Somewhere in the neighborhood of 4,000 churches are counted as members of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina (BSC). The level of commitment to the BSC varies among the churches and shifts with the changing currents of BSC life.
Though some move along on the shoulders of inertia and never pause to think about the relationship, others pay closer attention. And, as the BSC has taken an ever-sharper turn to the right, many churches have begun establishing denominational relations committees or assigning to their deacons the task of becoming more informed and helping church members to make decisions that appropriately reflect the relative positions of the church and the convention.
As a service to the churches, Baptists Today is making available a file that combines a series of three articles on “The Changing Face of the Baptist State Convention.” The articles initially appeared in the March, April, and May 2008 issues. In their combined form, they may be freely downloaded, duplicated, and distributed to committee or church members who are interested.
The purpose of the articles is not to encourage churches to leave or to distance themselves from the Convention. As they learn more about where the BSC has come from and where it appears to be headed, some moderate Baptists will certainly feel less at home than before. On the other hand, more conservative churches, on reading the same information, may shout “Hallelujah!” and choose to raise their level of giving to the BSC.
Our job is to inform, and here are various ways to get the information:
1. Go to www.baptiststoday.org and click on “The Changing Face of the BSC” link, just above the box where the Baptists Today blog appears.
2. Click this link and go directly to the same download.
3. The articles are also posted on the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina website, and can be downloaded from this link.
The articles cover the period from 1980 through April 2008. Things continue to change rapidly, however, as one can see from a recent article in the Biblical Recorder, and this related blog. A more comprehensive column on developing changes will appear in the July issue of Baptists Today.
We believe that a more informed Baptist is a better Baptist, and remain committed to providing the kind of information that good Baptists need, not just in North Carolina, but across the Baptist world.
Professor of Old Testament at Campbell University Divinity School in Buies Creek, North Carolina, and the Contributing Editor and Curriculum Writer at Good Faith Media.
