By now you have received word that the Convention Council has adopted a draft document of incorporation that will be presented for approval to Assembly in August. In the meantime, a series of consultations are being organized which you can read about on the Convention website.
As currently worded, Incorporation would give Convention authority and power it does not now have: authority to decide which Churches can be admitted as members, authority to dismiss Churches, authority to supersede decisions made by Associations, authority to enforce resolutions over the objections of local churches, authority to enforce Convention policies on local churches, authority to enforce doctrine, authority to coerce Churches to require clergy to be accredited by Convention, to name a few.
In my opinion, incorporation under this document would treat member churches as “franchise holders” of the Atlantic Baptist “brand” with a centralized authority stronger than that of “conciliar” churches and approaching that of “Episcopal” churches. Missing is that sense of “association” of Spirit-led congregations in a “fellowship” for mutual support and common mission that has marked the Baptist movement, and in its place is a “top-down” organization controlled by a small Council with the authority to “enforce” policies, resolutions and doctrine on its Members on pain of dismissal. The Baptist conviction that free people and congregations can authentically respond to the leading of the Holy Spirit, without the coercion of state or ecclesiastical body, is replaced by a requirement of conformity to a rigid list of duties and policies (and doctrine) that can be expanded as time goes on.
It is crucial that pastors and congregations study this document, and the associated one on Regulations on Ministry. The latter one, by the way, creates new rules for the Church and Association Licenses to Minister and further enhances the control of the Board of Ministerial Standards over pastors.
The consultations may be an opportunity to work for change, although the Convention website is already indicating that the documents do little more than protect us from law suits and put current practice into writing. This does not suggest awareness of the radical nature of the changes being proposed or an openness to restoring our freedoms.
It is bothersome, to say the least, that these matters are being dealt with under the new "180 day" rule instead of giving Churches and Associations a full year of notice. Many churches had their Annual Meeting before these documents came out and I doubt most Associations are prepared to review them even though their powers are also being changed.
It is time for Atlantic Baptists to make their voices heard - our very identity as free Baptists is at stake!
CABC Consultation Road Show
A few from our church attended our local consult session. Perhaps the oddest line of the morning came from one of the three presenters. I was expressing concern about the sacrifice of our historic freedom of conscience. I kept asking what this document, which sacrifices that freedom, does that a very good liability insurance doesn't do. No real answer except that we might not have enough liability insurance.
This led to the odd musing onstage that followed: "Baptists are whatever they vote to be."
We could have an interesting time following this musing to some logical conclusions.