The New Baptist Covenant — not “convention”— launched by leaders of varied Baptist organizations that met at The Carter Center in January has garnered a lot of attention. The presence of two former U.S. presidents, who are also Baptist laymen, always draws attention — and, of course, debate.

The group announced plans for an unprecedented gathering of diverse Baptists in Atlanta on Jan. 30 – Feb.1, 2008. Four historic African-American Baptist conventions — already cooperating after years of division — agreed to hold their annual meetings prior to the larger event.

National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. leader, Dr. William Shaw, said the four groups should deliver 10,000 participants to the New Covenant gathering that follows. Organizers hope more than 20,000 Baptists will fill the Georgia World Congress Center and present a positive image of Baptists.

The image preferred by New Covenant organizers is one of unity in diversity, marked by a common desire to tackle racism, poverty and other societal concerns. It would contrast with some public perceptions of Baptists as exclusive and judgmental.

To no one’s surprise, criticism — particularly from Southern Baptist Convention leaders — was quick to follow. They tried to paint the planned event with every negative brush possible.

Richard Land tagged the new alliance as a “pro-choice convention” — though that issue was not addressed and some very conservative Baptist groups are involved in the effort. More than one critic suggested the meeting’s real purpose had a secular political agenda. More far-fetched misrepresentations of the widely diverse Baptist leaders coalescing around the themes of unity, cooperation and addressing the most pressing social issues of the day would be hard to find.

Russ Moore, the young theology dean at Southern Baptist Seminary, was aghast that planners of the New Covenant event “don’t have a confessional statement.” This revelation should not be overlooked.

Moore represents the new Southern Baptist viewpoint that cooperation of any form should be limited to only those willing to embrace the SBC’s ever-narrowing list of beliefs. No wonder the SBC North American Mission Board is in shambles and convention leaders are battling internally over how International Mission Board missionaries can or cannot pray in private and with which Christian groups they can or cannot cooperate.

Instead of drafting a confessional statement, New Covenant planners went straight to be Bible. They focused on the challenging words in Luke 4 where Jesus, quoting the prophet Isaiah, calls for preaching Good News to the poor and giving release to the oppressed. For some Baptists, it seems, the Bible alone is just never enough.

With many gifted theologians and church historians among them, New Covenant proponents could develop a fine confessional statement if that were their purpose. But the New Covenant is not a new organization or any kind of merger. Rather it is an effort to pull existing organizations together for fellowship, worship and cooperation.

Based on recent experiences, no one expected Southern Baptist leaders — who led their denomination out of a century of involvement in the Baptist World Alliance because they could not control the worldwide fellowship — to join in this inclusive effort. However, there is hope that many Southern Baptist individuals and churches that do not share the arrogance and divisiveness of denominational leaders will choose to participate along with a wide variety of fellow Baptist Christians of different race, culture and experience.

Aside from the expected critics, however, there is a big challenge to be faced by those groups already committed to this effort. Just how wide are they willing to reach?

How diverse of a gathering are even non-fundamentalist Baptists willing to embrace? Will the Alliance of Baptists be included although their position on homosexuality makes some other Baptists uncomfortable? Can Baptists look beyond a single emotionally charged issue to cooperate on more widely held concerns?

How about some real Baptist diversity? Invite Ron Phillips, a charismatic Southern Baptist, to speak. His Chattanooga, Tenn., congregation changed its name to Abba’s House recently.

Phillips has changed as well. The former SBC Home Mission Board chairman has repented of his role in the fundamentalist takeover.

In a televised sermon series, Phillips quoted a lengthy section of Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech. Behind him were false brick walls inscribed with “racism,” “sexism” and “religion.”

Phillips invited women — including those who had been through “the hell of divorce” — to join him on stage to kick down the wall of sexism. All leadership roles are open to them he assured.

Likewise, people of color — and it is a racially diverse congregation — joined him in symbolically knocking down the wall of racism.

Phillips said his morning prayers are taking longer now. Rather than making snide remarks about neighboring churches as he used to do, Phillips said he prays for them, believing God is at work in those places as well.

It dawned on me that Phillips was preaching the same themes articulated in the New Baptist Covenant. Is there room for Charismatic Baptists who share a passion for wall removal? What’s a little more criticism from the self-appointed Baptist gatekeepers?

No, not all Baptists want to come to Atlanta next year for the big gathering. Some fear their supposed doctrinal purity would be at risk -- you know, guilt by association. They mistake friendly cooperation with condoning every belief and practice of those with whom one cooperates.

But an impressively wide variety of Baptists will be there — despite their differences and without a theological checklist. They will leave those concerns in the hands of individuals, congregations and conventions while reaching out to sisters and brothers they have not yet known.

Over the next year we have the chance to answer a big question. Can we handle some real Baptist diversity? This may be our best shot in a long while.