Hope and Megan both asked questions about why Baptists, or any congregationalist tradition for that matter, would bother being a denomination. This is a good question. Some of it has to do with very basic things like money, shared resources, similar theologies, shared histories etc.
The pamphlet that the budding CBF put out in '89 addresses it this way:
It would appear, from the pamphlet, that "voluntary connectionalism" was a pretty common way for the forst generations of Baptists to speak of shared affiliations. This is no more than another way to underscore the autonomy of the congregation in deciding its own structures, worship style/content, and what its shared interpretation will be among its members.
voluntary:
Coersion and compulsion have no place in Baptist life. Authoritarian and inflexible leadership styles are anathema to authentic Baptists...We own no Lord save Jesus Christ Himself. Since we abhor deominational imperialism in any form, we reject any and all attempts to coerce these voluntary relationships into other than voluntary.In practice, believers choose (volunteer) to be join a Baptist church. Baptist churches choose (volunteer) to join a Baptist association. Baptist churches choose to cooperate with state Baptist conventions and the SBC [for example]; and these Conventions choose (volunteer) to cooperate with each other.
Scripturally these are the verses that lead/support this understanding.
Phillipians 2:5-11
Matt 28:19
John 20:21
Acts 1:8
John 17, especially vs. 21
It is a fleeting arrangement by its very nature. Sin sees to that. But the end time will bring all to fruition.
When human endeavor and the call of Christ to evangelize come together, then we see the Kingdom at work.
Posted by tripp at March 1, 2004 03:29 PMI wonder if any of those verses really establish the autonomy of the congregation.
And what does that mean, really?
Posted by: Clifton D. Healy at March 1, 2004 03:55 PMCliff - not really, I am finding that much of the scripture this pamphlet uses is not to convince people of a Baptist framework, but to convince Baptists to think a certain way about being Baptist. So, maybe that means choosing a different set of scripture than the traditional?
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