Reading the Baptist book

By Tony W. Cartledge

BR Editor

"It's time we realized that we're not on the same page," the writers often conclude, "so we should just admit it and go our separate ways."

I've read variations on that argument in both formal letters and e-mails during the past couple of years. I've heard it tossed about in conversation and voiced at conventions. The statement usually comes from someone who is confident that he or she holds a majority position, and the implication is that those who disagree should just leave their ball and go home.

In the particulars of Baptist life, the argument is most popular among the more strident conservatives, folks who would be pleased if moderates would just withdraw from the convention and stop getting in their way. Occasionally, frustrated moderates make the same case, arguing that they'd just as soon "let them have it" and go live in peace.

I do not believe this is a majority view in either camp, but it is heard often enough to warrant some comment. Can Baptists live together and cooperate with one another if they are not on the same page?

Let's explore that metaphor for a moment.

I've been involved with the writing of four published books so far, ranging from a 127-page compilation of columns to a 747-page commentary on 1-2 Samuel. Not one of those books includes even two pages that are identical, other than blank flyleaves in the front and back.

It takes many pages to make a book.

Empty notebooks or bound diaries may begin with all pages having the same blank or lined design - but even those books, if they are used, will wind up with something different on every page.

If one's purpose is to have a book worth reading, each page must complement or build upon the others, and none of them should be the same.

When the members of an organization limit themselves to a single page, the future and the perspective of said organization will be limited and ultimately sterile.

On the other hand, if the members of an organization are free to contribute from the perspectives of different pages, both the fellowship and the future of the group can be richer and more fruitful.

A primary strength of Baptists has been the diversity that arises from churches and individuals who donÕt necessarily stand on the same page.

We do read from the same book - and every Baptist I know regards the Bible as divinely inspired and sufficient to teach what we need to know about salvation and life under God. That does not mean we all interpret the Bible in the same way, however, and the freedom to differ on some matters of interpretation has contributed greatly to the vibrancy of our Baptist book.

With the exception of some frequently copied Baptist Sunday School Board designs from the 1950s, Baptist church buildings aren't made with a cookie-cutter, and neither are Baptist congregations.

Some congregations are highly evangelistic, while others are more socially conscious or missions minded. Some include strong elements of all three.

We have Baptist churches that believe the original King James Version is the only Bible that is truly inspired, and we have churches that encourage the use of modern translations.

Churches may have pipe organs, digital organs, pump organs, or no organ at all. Across our state, worship accompaniment may come from fiddles and mandolins, from a small orchestra, from a lone upright piano, or from sound tracks on tape. In some churches, multiple services feature varied worship styles.

We have churches that include women as ordained deacons or ministers, and other churches that do not.

Some of our churches have multiple staff members and are run like large corporations. Others operate like small family businesses, where everybody has a say on just about everything.

The themes of grace and inclusion predominate in some churches, while judgment and purity are more common themes in others.

It is absolutely accurate to say that North Carolina Baptists are not all on the same page. That is an undeniable fact.

The pertinent question is whether that is a good thing.

I think it is. I believe that our diversity makes us richer, stronger, and more flexible in facing the reality of today and the challenges of tomorrow.

I'm well aware that those who say everyone should be on the same page do not expect all churches to look, worship or work in the same way: their primary concern is that everyone should adopt the same approach to biblical interpretation, or at least the aspects of it that they happen to care most about.

Even so, I believe Baptists are stronger and better when we embrace the value of various approaches, rather than expecting all to adopt denominationally defined doctrine.

That is why Baptists, from their earliest days, have clung tightly to their belief in the soul competence of every believer and the bold autonomy of every church.

If we have to read from a single page, let that be the one.

TWC