Warning that Southern Baptists “must not make every doctrinal issue a crusade or political football,” Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee President Morris Chapman declared it is a waste of time to “harshly debate disputable doctrines that lead to destructive distractions.”
Chapman offered his assessment in the wake of widespread debate about recent actions by the Southern Baptist International Mission Board regarding believer’s baptism and private prayer language.
“We have no right to judge others with whom we disagree about secondary and tertiary doctrines,” he said. “Only God is our Judge.
“But we do have the right to engage in spirited debate where we differ,” he noted, adding that such debate should reflect the Spirit and mind of Christ and “honor Christ in every thought and deed and word.”
Without directly referencing the board or specific doctrinal issues, Chapman proposed “two suggestions for future consideration.”
“Any practice instituted by an entity in the Southern Baptist Convention that has the force of doctrine should be in accord with the Baptist Faith and Message and not exceed its boundaries unless and until it has been approved” by convention messengers, he said to the applause of the crowd.
“Secondly, if an entity … adopts a confession of faith separate and distinct from the Baptist Faith and Message and it includes a doctrine unsupported by our confessional statement, the entity should request approval from the convention prior to including the doctrine in its confession.
“Only a few years ago, it seemed sufficient for our missionaries and convention leaders to sign the Baptist Faith and Message as a statement of loyalty to Christ and to the convention,” he remarked. “Now other doctrines are beginning to be required aside from our adopted confession. It causes one to ask, ‘Where does it end?’” (Editor’s Network)
Share with others: