Since his time in office, President Jimmy Carter has gone all-in on one specific mission: to unite Baptists toward common ministry, doing so through the New Baptist Covenant (NBC).
Those unfamiliar with Baptist history may not immediately grasp the significance of this goal. While current divisions among Baptists have more to do with doctrine and views of Scripture, original divisions were racial in nature. The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) was created in 1845 because the then-unified denomination, which included northern Baptists, refused to allow slave owners to serve as missionaries.
While SBC leaders like Russell Moore recognize that “racism is alive and well” in Southern Baptist churches, the SBC has publicly repented of its racist past and, more recently, repudiated the Confederate flag as a symbol of “horrific injustices against our African American brothers and sisters in Christ.” Its lobbying arm, the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, has condemned specific acts of racism in America, like the shooting of innocent blacks by police.
The NBC was formed in 2007 and, according to its website, strives to create “vibrant, inclusive Baptist communities, building bridges in places previously marked by division. We are called by God to champion the weak and oppressed, honor the diverse workings of the Holy Spirit and to share the love of Christ.” Baptists tied to the NBC have been carrying out such ministries for years now, but in light of recent events, its focus on diversity and cooperative ministry is newly relevant.
Southern Baptists have yet to formally opt in to the Covenant, partly due to ongoing political skepticism. As then–SBC president Frank Page told Christianity Today during the first NBC national meeting, “I have concerns when it seems this is organized and promoted by only those who are from a more moderate theological perspective. One has to wonder if there is a true openness to a dialogue and an inclusion of conservatives.”
Carter’s desire to bridge not only racial and geographical gaps but also theological ones may mean the New Baptist Covenant is a bridge too far. Southern Baptists will have to wrestle with the question of how much of their identity is tied up in whom they cooperate with.
According to Bill Leonard, Wake Forest professor of Baptist studies and church history, the NBC is an idea whose time has come. “It takes seriously the changing reality of denominations in general and Baptist denominations in particular: declining resources, aging constituency,” and demographic decline, said Leonard. “There’s a need to work on shared ministries because single denominations can no longer carry out diverse ministries with the same financial and staff-based methods they’ve been doing.”
The model is simple: occasional national meetings coupled with more frequent regional meetings focused on concrete ministry opportunities for local churches.
