The names were big — former presidents, famous Baptist leaders and even a best-selling author; the groups were diverse — more than 30 Baptist organizations; and the intent — unity — was purposefully woven throughout the event. But the outcome of the historic, three-day meeting will remain uncertain until an evaluation can be held in the spring.
The Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant, held Jan. 30–Feb. 1 in Atlanta, grew out of a suggestion by former President Jimmy Carter.
During a press conference just prior to the opening session, Carter said he and his wife, Rosalynn, had observed in their international travels how divisions within Christianity have been among the faith’s greatest hindrances. And he added Baptists are perhaps known more than any other Christian group for their own internal divisions.
Perhaps the New Baptist Covenant — an informal alliance of more than 30 racially, geographically and theologically diverse Baptist groups throughout North America claiming more than 20 million members — can set an example for the Church at large, Carter noted. “If we can do it, maybe other Christians can do it as well.”
During the opening session, which had an estimated 10,000-plus in attendance, Carter told the group, “We Baptists and other Christians can and must stand united.”
The Baptist groups represented are all members of the North American Baptist Fellowship, the regional affiliate of the Baptist World Alliance. The event was scheduled to follow a joint meeting of the four largest historically black Baptist groups in the United States. Representatives from the National Baptist Convention USA, National Baptist Convention of America, Progressive National Baptist Convention and National Missionary Baptist Convention of America had scheduled a joint midwinter meeting for Atlanta, and the New Baptist Covenant celebration piggybacked on that meeting.
15 countries represented
The more than 10,000 people registered for the joint meeting were automatically registered for the New Baptist Covenant meeting. At press time, there were an additional 6,513 people registered exclusively for the New Baptist Covenant celebration. Registrants came from all 50 states and more than 15 countries. New Baptist Covenant officials said that after calculating those registered and assessing those in attendance, their estimates are an overall attendance of nearly 15,000.
Many of the nonblack Baptist groups joining in the celebration were predominantly comprised of Caucasian or Hispanic members.
While Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) leaders did not participate, there were individual participants from churches affiliated with the SBC, including several from Alabama Baptist churches.
Carter said he hopes SBC leaders will choose to join any future initiatives that come out of the celebration. He also said he wants the New Baptist Covenant to be “all-inclusive” and “noncritical” — and steer clear of partisan politics.
“We’re doing everything we can, and have for the last two years, to avoid any sort of racial division or philosophical division or theological division or geographical division or political division here,” Carter said.
“This is the most momentous event of my religious life,” he said during the Jan. 30 session. “For the first time in more than 160 years, we are convening a major gathering of Baptists throughout an entire continent, without any threat to our unity caused by differences of our race or politics or geography or the legalistic interpretation of Scripture.”
Along with Carter’s, other keynote addresses were given by Marian Wright Edleman, founder of the Children’s Defense Fund; author John Grisham; U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa; and former President Bill Clinton.
Grisham said that for the theme of the New Baptist Covenant event — unity — to work, “we must do three things:”
- First, truly respect diversity.
- Second, stay out of politics.
- Third, spend as much time out there on the streets as we do in church.
Sermons were delivered by William Shaw, president of the National Baptist Convention USA; Tony Campolo, founder of the Evangelical Association for Promotion of Education; Julie Pennington-Russell, pastor of First Baptist Church, Decatur, Ga.; Joel Gregory, professor of preaching for Baylor University’s Truett Seminary in Waco, Texas; and Charles G. Adams, pastor of Hartford Baptist Church, Detroit.
Worship was led by choirs, musicians and directors from a variety of Baptist groups.
Special breakout sessions were held Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 dealing with topics such as poverty, faith and public policy, responding to natural disasters, evangelism and sexual exploitation.
Three Alabamians were included among the nearly 125 breakout session presenters.
Colleen Burroughs, executive vice president of Birmingham’s Passport Inc. and a member of Vestavia Hills Baptist Church in Birmingham Association, participated in a panel discussion dealing with youth.
Alabamians involved
Malcolm Marler, chaplain of the Center for AIDS Research at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, was part of a panel discussion on HIV/AIDS.
Julius Scruggs, pastor of First Missionary Baptist Church, Huntsville, helped lead a session on prophetic preaching.
The issue of immigration was also addressed during a breakout session, and Grassley briefly discussed it during his address.
U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., was originally scheduled to speak on immigration but had to cancel his appearance due to a scheduling conflict.
“After two years of debate, I’ve come to the conclusion that it is going to take the love of Jesus Christ to bring the people together,” Grassley said. “This (the immigration issue) is going to take a lot of prayer.”
(TAB, wire services)
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