I would like to bring a connection to the two most recent discussions here at our little blog. Just as I left town, someone asked what value there was in being an SBC church. Greg, or someone, has veered us into the current question raised by the recent past president of the convention.

In addition to the reasons given previously about why a church should be in friendly cooperation with the SBC, I would say that another long-standing reason to cooperate is for the fraternal fellowship that churches can have with one another. In the distant past in SBC life, a church’s local association served as a place for fellowship, guidance and wisdom on a host of matters that would come before a local congregation. The geographic proximity of churches led to the natural groupings that have been worked with for generations. A discussion like the one we are having on the role and value of a membership class would very naturally be shared by other similar churches. Why have this discussion as if we are the only church in Christendom? The diversity of Baptist church life may not make geographical groupings the most logical today, but the value remains that there is pastoral wisdom and guidance that can be found in coming together as churches. (I have to say though that I don’t see strong evidence in the NT for a bishop having authority over all of those churches in fellowship with one another, but I can imagine gifted leaders receiving deference by virtue of their gifting.) Lord willing, we might see and encourage more sharing of wisdom regarding pastoral questions among like minded churches in our area and beyond.

In this present conversation about membership classes, we have the thoughts of one pastor in the SBC, but we also know others who have differing thoughts about this topic. We can have the benefit of wisdom from others without having to take marching orders from them. Makes me feel bad for the unenlightened still serving under the tryanny of a bishop. As I think about it, the SBC could adopt the motto of the French revolution: “Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity.” Now who knew the SBC would have anything in common with the French?

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