Southern Baptist Convention leaders dropping 'Southern' from name over slavery connection
It's been an ongoing discussion since at least 2011, but is gaining momentum.
I suspect some on Tweb will be pleased, some will rant "too little too late", or some such, but it is what it is.
My brother, Rogue, asked what I thought about it, and my comments were pretty much....
A) Most of us (Southern Baptists) rarely use the name at all, since we are LOCAL churches, and are completely autonomous
2) It has become quite a distraction, and there's no need to "regionalize" a global entity
C) The SBC is unique among denominations, as we are NOT a "top down" organization - we don't have "delegates", we have "messengers"
D) The above means that we send representatives from the local churches to the Annual Meeting to tell THEM what we want, not the other way around
5) Much of the "structure" of the national/state/area/association is outmoded because the internet has made a lot of what we used to do no longer necessary
F) We USED to go to regional "associational offices" to pick up Sunday School material, order VBS material, and pickup up supplies and material - no longer necessary
7) MANY SBC Churches do not even identify themselves on signage or communications because it's unnecessary - our identity is "local church"
H) Our purpose as a global entity is to fulfill the Great Commission - which is why "Great Commission Baptists" is being considered as the new name
Our local association is already voting tomorrow to look at disbanding our own "association" for the reasons listed in 5) and F) above
It's been an ongoing discussion since at least 2011, but is gaining momentum.
I suspect some on Tweb will be pleased, some will rant "too little too late", or some such, but it is what it is.
My brother, Rogue, asked what I thought about it, and my comments were pretty much....
A) Most of us (Southern Baptists) rarely use the name at all, since we are LOCAL churches, and are completely autonomous
2) It has become quite a distraction, and there's no need to "regionalize" a global entity
C) The SBC is unique among denominations, as we are NOT a "top down" organization - we don't have "delegates", we have "messengers"
D) The above means that we send representatives from the local churches to the Annual Meeting to tell THEM what we want, not the other way around
5) Much of the "structure" of the national/state/area/association is outmoded because the internet has made a lot of what we used to do no longer necessary
F) We USED to go to regional "associational offices" to pick up Sunday School material, order VBS material, and pickup up supplies and material - no longer necessary
7) MANY SBC Churches do not even identify themselves on signage or communications because it's unnecessary - our identity is "local church"
H) Our purpose as a global entity is to fulfill the Great Commission - which is why "Great Commission Baptists" is being considered as the new name
Our local association is already voting tomorrow to look at disbanding our own "association" for the reasons listed in 5) and F) above
Comment