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Phone: 202.544.4226 Fax: 202.544.2094 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.BJConline.org REPORTfrom theCapital New Baptist Covenant: Unity. Harmony. Now, what comes next? — Fifteen thousand partici- Carter’s euphoria echoed the aspiration of pants in the New Baptist Covenant convoca- another Baptist from , and the convo- tion arrived in Atlanta Jan. 30 seeking unity cation fulfilled the prophecy of Martin in Christ and departed Luther King Jr., Feb. 1 wondering where Underwood told the their quest will lead. crowd. In the meantime, “Forty-five years ago, they demonstrated a native son of Atlanta, a racial, theological and Baptist , shared Newsletter of the geographic harmony as with all of us his dream: Baptist Joint Committee they prayed, sang, lis- One day, on the red hills tened to sermons and of Georgia, the sons of Vol.63 No.2 attended workshops former slaves and the focusing on ministry to sons of former slave- the people Jesus called owners would be able to “the least of these” in Presidents and , sit down together at the society. flank Revs. T. DeWitt Smith (left) and table of brotherhood,” Charles G. Adams (right) at a Feb. 1 The unprecedented plenary session. (Photo by Billy Howard) Underwood said to sus- February 2008 event brought together tained applause. African-American, Anglo, Asian-American “Today, here on those red hills of Georgia, and Hispanic Baptists. They represented 30 Baptists have come together to take a step in Baptist conventions and organizations, all the long and difficult journey toward achiev- affiliated with the North American Baptist ing Dr. King’s great dream. After generations Fellowship, the regional affiliate of the of putting up walls between us — separation, . They also heard from division by geography, by theology, but most INSIDE: two former U.S. presidents, Jimmy Carter of all division by race — a new day is dawn- and Bill Clinton, and a former vice president, ing. … Today, we all sit down together at the Al Gore — all Baptists. table of Christian brotherhood and sister- Guest View . . . . .3 Participants scaled a 163-year-old wall that hood.” has divided the denomination since U.S. Leaders of most of the participating Religion in prison .4 Baptists parted company over slavery more groups first affirmed the New Baptist than a decade before the Civil War. Covenant in April 2006, when Carter and Religious test . . . .7 As women and men of numerous races sat Underwood invited them to Atlanta to talk side by side through sermons and hugged about bridging Baptists’ racial, theological and laughed in hallways, they embodied a and geographic divisions by working togeth- NBC wrap up . . . .8 dream come true for Baptists who dreamed er “to promote peace with justice, to feed the of racial reconciliation in their denomination. hungry, clothe the naked, shelter the home- Hollman Report . . .10 “This is the most momentous event of my less, care for the sick and marginalized, wel- religious life,” declared an emotional Carter, come the strangers among us, and promote a son of the South and a lifelong Baptist. religious liberty and respect for religious News ...... 11 “For the first time in more than 160 years, diversity.” we are convening a major gathering of That effort piggybacked on a historic gath- Baptists throughout an entire continent, with- ering of the four predominantly African- out any threat to our unity caused by differ- American Baptist conventions five years ago, ences of our race or politics or geography or plus ongoing discussions of unity within the the legalistic interpretation of Scripture,” said North American Baptist Fellowship, NABF Carter, who co-chaired the gathering with President David Goatley said. Mercer University President Bill Underwood. Story continued on page 2 2

Report from the Capital February 2008 you suckers,andgooutdothework ofJesus!” themselves intoministering tothepoor, heshouted,“Riseup, reside inhim?’” shuts offhiscompassionfromhim—howcanGod’s love one hastheworld’s goodsandseeshisbrotherinneedbut keeping it,”hesaid.“MyBibletellsmein1John3:17,‘Ifany- wrong withmakingit,butthereissomething wish you allwould makeamilliondollars.Thereisnothing he was kidding?”heasked. professor emeritusatEasternUniversity nearPhiladelphia. preaching goodnewstothepoor, notedCampolo,authorand and theirmeans—torescuethepoor, Tony Campolosaid. tures ofvictimization.” came tochange.…Justicesayswe needtochangethestruc- reality ofinjustice.Hecamenotwithactionscharity. He “You can’t embracethemissionofJesusandnotencounter the are inhisimage,andimageisnottobedemeaned.” anybody istodoinjusticetherealityofGod,becausewe made usmaleandfemale—inhisimage.To doinjusticeto “When Godmademankind,he ing injustice,Shawnoted. establishing justiceanduproot- caused oppression. structures andsituationsthat mission byseekingtoreverse the noting Jesus“concretized”his and victimized,heexplained, to bringreliefthepersecuted Church inPhiladelphia. and pastorofWhiteRockBaptist African-American conventions, Convention, USA,oneofthefour president oftheNationalBaptist mission,” stressedWilliam Shaw, perspectives: year oftheLord’s favor.” sight totheblind,releaseoppressed,proclaim news tothepoor…proclaimfreedomandrecovery of mandatesetoutinhisfirstsermon:“topreachgood ing Jesus’ Plenary sessionsfocusedoncreatingBaptistunitybyfollow- said. istry impact.” together forcooperationandcollaborationmissionalmin- gy, theology. Never beforehave Baptistsonthisscalecome the boundarieswe choosetolive behind—ethnicity, ideolo- After callingonbothindividualsandchurchestopour “There isnothingwrongwithmakingamilliondollars.I “Do you thinkJesusmeant whathesaid,ordoyou think Jesus pronouncedhisprioritiesinLuke4,beginningwith Baptistscouldexpresstheirunitybygivingthemselves- — That callsBaptiststoseekchangeinsociety, headded. The heartofthatquestis Jesus was notsatisfiedmerely “radical ChristianonenesscentersonfulfillingJesus’ — Other speakersamplifiedtheunitythemefromarangeof “Unity inChrist”providedtheconvocation’s theme. “We areatthethresholdofgreatpossibilities,”Goatley “Never beforehave Baptistsonthisscalesoughttocross Continued from page1 New BaptistCovenantCelebrationleaderssharethestage. tion. as well asthepresence”of multiracial, multigenderparticipa- never beentoaBaptistmeeting wheretherewas theequality playing intheBaptistyard 55years orso,”hesaid. “I’ve recognition ofBaptistsinNorth America.” become “amajorstepinracialreconciliationandgender early organizersoftheconvocation, saidtheevent could Center forBaptistStudiesatMercerUniversity andoneofthe added. will reachout”tothemparticipateinfollow-upprojects,he Southern Baptistleadersrespondtous,”hepredicted.“We on theconvocation anditspossibleoutcomes. or. Carteralsosaidhewould providePage withafullreport SBC PresidentFrankPage, whoinitiallycriticizedtheendeav- Convention leadership,headded. cuss howtofollowup,Cartersaid. vene in Atlanta toconsiderhundredsofsuggestionsanddis- equality, peacemakingandotherpolicyissues. want tocontinuecollaborationonarangeofpoverty, racial, said. Theyalsogatherede-mailaddressesofparticipantswho on theoutcomesandproposalsforcooperationinministry, he contempt onGod’s creation.” God, arenotgoingtocountenancethecontinuedheapingof attempting inourlives tothebestofourabilitiesglorify ation care—thatwe whoareBaptistsoflikemindand coming outofthisgatheringandnewcovenant iscre- care oneoftheirmajorinitiatives. pleaded withparticipantsintheconvocation tomakecreation (Photo byBillyHoward) “It bearsthemarksofministryJesus.” “It’s themostsignificantBaptistmeetinginmylife,after Historian Walter Shurden,recentlyretireddirectorofthe “The resultsofthismeetingwilldeterminehowthe Carter notedhehaddeveloped apositive relationship with This spring,theconvocation leadershipgroupwillrecon- Ministerial studentswhoattendedeachsessiontooknotes “There isadistinctpossibilitythatoneofthemessages GorecalledforBaptiststoprotecttheenvironment.He — Carter said. istry thatsurfacedin Atlanta, to implementtheideasformin- voice tocommoncommitment” Baptist groups“toaddour congregations andlarger opportunities forindividuals, gram chairmanfortheevent. vention, saidJimmy Allen, pro- ating yet anotherBaptistcon- of SouthernBaptist Baptist Covenant —absence one criticismoftheNew commitments couldanswer Implementation ofthose Answers likelywillinclude The answer willnotbecre- — MarvKnoxvia ABP GUEST VIEW Aims of the New Baptist Covenant require commitment to religious liberty BY DON BYRD

We can’t celebrate the worthy ambitions of tion of power and convenience offered by the the New Baptist Covenant without re-dedicat- political process. And it must overcome the ing ourselves to the cause of religious liberty recent damage done to the Baptist name by and the separation of church and state. That those who have preferred to align the institu- may not have been said explicitly at every tions of the church with those of the state, at breakout session and every plenary speech, but the expense of our heritage. it is the message I received loud and clear from Proclaiming the separation of church and that exciting, promising weekend. state as a fundamental Baptist principle is an From Al Gore’s call to address the dangers essential first step in the process of moving for- of global warming to Marian Wright Edelman’s ward in reclaiming that prophetic voice. urgent plea that the government take action to Religious liberty, protected by alleviate childhood poverty, we Baptists were the Constitution, is the fulcrum exhorted to reclaim our prophetic voice, to balancing our need for social “Religious liberty is the speak out on the issues of the day, and to hold action on one side with our tra- fulcrum balancing our our elected officials accountable with one voice. dition of autonomy and soul need for social action But the simple truth is this: New Baptists (or freedom on the other. I believe whatever we are) will have no credibility and the aims of the New Baptist with our tradition of no true power if we seek influence by cozying Covenant simply can’t be met autonomy and soul up to the powers that be. Alliance with a politi- without maintaining both sides freedom.” cal party, like the use of government funds, vigilantly. might seem like a quick and direct way to John Grisham was right when achieve our public policy goals. The church, he urged us to “stay out of poli- however, has a higher calling than political tics.” But that’s not to say reli- power. To be the conscience of the state, we gion has no place in the public need enough distance from the institutions of debate; just the opposite. power to have what Gardner Taylor calls Engaging our public policy is “swinging room.” essential to the church’s mission, a calling we Sadly, this distance — representing the very heard ring out through the witness of the New integrity of the church — is not assumed. We Baptist Covenant. Keeping the church out of must assert it. When I opened the local the mechanisms of government and politics, Nashville, Tenn., paper on the Saturday morn- though — insisting on the independence of ing after our adjournment, I realized just how church and state, both legally and spiritually —

necessary this step is, and how steep it will be. is the only way our true voice will be heard. Report from the Capital The headline spanning the top of the front

page, describing the event, screamed “Politics 2008 February Butts in at Baptists’ Gathering: Organizers Say Don Byrd writes for the Baptist Joint Committee’s Jesus Would Have Approved Agenda,” this to Blog from the Capital, sum up a meeting that was anything but politi- www.BJConline.org/blog. He lives in Nashville, cal. Tenn., where he teaches music theory and composi- How did we get to this point, where tion at his alma mater Belmont University. addressing poverty and hunger, the sick and the oppressed, the environment and religious freedom for all, would be cynically perceived as a political agenda rather than a Christian mandate of good will? To be truly heard as one of faith, our prophetic voice needs to regain credibility. It must overcome the ready tempta- 3 Probe of religious discrimination in pris

eligious discrimination in prisons, including the role programs. of faith-based rehabilitative programs, was the subject Steven T. McFarland, director of the DOJ Task Force for Rof a briefing before the U.S. Commission on Civil Faith-Based and Community Initiatives and a former officer Rights, which is examining the topic as part of its annual for Prison Fellowship, told the commission that the First report to Congress and President George W. Bush to be sub- Amendment requires prisons to accommodate religious mitted later this year. beliefs but also prohibits the government from promoting The commission, an independent and bipartisan agency religion or favoring one faith over another. charged with monitoring federal civil rights enforcement, He said it is not a violation of the First Amendment for heard testimony from 11 experts including a prison warden, prisons to pay for chap- the vice president of the world’s largest faith-based organiza- lains or religious counsel- tion serving prisons, a lawyer who has successfully sued ing programs, nor does faith-based prison programs, and a U.S. Department of the Constitution prohibit Justice (DOJ) official who has previously worked for a reli- chaplains or volunteers gious prison program. from sharing their per- Patrick Nolan, a former legislator, former prisoner and sonal religious beliefs currently vice president of Prison Fellowship, the world’s with inmates at any time. largest faith-based organization serving prisons, said reli- The only requirements gious programs are vital to changing the lives of prisoners are that inmate participa- and that religious volunteers offer prisoners hope and pre- tion must be voluntary pare them for a return to society. and the message must not But Alex Luchenitser, senior litigation counsel for be construed to threaten Americans United for Separation of Church and State, told prison security. the commission that tax dollars should not be used to sup- McFarland said the port prison ministry programs that coerce inmates into par- law, based on recent court ticipation and warned that government officials must ensure decisions, also permits that prison ministry programs are operated in accordance prison officials to offer with the First Amendment principle of the separation of voluntary faith-based res- church and state. idential programs. He “[T]he government must not coerce any person to take said the Supreme Court part in religious activity,” Luchenitser stated in written testi- ruled in 2002 that the mony filed with the commission. “Thus, the government First Amendment permits must not provide individuals any incentive to modify their government to provide religious beliefs and practices, or to undertake religious the programs as long as the programs have a secular pur- indoctrination.” pose, the inmates’ participation is voluntary and the program Americans United last year won a federal appeals court is available to many inmates, inmates have a “genuine and ruling against government funding of a Prison Fellowship independent private choice” among religious and secular fundamentalist Christian program called the InnerChange programs, and inmates have a secular alternative with bene- Freedom Initiative, operated in an Iowa prison. The courts fits comparable to the religious option. initially ordered Prison Fellowship and InnerChange to reim- To meet the Supreme Court standards, the federal Bureau burse the state for money spent on the program. In of Prisons last summer began soliciting bids from non-gov- December, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed ernment organizations to train inmates 40 hours per week in

February 2008 that government support of the InnerChange program was secular topics such as getting and keeping a job, working unconstitutional, but reversed the ruling ordering repayment with people and resisting drug abuse. McFarland said the

Report from the Capital Report from of money. Bureau will also ensure that inmates who choose the reli- Luchenitser said six other states have InnerChange pro- gious programs do not get collateral benefits or incentives. grams and other states also have intensive faith-based pro- Chaplain Gary Friedman, Chairman of Jewish Prisoner grams in their prisons. He said state officials should ensure Services International, said prison ministries, especially those 4 that inmates are not pressured or enticed into joining those with a proselytizing bent, find prisons “to be fertile turf” for sons includes faith-based ministries

religious discrimination. ing the DOJ, has been sanctioned for not enforcing “Though proselytizing is officially prohibited on gov- RLUIPA. ernment property, prison officials often turn a blind eye to “We are actually very displeased with our prison sys- such activity or allow it to occur under the guise of sim- tem and believe it is in need of ongoing reform as our ple ‘sharing of one’s faith,’” Friedman’s prepared remarks courts have affirmed. The system is not perfect,” Abu state. The situation is further aggravated because Qadir Al-Amin, an imam with the San Francisco Muslim “inmates are a literally captive and vulnerable popula- Community Center, stated in prepared remarks. “There tion,” Friedman said. have also been documented cases of racial intolerance The commission also along with religious intolerance that have involved heard testimony on the Muslim chaplains being escorted off of the institutional impact and influence of two grounds in a very humiliating and demeaning manner.” laws that address religious Frank Cilluffo, director of the Homeland Security discrimination and prison- Policy Institute at George Washington University, said ers’ rights. In 1993, Congress limited access to religious practices may threaten security enacted the Religious in a country with the world’s largest prison population Freedom Restoration Act and the highest incarceration rate. (RFRA) to exempt religious “The inadequate number of Muslim religious services organizations from certain providers increases the risk of radicalization,” Cilluffo federal regulations. wrote in testimony given to the commission. “It creates an The Supreme Court later opportunity for extremists ... to exploit by filling the role found RFRA unconstitution- of religious services providers. A solution is more, not al as it was applied to state fewer, Muslim religious services providers.” governments. In 2000, Cilluffo co-authored a report with Gregory Saathoff, Congress passed the executive director of the Critical Incident Analysis Group Religious Land Use and at the University of Virginia, that has been the focus of a Institutionalized Persons hearing by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security Act (RLUIPA), to ensure and Government Affairs. that the protections offered Saathoff told the commission that RFRA has allowed a under RFRA would apply to forum for grievances to be brought forward and the states. RLUIPA also addressed, and RLUIPA may serve as a means to limit the specifically ensured reli- potential for religiously promoted radicalism, violence or gious protections for prison- terrorism. ers. “Indeed, it may well decrease the likelihood that Despite the laws protecting prisoners’ religious rights, extremists will exploit otherwise unaddressed grievances

some panel experts — including an imam and a Wiccan in order to foment violence,” state Saathoff’s prepared Report from the Capital chaplain — said religious discrimination in prisons remarks.

ranges from institutional rigidity to flagrant abuse. As part of its year-long review of civil rights enforce- 2008 February “While both the Religious Freedom Restoration Act ment by the DOJ, the commission will hold another panel and the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons briefing September 12 at its Washington, D.C. headquar- Act initially appeared to be good tools for preventing ters on religious discrimination in the workplace. The obstruction of religious exercise in prisons, they have pro- commission is also in the process of sending question- duced mixed effectiveness and unintended conse- naires to selected prisons to gain more information about quences,” Friedman’s written testimony states. religious discrimination in the prisons. He said the definition of “religious exercise” in both — Anne Farris, Roundtable on Religion and Social acts is overly broad and has not been narrowed by case Policy correspondent law; the courts have provided little guidance on how a prisoner’s sincerity about religion can be determined without discriminating, and no government entity includ- 5 Evangelical panelists: Christian voters broadening political agenda

WASHINGTON — The Washington auditorium that once we’ve lost our ability to be a conscience to the entire nation.” hosted a news program famous for back and forth arguments Joel Hunter, pastor of an Orlando-area megachurch and a between political opponents instead recently featured a very former president of the Christian Coalition, said the evangelical different dialogue — a group of evangelical Christians political movement fell prey to the “certain seduction in politi- denouncing the religious and political polarization of the last cal power that makes us all want to get in one category so that two presidential campaign cycles. we can push through a particular political Panel participants addressed the ques- agenda.” tion, “Choosing a president: What do evan- But, in politics, your agenda has to gelicals really want?” They spoke Jan. 23 mature, he added. “It’s like the middle- on the George Washington University stage school years — you’ve defined yourself by once used for the CNN show “Crossfire.” what you hate, what you’re not. But when The discussion validated many pundits’ you grow up, you have to define yourself observations that Christians in the United by who you are, by what you build.” States are seeking new ways of adapting The results of a Beliefnet poll of evan- Christ’s commands to the political arena. gelicals, announced at the discussion, sug- While white evangelicals seem to be broad- gest that their agenda may be broadening ening their political agenda, evangelicals beyond hot-button social issues. who are minorities are looking more criti- It revealed that 41 percent of evangeli- cally at the Republican Party than in past elections. cals identified themselves as Republicans, 30 percent as “We are no longer single-issue voters, number one, and Democrats, and the remainder considered themselves inde- we’re not going to blindly follow prominent leaders in the reli- pendent or were affiliated with third parties. gious right or otherwise who are telling us what we have to Respondents also said the most important issue in the elec- believe,” said Richard Cizik, vice president of governmental tion is not abortion or gay rights, but the economy, with 85 per- affairs for the National Association of Evangelicals. Cizik, who cent ranking it either “most important”or “very important.” opposes abortion and gay rights and twice voted for President In fact, they ranked six other issues above ending abortion Bush, is an outspoken proponent for Christians to combat glob- on the scale of importance. Ending the Iraq war, caring for the al warming. poor, ending torture and cleaning up government all ranked “For a lot of the young people I meet, the religious right has ahead of the abortion issue. Preserving marriage as a hetero- been replaced by Jesus,” said Jim Wallis, founder of sexual-only institution ranked even farther down the list, with Sojourners/Call to Renewal, an evangelical social justice group. less than half of respondents ranking it as important. “Politics is stuck in its polarities — every issue has only two The poll was not scientific — it asked all Beliefnet readers sides, and both sides do it.” about what issues they thought were the most important. It Wallis has been a frequent critic of many of President Bush’s then considered results only from respondents who considered policies, particularly regarding poverty and the Iraq war. He themselves evangelical or born-again Christians. has also criticized religious right leaders for their closeness to “There is a really interesting conversation going on now in Bush. His organization co-sponsored the discussion along with evangelical ,”said Steve Waldman, the founder and Beliefnet, the religion-focused Internet news site. editor of Beliefnet, in announcing the survey results. “Although Such overt identification of evangelical Christians with the the press has gotten a little bit better at understanding [evan- Republican Party is dangerous for Christians, one prominent gelicals], there is still a lot of stereotyping — people being put African-American evangelical on the panel said. Harry Jackson, in boxes and a lack of awareness.” pastor of Hope Christian Church in suburban Washington, was One of the reasons for that, several panelists noted, is that one of only a handful of prominent black pastors to support when the media talks about “evangelical voters,” they almost Bush in both his 2000 and 2004 campaigns. always mean white evangelicals. African-American and Latino While Jackson declined to retract those endorsements, say- evangelicals, meanwhile, have always had broader policy agen-

February 2008 ing they were correct “at the time,” he did say that evangeli- das than their white counterparts. cals’ support of Bush “was fear-based, versus vision — and “Immigration reform— that’s a moral issue for Latino evan- passion-based.” gelicals,” said Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Report from the Capital Report from He said he appreciated the moves that white evangelicals Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference. “The major differ- began to make 30 years ago to begin to affect the political ence between Latino evangelicals and white evangelicals is that process, but he said pinning their hopes on one party was a many white evangelicals take their marching orders from dangerous strategy. Bishop Rush Limbaugh, Prophet Sean Hannity… and many “It’s impossible … to be a conscience to the entire nation Latino evangelicals still listen to Matthew, Mark, Luke and 6 and to be partisan as well,” Jackson said. “So, at some point John.” — ABP The religious test failed by voters and candidates

ight years ago, when George W. Bush declared first word that comes to mind in recalling the Nixon that Jesus was his favorite philosopher, suppose administration. And Bill Clinton’s many critics would be Esomeone had asked a follow-up question. justified in pointing out the disconnect between his pro- “Mr. Bush, Jesus invited his followers to love their fessions of faith and his conduct in the Oval Office. enemies and to turn the other cheek. How will Arguably, the only exception to this litany that guide your foreign policy, especially in proves the rule. the event, say, of an attack on the United Jimmy Carter ran for office promising a States?” government as “good and decent as the Or: “Gov. Bush, your favorite philosopher American people” and pledging never to expressed concern for the tiniest sparrow. “knowingly lie.” After he sought actually to How will that sentiment be reflected in your govern according to his moral principles — administration’s environmental policies?” revising the Panama Canal treaties, seeking Or: “Jesus called his followers to care for peace in the Middle East — the American peo- ‘the least of these.’ How does that ple denied him a second term. teaching inform your views on tax Does a candidate’s declaration of policy or welfare reform?” BY RANDALL BALMER faith provide any indication of how For the past several decades, we she or he would govern as president? Americans have evinced more than passing curiosity The past half century suggests strongly that the answer about the religious views of our presidential candidates, is no. and they feel obliged to talk about their faith. The news We Americans think of ourselves as a religious peo- media almost invariably identify Mike Huckabee as a ple, so it shouldn’t be a surprise when politicians clamor former Baptist minister and note that Mitt Romney is a to speak the language of faith. Those affirmations turn Mormon. out to be, more often than not, shallow and perfunctory. So too with the Democratic candidates. They show up But placing the blame on the candidates misses the in churches on Sunday morning in an apparent effort to point. We the voters settle for shallow, perfunctory bro- demonstrate that they, too, are people of faith. mides about faith and piety. We allow candidates to lull But a review of the last 40-plus years suggests that a us into believing they are moral and virtuous simply candidate’s apparent piety finds scant expression in his because they say they are. comportment as president. There’s little evidence to sug- At the very least, we should question whether those gest that John F. Kennedy, the nation’s first (and still the claims reflect any real substance. Do the principles the only) Roman Catholic to serve as president, inflected his candidates purport to affirm find any expression what- faith into his administration’s policies. Ronald Reagan soever in their policies? Jesus, for example, instructed insisted that abortion was the defining moral issue of his his followers to welcome the stranger in their midst; Report from the Capital time, and campaigned twice promising to outlaw it. Yet, how would that affect a Christian candidate’s views on as even his supporters now acknowledge, he made no immigration? serious effort to outlaw abortion. If we’re not willing to probe the depth and the sinceri- 2008 February On the other hand, no one could accuse Lyndon ty of politicians’ declarations of faith, then we shouldn’t Johnson of being a demonstrably pious or religious man. bother to ask the question. The history of the past half Yet he learned (and sought to live by) a simple maxim century suggests that a president’s conduct in office that he attributed to his mother: The strong have an obli- bears little resemblance to his campaign rhetoric. gation to look after the weak. That principle led him, a white Southerner, to push for civil rights, and it also ani- This article was first published by Religion News Service. mated his quest for the Great Society. Tragically, Johnson Randall Balmer, an Episcopal priest, is professor of American used the same principle to justify American involvement religious history at Barnard College, Columbia University, in Vietnam. and a visiting professor at Yale Divinity School. His most detected vast reservoirs of faith and recent book is “God in the White House: A History: How piety in his friend Richard Nixon, who hosted worship Faith Shaped the Presidency From John F. Kennedy to services in the White House. Probity, however, is not the George W. Bush.” 7 Faith, public life take cente Rogers challenges churches Attende ATLANTA — I to engage in justice issues gious freedom ther understand ATLANTA—Participants at a session held and state, and a in conjunction with the New Baptist Covenant gious liberty, sa celebration in Atlanta received a lesson in “going upstream” to address the root causes Cheryl Townsend of injustice. Sociology and Africa Melissa Rogers, a visiting professor of reli- Colby College in Wa gion and public policy at the Wake Forest that the very definiti University Divinity School in Winston-Salem, America “fosters and N.C., led a special interest session that focused religious and on matters at the intersection of faith and pub- cultural lic policy. diversity.” To illustrate the distinction between one- However, on-one church ministries, in which many Melissa Rogers leads a discussion Feb.1 at the she warned, churches engage, and seeking justice, Rogers New Baptist Covenant Celebration in Atlanta. “the tremen- told a story about a man standing on the side (Photo by Joel McLendon) dous reli- of a river and saving people one-by-one until gious and finally deciding to go upriver to figure out and politics intersection. cultural who was throwing the people in the river. In quoting former Representative Barbara diversity “The discussion today is about going Jordan of Texas, Rogers warned that “we are sometimes challenge upstream,” Rogers said. God’s servants, not his spokespeople.” the separation of chu Just like food pantry, soup kitchen and Secondly, she said religious groups should Bolstering the com other ministries that churches undertake, practice prophetic, not partisan, politics. combating ignorance Rogers said it was important to be heard on Additionally, “we must not let our faith be America, she said, ev issues such as advocating just economic poli- used,” Rogers said, drawing on a sermon by ing a class taught in cy, reforming the criminal justice system and Martin Luther King, Jr., when he said that the called “religion appr pushing for sound environmental polices. church must be the conscience of the state, not course should be tau The Old Testament prophets Micah and its tool. appreciation course, Amos — as well as Jesus Christ’s example in She also suggested that the separation of required to listen to the Gospels — demonstrate the biblical justifi- church and state and religious liberty should while learning to rec cation for personal involvement in justice be at the forefront. “When we work on public instruments. issues, she said. Prophets confront unjust policy issues, we should work for the common Brent Walker, a co social structures, she noted. good and not for the establishment of and executive directo On the decision to enter the public policy Christendom,” she said. Committee for Relig February 2008 arena, Rogers quoted religion scholar Martin After all, “the only faith that can call gov- the “time-honored” Marty: “In the political world, not to be politi- ernment to account ... is the one that is seri- liberty and church-st Report from the Capital Report from cal is political.” ously independent from government,” she threatened today, ma Rogers then offered principles to help par- said. belief that religious d 8 ticipants navigate the sometimes perilous faith — Jeff Huett er stage at Baptist meeting ees urged to combat ignorance on religious liberty

In an increasingly pluralistic culture, ensuring reli- “As Baptists, we must champion the his- for all requires more education about religion, fur- toric Baptist position on religious liberty. … As Baptists, we must understand that free- ding about the proper relationship between church dom to exercise religion does not mean our an emphasis on the historic Baptist principle of reli- freedom to impose our religion on everyone aid a panel at the New Baptist Covenant Celebration. else by government favoritism,” Holmes said. d-Gilkes, professor of tled by the majority. Panelists were quick to point out that the an-American Studies at “The bill of rights is, by definition, count- proper relationship between church and aterville, Me., suggested er-majoritarian, Walker said. state does not divorce religion from the pub- ion of religious liberty in “America is one of the most religious and lic square. d sustains tremendous most religiously diverse nations on the face “Church-state separation does not keep of the earth,” religious voices from influencing public poli- he said. “But cy or acknowledging our religious heritage despite our in the public square,” Walker said. “But it religious pas- does mean the government should not be sion and plu- able to pass laws or take official action that ralism, we has the primary effect of advancing or pro- have been hibiting religion. able to avoid “The best thing government can do for the religious religion is to leave it alone,” he said. conflicts and “Neither should do the work of the other.” es our commitment to wars that have punctuated history and Holmes echoed Walker’s sentiments on urch and state.” plague much of the world today.” the rightful place of religion in the public mmitment will require Walker put forth what he called the gold- square, but suggested the problem occurs e about religion in en rule for church-state separation: “I must when Christians believe that their position is ven to the point of creat- not insist that government promote my reli- “the” Christian position. colleges and universities gion if I don’t want government to promote Walker added that the work of the 71- reciation.” She said the somebody else’s religion, and I should not year-old Baptist Joint Committee in extend-

ught much like a music permit government to harm someone else’s ing and defending religious liberty for all is Report from the Capital where students are religion if I don’t want government to harm a prototype for the kind of “Baptist together- a symphony, all the my religion.” ness” espoused by the New Baptist February 2008 February cognize individual Cynthia Holmes, a Clayton, Mo., attorney Covenant. The BJC is comprised of 15 and former moderator of the Cooperative Baptist bodies, including American Baptist onstitutional law expert Baptist Fellowship, warned that the future of Churches USA, the Cooperative Baptist or of the Baptist Joint the historic Baptist principle of church-state Fellowship, National Baptist Convention of gious Liberty, agreed that separation hinges on our treatment of the America, Inc., and Progressive National principles of religious principle today. Baptist Convention, each partnering organi- tate separation are “We can’t guarantee that our kids will be zations in the New Baptist Covenant. ade worse by a pervasive free to practice their religion if we deny that disputes should be set- freedom to any other group,” she said. — Jeff Huett 9 HollmanREPORT Perspectives on religious liberty from the Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant K. Hollyn Hollman It is rare to come out of a meeting that lasts several The perspectives of the other panelists amplified the General Counsel days, saying “Boy, that was terrific!” But, in fact, that is importance of religious liberty and led to an engaging what I’ve been saying about the Celebration of a New question and answer session. As J. Stanley Lemons Baptist Covenant in Atlanta. Meetings inevitably shared, the historical role of Baptists in articulating a involve sitting for long periods; and success can be vision for and promotion of religious freedom is hard to measure. For me, the key is sticking to a well- unique. It gives us a special opportunity and responsi- organized and meaningful agenda, balanced with bility to teach about the values embodied in the First enough flexibility to allow unexpected Amendment. His church, the First Baptist Church in contributions, and resolve to build on America, is admittedly part of the tourism industry in “Our work is built on what is achieved. The organizers and Rhode Island. Many who come to learn about the theological commitments participants accomplished that and more state’s history also learn about its founder Roger to ‘soul freedom’ and during this historic gathering. Williams, who founded the First Baptist Church and The preaching and music inspired me, whose often overlooked commitment to radical reli- respect for the voluntary and the special interest sessions on a gious freedom shaped our county’s history. nature of religion.” range of topics were informative and James M. Dunn, as professor at Wake Forest practical. Among the events were four University Divinity School and former executive direc- well-attended sessions on religious liber- tor of the BJC, captured the challenges and demands of ty and the separation of church and state. the moment, recognizing that some words have been The assignment for me and other pan- deliberately misused in ways that skew their meaning. elists was specific: identify and explain We must engage critics and be clear. We have a “secu- “best practices for ministry” to offer lar” government. Only people, not nations, can be attendees essential information and prac- accurately described as “Christian.” Though “separa- tical ideas. Guided by skilled moderators tion of church and state” is by no means complete and such as Wake Forest Divinity Dean Bill J. Leonard and certainly it does not require a separation of religious Walter B. Shurden, the sessions gave the audience food voices from political engagement, we must never fail to for thought and tips to take away. Here is a sampling of recognize the important distinctions between the insti- the information from the sessions on religious freedom. tutions of each. Nor should we fail to respond to each (See pages 8-9). new attempt to blur the lines, whether in a political It was my pleasure to share with a broad Baptist campaign or a congregational conversation. audience the work we do to promote the BJC’s mission Jeffrey Haggray, executive director/minister of the of defending and extending God-given religious liberty District of Columbia Baptist Convention and former for all and to provide resources for churches and indi- BJC Board Chair, has served as pastor and in various viduals. Through our offices in Washington, Baptists leadership posts in Baptist life. He spoke about the have an established voice for religious liberty. I challenges faced at the church level of being politically explained our work in the corridors of Congress and engaged and upholding church-state principles. He

February 2008 the courts, as well as the broader public square to pro- discussed some aspects of the Baptist tradition, such as tect religious freedom, building on our theological prophetic preaching and that can challenge commitment to “soul freedom” and respect for the vol- the responsibilities of maintaining the integrity of Report from the Capital Report from untary nature of religion. Our assignment includes churches and respecting religious diversity. He noted, educational work in churches, on campuses, and in the however, that there are some good models of how to media, as well as specific and direct involvement with represent the best of the Baptist tradition, including legislative proposals and court cases. On a number of respect for the separation of church and state. current topics, such as the dangers of government The excitement of the attendees was palpable, and I funding of religious ministries and the role of churches suspect will be contagious. We look forward to being a in political debates, we offered information that could part of it and extending the vision far beyond Atlanta. 1 be used directly in congregations, as well as continued 0 service through the BJC’s office and Web site. 3 spring interns begin work at the of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Va., resigned Feb. 12. Baptist Joint Committee The resignation of Gene R. Nichol, who had led the public university since 2005, comes after he was told on This spring, the Sunday that his contract would not be renewed in July. Baptist Joint In 2006, William & Mary removed a cross from perma- Committee wel- nent display in the campus chapel, a move criticized by comed three new some alumni and conservative activists. One donor threat- interns. ened to withhold a multimillion-dollar pledge. Rachel Under a compromise, the cross was later kept in a dis- Chapman Chapman, of Eisel Harder play case and was to be placed on the altar by request. Bedford, Texas, is a a senior Nichol defended those decisions, saying that it was nec- English and political science pre-law major in the Douglas essary for a chapel “used regularly for secular college MacArthur Academy of Freedom at Howard Payne events — both voluntary and mandatory — in order to University. help Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and other religious minorities She is the daughter of Rod and Kim Chapman. feel more meaningfully included as members of our broad Catherine Eisel, of Macon, Ga., is a December 2007 community.” magna cum laude graduate of Shorter College, where she The former president tied his actions to the legacy of majored in English and minored in international studies. William & Mary alumnus Thomas Jefferson, who, Nichol She is the daughter of Rick and Charlotte Eisel. said, “argued for a ‘wall of separation between church and Joel Harder, of Waco, Texas, will graduate from Baylor state.’” University in May 2008 with a Master of Social Work with William & Mary’s Board of Visitors said the decision not a specialization in church social work. to extend Nichol’s contract “was not in any way based on Harder graduated from the University of North Texas ideology or any single public controversy.” as a political science major in August 2005. — RNS He is the son of Mike and Ann Harder. Grassley to write to ministries Deadline nears for 2008 High School not cooperating with him Religious Liberty Essay Contest WASHINGTON — Sen. , R-Iowa, is WASHINGTON — To engage high school students in planning to send additional letters to the evangelical min- church-state issues and to generate interest from a wide istries that have not fully responded to his inquiry into range of Baptists, the BJC has launched the 2008 Religious their finances. Liberty High School Essay Contest. Grassley, who is the top-ranking Republican on the Open to all Baptist high school students in the classes of Senate Finance Committee, has asked six prominent min- 2008 and 2009, the contest offers a grand prize of $1,000 istries for financial details to determine if they are follow- and a trip to Washington, D.C. Second prize is $500, and ing rules for tax-exempt organizations. third prize is $100. “Sen. Grassley is preparing follow-up letters to send to Winners will be announced in the summer of 2008 and the ministries that have raised concerns or not responded will be featured in the BJC’s flagship publication, Report to his inquiries so far,” said Jill Gerber, press secretary for from the Capital. The grand prize winner will also be recog- Grassley’s committee. Report from the Capital nized at the BJC board meeting in Washington, D.C., on “It’s been extremely rare for tax-exempt groups to

October 6, 2008. Judges reserve the right to present no decline to cooperate with his requests for information.” 2008 February awards or to reduce the number of awards if an insuffi- His office reported that it has received materials from cient number of deserving entries are received. just two of the six ministries: Joyce Meyer Ministries in The 2008 topic asks students to discuss the relevance of Fenton, Mo., and Kenneth Copeland Ministries in Newark, religious faith to politics, including whether and to what Texas. extent faith should be an election issue in 2008. Essays Ministries in College Park, Ga., and must be between 700 and 1,000 words. All essays must be Bishop Eddie Long’s New Birth Missionary Baptist Church postmarked by March 3, 2008. in Lithonia, Ga., have refused to submit financial records, Essays that do not meet the minimum qualifications which Grassley first requested last November. will not be judged. To download a registration form and a Without Walls International Church in Tampa, Fla., has promotional flier, visit www.bjconline.org/contest. For sought additional time to respond. And more information, contact Phallan Davis at 202-544-4226 or Ministries in Grapevine, Texas, exchanged messages with e-mail her at [email protected]. the office in December but had not been in further contact. Rusty Leonard, the CEO of MinistryWatch.com, dis- missed criticism that Grassley’s inquiry could lead to addi- 1 William & Mary president resigns tional government regulation of ministries as “absolutely after cross controversy spurious” and urged cooperation. Following public criticism over the removal of a chapel — RNS cross and a racy campus show, the president of the College 1