{"id":504,"date":"2010-08-11T04:00:42","date_gmt":"2010-08-11T10:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/fromlaw2grace.com\/?p=504"},"modified":"2010-08-11T04:00:42","modified_gmt":"2010-08-11T10:00:42","slug":"im-a-southern-baptist-says-who","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fromlaw2grace.com\/?p=504","title":{"rendered":"I’m A Southern Baptist! Says Who?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>“I’m a Southern Baptist.”\u00a0 “You are not!”\u00a0 “I am too!”\u00a0 “Are not!”\u00a0 “Am too!” . . . You get the picture.\u00a0 There are\u00a0currently some\u00a0in the Baptist blogosphere\u00a0and elsewhere\u00a0who are trying to define (or redefine)\u00a0what it means to be a Southern Baptist<\/a>.\u00a0 I’m not talking about who gets to be a messenger to the annual meeting of the SBC.\u00a0 After all, less than 12,000 out of 16 million Southern Baptists even\u00a0attended the Convention in Orlando.\u00a0 Rather, I’m talking about\u00a0Southern Baptist identity.\u00a0 What is an “authentic” or “true”\u00a0Southern Baptist church?\u00a0 Who\u00a0gets to decide that question?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

There are many folks today who we could call nominal Southern Baptists.\u00a0 They\u00a0may have grown up in a SB church, but they are unchurched and unaffiliated now.\u00a0 However, for someone to\u00a0identify\u00a0as a Southern Baptist,\u00a0he or she should at the very least be\u00a0a member of a local church\u00a0that\u00a0self-identifies as a Southern Baptist congregation and not as an independent Baptist, Cooperative Baptist, or other flavor of Baptist church.<\/p>\n

Assuming the above requirement is met, what\u00a0standards should we use to decide if someone\u00a0belongs to\u00a0a “true” Southern Baptist church?\u00a0 Depends\u00a0on who is deciding.\u00a0 Some will use very narrow standards and others will use\u00a0very broad standards.\u00a0 Still others will use standards that\u00a0are not as rigid as “small tent Baptists,” but are not as loose as “big tent Baptists.”<\/p>\n

Big tent Baptists, as a general rule, will seek to emphasize the cooperative nature of the SBC in fulfilling the Great Commission.\u00a0 For these Baptist churches, Lottie Moon and Annie Armstrong are more important (and more well-known) than James P. Boyce or E.Y. Mullins.\u00a0 While Baptist doctrine is important to Big tent Baptists, it is not primary.\u00a0 They\u00a0want to see as many churches cooperate and partner together for missions and ministry and are not overly concerned with how other churches choose to observe the Lord’s Supper<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Small tent Baptists, on the other hand, seek to emphasize the doctrines and beliefs that Southern Baptists hold in common.\u00a0 For these churches, R. Albert Mohler and Paige Patterson are\u00a0household names among congregation members.\u00a0 While missions is important to these churches, it comes second to doctrinal unity.\u00a0 They want to see all the churches of the SBC affirm a common confession of faith (creed) in order to cooperate and partner together for missions and ministry.\u00a0 These churches\u00a0appear to be\u00a0overly concerned with whether or not another church practices open, close, or closed communion <\/a>and other tertiary doctrinal issues.<\/p>\n

Of the 45,000+ churches that make up the Southern Baptist Convention, where do the majority of them fall — Big Tent Camp or Small Tent Camp?\u00a0 Neither.\u00a0 Because advocates of both these positions tend to be passionate and outspoken,\u00a0there is an appearance that “most” SB churches fall into one or the other camp.\u00a0 However, I believe that the overwhelming\u00a0majority of Southern Baptist churches, pastors, and laypeople are not\u00a0tuned into the internal squabbles that take place\u00a0among certain groups within the Convention.<\/p>\n

In the end, we are\u00a0Great Commission people and Great Commission congregations who identify with the\u00a0Gospel mission that Jesus gave the church.\u00a0 Even if we don’t always do it with the perfection or\u00a0passion that some would like and, even if some would like to question\u00a0our authenticity, \u00a0Southern Baptists are a missions-minded people.\u00a0 Who is a true Southern Baptist.\u00a0 That was answered long ago\u00a0when the churches of the Convention set forth the definition in our SBC Constitution:<\/p>\n

Article II.\u00a0 Purpose:<\/strong> \u00a0 It is the purpose of the Convention to provide a general organization for Baptists in the United States and its territories for the promotion of Christian missions at home and abroad and any other objects such as Christian education<\/a>, benevolent enterprises, and social services which it may deem proper and advisable for the furtherance of the Kingdom of God.<\/p>\n

Article III.\u00a0 Membership:<\/strong> \u00a0 The Convention shall consist of messengers who are members of missionary Baptist churches cooperating with the Convention as follows:<\/p>\n