang in Spanish (Santo Santo Santo), German (Heilig, Heilig, Heilig), English (Holy, Holy, Holy), French (Dieu saint, Dieu saint, Dieu saint), and the Nigerian language of Yuroba (Ogo ni fun Baba – [Glory to the Father]).

Committee meetings for me included the Resolutions Committee (twice) and the Advancement/Communications Committee. There we heard a challenging financial report and learned that staff liaison Alan Stanford is resigning to pursue other ministry opportunities. BWA General Secretary Neville Callam (right) assured the committee that he will find interim assistance as the Personnel Committee searches for a new candidate for the position, and fielded questions relative to his vision for the committee.

Lunchtime brought my first chance to experience traditional Czech food. At a small diner called “Restaurace U Topulu” I ordered a plate called Jihoceska basta (the name is missing several accents). It included one slice each of roast pork and smoked pork, a small piece of smoked sausage, sauerkraut, and two types of dumplings (knedlik). To imagine the potato dumplings, think stiff mashed potatoes mixed with enough flour to make them solid, then rolled and cut into round slices.

I sat in on the Freedom and Justice Commission session in the afternoon. There, Tedour Opranov (left), pastor of Sofia Baptist Church in Bulgaria, told heartbreaking stories about his church’s ministry to the Gypsy or Roma people who live as outcasts in Bulgaria. Children rarely receive any education, and girls are often victims of human trafficking for the sex industry. Church members and their supporters are working to provide children with educational opportunities and the hope of a better life.

Anna Maffei, president and general secretary of Italian Baptists, talked about the plight of Roma peoples in Italy, where new right-wing government leaders have been roundly condemned for human rights violations, charging the Roma people with being a prime source of Italy’s problems and requiring that they all be fingerprinted, including children.

Dennis Datta (right) of Bangladesh, who will receive this year’s Lotz Human Rights Award, read a paper on the problem of human trafficking in Bangladesh, where he said 10,000 or more boys and girls are sold, swindled, or kidnapped by human traffickers who transport them through India to the Middle East and then to other destinations, where they live as virtual slaves doing forced labor or working in the sex industry.

Datta talked about ways that people of faith can help to fight the massive problem of human trafficking, – a message that certainly needs to be heard.

The International Baptist Theological Seminary (IBTS) hosted a “garden party” reception for participants during the evening, offering tours of the impressive facility that is owned by European and Middle Eastern Baptists. The library, said rector Keith Jones, has the largest English language theological collection in mainland Europe (he acknowledged that the Vatican makes the same claim).

Tours moved much more quickly than the one-lane serve-yourself buffet line, where I spent 45 long minutes of wondering if it was going to rain before I got anything to eat somewhere around 9:00 p.m. The wait was rewarded with fine fare (though the lamb chops and Thai chicken were gone by the time I got there).

The best part of the wait, however, came in the form of a beautiful rainbow stretching over the building that houses the European Baptist Federation offices.

I was grateful that someone held my place in line so I could step out and take a picture of it: some blessings, some moments are just too good to keep to yourself.

Freedom and justice are too good to keep to ourselves, too. It's my hope that we will do more than pray about the thousands of captive children and women who suffer in the name of human greed, and work that they might live to see a rainbow of promise.