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Securing religious liberty for our children and grandchildren Non-profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Riverdale, MD Permit No. 5061 200 Maryland Ave., N.E. Washington, D.C. 20002-5797 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? ATLANTA — Fifteen thousand partici- Carter’s euphoria echoed the aspiration of pants in the New Baptist Covenant convoca- another Baptist from Georgia, 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 pastor, 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 Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, 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, Baptist World Alliance. 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 Continued from page 1 — Gore called for Baptists to protect the environment. He “Never before have Baptists on this scale sought to cross pleaded with participants in the convocation to make creation the boundaries we choose to live behind — ethnicity, ideolo- care one of their major initiatives. gy, theology. Never before have Baptists on this scale come “There is a distinct possibility that one of the messages together for cooperation and collaboration for missional min- coming out of this gathering and this new covenant is cre- istry impact.” ation care — that we who are Baptists of like mind and “We are at the threshold of great possibilities,” Goatley attempting in our lives to the best of our abilities to glorify said. God, are not going to countenance the continued heaping of “Unity in Christ” provided the convocation’s theme. contempt on God’s creation.” Plenary sessions focused on creating Baptist unity by follow- Ministerial students who attended each session took notes ing Jesus’ mandate set out in his first sermon: “to preach good on the outcomes and proposals for cooperation in ministry, he news to the poor … to proclaim freedom and recovery of said. They also gathered e-mail addresses of participants who sight to the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the want to continue collaboration on a range of poverty, racial, year of the Lord’s favor.” equality, peacemaking and other policy issues. Other speakers amplified the unity theme from a range of This spring, the convocation leadership group will recon- perspectives: vene in Atlanta to consider hundreds of suggestions and dis- — Christian oneness centers on fulfilling Jesus’ “radical cuss how to follow up, Carter said. mission,” stressed William Shaw, The answer will not be cre- president of the National Baptist ating yet another Baptist con- Convention, USA, one of the four vention, said Jimmy Allen, pro- African-American conventions, gram chairman for the event. and pastor of White Rock Baptist Answers likely will include Church in Philadelphia. opportunities for individuals, Jesus was not satisfied merely congregations and larger to bring relief to the persecuted Baptist groups “to add our and victimized, he explained, voice to common commitment” noting Jesus “concretized” his to implement the ideas for min- mission by seeking to reverse the istry that surfaced in Atlanta, structures and situations that Carter said. caused oppression. Implementation of those The heart of that quest is commitments could answer establishing justice and uproot- New Baptist Covenant Celebration leaders share the stage. one criticism of the New ing injustice, Shaw noted. (Photo by Billy Howard) Baptist Covenant — absence “When God made mankind, he of Southern Baptist made us male and female — in his image. To do injustice to Convention leadership, he added. anybody is to do injustice to the reality of God, because we Carter noted he had developed a positive relationship with are in his image, and his image is not to be demeaned.” SBC President Frank Page, who initially criticized the endeav- That calls Baptists to seek change in society, he added.