Tensions Between Among Baptist Bodies
A European Baptist leader charged American Baptists of manipulating Baptists worldwide into their way of thinking, at a venue hosted by ex-SBC clergy and laity
Nearly a year has passed since the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) broke its financial and membership ties to the Baptist World Alliance (BWA), but tensions in the Baptist world have continued to mount. Last week, a high level member of the Alliance warned U.S. Baptists not to impose their beliefs upon international Baptists, and furthermore returned the charges made by SBC officials that the BWA members have become liberalized.
"We should be very careful how we are pulling the ropes in our mission work, in our evangelism and missions work everywhere," said Theo Angelov, former general secretary of the European Baptist Federation (EBF), at a Baptist gathering in Atlanta, on Feb. 25. "Do we pull the ropes in another direction toward ourselves, our thinking, our vision, our strategy?”
"Do not pull the ropes toward yourself. There is only one direction we should pull the ropes … and that's to pull the sinners before Christ,” said Angelov.
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According to the Associated Baptist Press, Angelov referred in part to the dispute between the SBC and BWA while cautioning U.S. Baptists not to “export their disputes or manipulate Baptists worldwide into their way of thinking.”
The two bodies broke ties last June during the SBC’s annual meeting. With a mere show of hands, the 99-year-old relationship between the two prominent Baptist groups ended – and none too gracefully. Leaders in the SBC charged the BWA of drifting leftward theologically and implied funds to the Alliance were misused. Meanwhile, BWA leaders, who denied the charges, argued that the SBC left because it could not take control over the Alliance. Alliance members pointed out that the SBC began talks to break ties and funding to the BWA once the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship – an independent fellowship of mostly Southern Baptist churches that broke off from the SBC in the early 1990s – was accepted for membership status in the Alliance.
Tensions between the Baptist bodies mounted earlier in the year when a high-level SBC official mentioned plans to form an alternative to the BWA for those international Baptist churches weary of the leftward turn of the Alliance. According to the official, numerous international Baptist churches showed interest in such a development and the churches planned to meet in Poland in July - - the same time the BWA celebrates its centennial in England.
"There is no more [serious] weakness to the world around us than our lack of unity … our fighting," said Angelov. "It will be a catastrophe for our world if we pull the ropes in the direction [of disunity]."
Angelov, who was imprisoned by Bulgaria's former communist government, said many Baptists died in prison without denying their faith.
"There are many heroes you never will know their name,” he said. "The communist leaders were very surprised to discover that the church did not die.”
Angelov added that there are “many more examples” of liberalism in the United States than those alleged in Europe by the SBC.
The venue of Angelov’s speech was the Mainline Baptist Network’s “A New Day in Baptist Life” Convocation ceremony. According to letters explaining the main reason for the convocation, the group wrote: “The MBN’s goal is to host a representative gathering of Baptist clergy and laity, along with representatives from all entities that has emerged in the last 25 years or have been de funded by the Southern Baptist Convention across the years. The convocation is also open to churches, associations, conventions, and organizations that have chosen to withdraw from official SBC connection or have chosen to partner with the new entities or network across the entire spectrum of Baptist life.”
The MBN’s allies include the CBF and the Baptist General Convention of Texas – both groups that split from the larger SBC over theological differences.
For more information on the MBN’s convocation, visit: www.mainstreambaptists.org.
