| BAPTISTS TODAY
News Release www.baptiststoday.org |
October 11, 2005
VALLEY FORGE, Penn. — American Baptist Churches, USA is experiencing funding losses due to divisions over homosexuality, but not collapsing, said Roy Medley, general secretary of the venerable denominational group known earlier as the Northern Baptist Convention.
“Some of the headlines like in a Christian Century web article which speak of a stampede are just untrue,” said Medley. “At our Biennial meeting, which was held in Denver this past year, two-thirds to three-fourths of the delegates clearly expressed their commitment to remaining united through this time of dissension.
Leaders of the Pacific Southwest Region (PSW), that includes Southern California, voted Sept. 13 to began pulling out of the denominational body. While some other regional bodies of American Baptists still debate the issue, the full impact of the controversy remains undetermined.
Medley said that he and PSW executive minister Dale Salico have sought to avoid “an atmosphere of charge-countercharge” in the media.
“We have consistently communicated to PSW that it is not our wish that they withdraw from the covenant of relationships,” said Medley. “Our polity grants them the freedom to order their life as a region as they choose as it does other regions.”
Often the press does not always understand a church structure that is not
hierarchical, said Medley, and that the rights and privileges of local
congregations can never be usurped by an over-reaching General Board or general
secretary.
“I have consistently stressed that the inability of the General Board to impose
any resolution upon our member churches is not a flaw in our system,” said
Medley, “but was an intentional design in the denomination.”
Funding shortfalls have caused ABC leaders to rework aspects of the denominational structure including a big hit to the communications office. Longtime communications leader Richard Schramm is retiring from his post but will remain as a consultant to ABC. Other communication positions were eliminated.
Medley said the decisions were based on recommendations from nationally known consultants McConkey & Johnston and resulted in the merger of two divisions — communications and missions/stewardship development.
“We have formed a new division called Mission Resource Development,” said Medley. “This new entity will be responsible for communicating the ABC story effectively with our family and the larger church as well.”
Medley said the restructuring is similar to what the Baptist World Alliance did following the withdrawal of funding from the Southern Baptist Convention. The new effort, he said, will focus on electronic communication.
“One example is that we have posted the work of a group of 150 pastors and laity which just occurred and which focused on five key ministry areas adopted by the General Board in June,” said Medley. “That type of communication would not have been possible using print media alone. We are mindful that print is still an important communications tool and we will not be ignoring it, but the direction is clearly towards electronic media usage.”
Despite dealing with significant fallout over the homosexuality controversy, American Baptists have adopted a new mission statement and are building cooperative partnerships with other Baptist groups.
Medley said the new statement focuses on fostering “missional congregations” to make and grow disciples, and that ABC remains “a denomination committed to a complete gospel of personal salvation which is lived out through lives centered in Christ and at work through embracing the world…”
He added that American Baptists are “energized” by growing relationships with other groups such as the Progressive National Baptist Convention, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and the Church of the Brethren.
“ABC is not collapsing,” said Medley. “Our mission focus and call are clear.
We intend to focus on them like a laser beam.”
(John Pierce is executive editor of Baptists Today, an autonomous,
national news journal based in Macon, Ga.)