Declaring their intention to “give voice to younger leaders across the Southern Baptist Convention” who support the SBC’s conservative resurgence and its emphasis on biblical inerrancy, over 40 pastors and seminary professors met just outside Orlando recently for the first of a two-day meeting dubbed “The Joshua Convergence.”
By Joni B. Hannigan
Florida Baptist Witness
WINTER PARK (FBW) — Declaring their intention to “give voice to younger
leaders across the Southern Baptist Convention” who support the SBC’s
conservative resurgence and its emphasis on biblical inerrancy, over 40
pastors and seminary professors met just outside Orlando recently for
the first of a two-day meeting dubbed “The Joshua Convergence.”
Presenting seven “Principles of Affirmation” in the context of a
worship service, young leaders from throughout the country spoke of
truth, gratitude, service, holiness, unity, identity and mission.
The document expresses “deep thankfulness for those who have taken
[our] Convention back to its theological and spiritual moorings,”
crediting “godly men and women” with the furtherance of “seminaries
that champion God’s Word, evangelistic mission agencies, and a
Convention committed to the Great Commission.”
Each of the affirmations leads with a scripture verse from the Old
Testament book of Joshua and other verses are sprinkled throughout the
document.
The final affirmation states a “desire for the nations to hear the
gospel of Christ” and unabashedly supports the SBC’s Cooperative
Program, calling it “unusually blessed of God as a tool for training
and sending God-called servants to proclaim Christ.”
Speakers included Anthony George, pastor, Aloma Baptist Church, Winter
Park; Stephen Rummage, preaching pastor, Hickory Grove Baptist Church,
Charlotte, N.C.; Brad Reynolds, professor, Southeastern Baptist
Theological Seminary and pastor, Gravel Hill Baptist Church,
Clarksville, Va.; Jim Shaddix, pastor, Riverside Baptist Church,
Denver, Colo.; Emir Caner, professor, Southwestern Baptist Theological
Seminary; Jeff Crook, pastor, Blackshear Baptist, Atlanta, Ga.; and Roc
Collins, pastor, Indian Springs Baptist Church, Kingsport, Tenn.
In May, prior to the June annual meeting of the Southern Baptist
Convention, a group of of 31 met in Memphis and issued an eight-point
“Memphis Declaration” which expressed displeasure over what was called
a “narrowing of cooperation through exclusionary theological and
political agendas” in the SBC.
The Memphis Declaration gravitates towards general repentance of
“triumphalism” and “narcissism” about Southern Baptist ministries, and
speaks of an “arrogant spirit” and the condemnation of unbelievers. A
Baptist Press news story about the Memphis meeting at which the
document was signed, said “much of the concern expressed by
participants was motivated by recent developments at the SBC’s
International Mission Board and with other SBC entities and leaders.”
The Memphis Declaration itself, however, did not specify any particular
SBC entities or leaders, but by implication aired an exhaustive list of
behaviors which participants said needed correction. Each of the
signers of the Memphis Declaration, said, in the document, they meant
to “publicly repent” of such behaviors and committed themselves to
covenant with each other to take responsibility to continue to dialogue
about their concerns.
The Principles of Affirmation presented at “The Joshua Convergence” at
Aloma Baptist Church in Winter Park, were prefaced with the following
statement:
“The purpose of the Joshua Convergence is to give a voice to younger
leaders across the Southern Baptist Convention who are strongly
committed to biblical inerrancy, who support the goals and leadership
of the conservative resurgence, and who unashamedly embrace biblical
standards of separation and morality, in order that the Southern
Baptist Convention might continue to hold to the authority, inerrancy,
and sufficiency of Scripture in the future and the nations might be
transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ. Based on this purpose, we
affirm the following principles.”
The seven points of affirmation follow:
“1. Truth—‘This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night .…’ Joshua 1:8
“We affirm the inerrancy of Scripture and the need for Southern
Baptists to continue ‘to contend earnestly for the faith which was once
for all delivered to the saints’ (Jude 3). We maintain that any
departure from the sufficiency of Scripture in preaching, evangelism,
counseling, missions, ministry, or ecclesiology strikes against the
very truth and authority of God’s Word. Pride and human sinfulness will
draw believers away from biblical truth if they are not eternally
watchful. The battle for the Bible must be renewed in every generation.
We take our stand to continue in that battle.
“2. Gratitude—‘As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.’ Joshua 1:5
“We affirm our deep thankfulness for those who have taken our
Convention back to its theological and spiritual moorings. Because of
the prayers and personal sacrifice of these godly men and women, we are
the beneficiaries of seminaries that champion God’s Word, evangelistic
mission agencies, and a Convention committed to the Great Commission.
We are deeply disheartened by anyone who would malign the motives of
these godly leaders. Instead, we seek to continue in the direction they
have established, joining them in service to the Lord Jesus Christ with
the prayer that God’s hand of guidance would be with us.
“3. Service—‘Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and
in truth … as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.’ Joshua
24:14-15
“We affirm a God-given stewardship of service in our Convention in
order to bring about His kingdom purposes. Our Lord has said, ‘Whoever
desires to become great among you, let him be your servant’ (Matthew
20:26). We are aware that – as with any human organization – the
mechanisms of the Southern Baptist Convention can be manipulated. We
commit to refrain from such practices. Instead, we will serve through
any avenue God provides, not with the expectation of being elevated or
honored, but only to please Jesus Christ. We seek a spirit of humility
wherever we might serve.
“4. Holiness—‘And Joshua said to the people, ‘Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.’ Joshua 3:5
“We affirm personal purity and separation from worldliness. Convinced
that a redeemed life produces the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians
5:19-24), we abhor compromise of biblical holiness, modesty, and
temperance in the name of Christian liberty (Romans 6:15).
Though we do not endorse pharisaical legalism, we resist attempts to
accommodate standards of holiness to vacillating cultural norms. To
this end, we oppose the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages.
Throughout its history, our Convention has stood against the evils of
alcohol. The present generation can in good conscience do no other.
Further, we are unequivocally opposed to the antinomian attitude in
some Christian circles concerning unwholesome and immoral language,
cynicism, and profanity. We feel strongly that the Bible condemns such
actions.
“5. Unity—‘Now the whole congregation of the children of Israel
assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of meeting
there. And the land was subdued before them.’ Joshua 18:1
“We are fully committed to the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 as a
summary of our common beliefs, and we desire full cooperation with all
who share this commitment. Within our number are those with diverse
positions on the doctrines of grace, aspects of eschatology, approaches
to worship, and missions and evangelism strategy.
While we cherish opportunities to discuss these differences, we reject
all attitudes of mean-spiritedness, personal attacks, or intellectual
and spiritual arrogance in these debates. Instead, we pledge to
maintain a peaceable spirit and to work together in our common goal of
sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.
“6. Identity—‘That this may be a sign among you when your children ask
in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?”’ Joshua 4:6
“We are wholehearted in our dedication to Baptist ecclesiology as
expressed in Scripture for our understanding of what constitutes a
local church. We are Baptists by conviction not by tradition alone,
believing the fundamental principles which constitute a Baptist church
are the very ones which made up a New Testament church. Such essential
tenets of a believer’s church, founded upon the sole authority and
sufficiency of Scripture, include regenerate church membership,
believer’s baptism by immersion, believer’s Lord’s Supper as a
memorial, church discipline, local church autonomy, congregational
polity, confessional fidelity, priesthood of the believer, separation
of church and state, religious liberty, and an unwavering passion to
carry out the Great Commission. We should never be prideful in being
Baptist, but we should always be thankful in being Baptist.
“7. Mission—‘That all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the
Lord, that it is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.’
Joshua 4:24
“We affirm our desire for the nations to hear the gospel of Christ.
Based on this conviction, we are committed to be personal soul-winners,
to lead our churches and Convention in evangelism, and to support
worldwide church planting. We commit to give sacrificially to missions
and to encourage our churches continually to increase their missions
giving. We are convinced that the Cooperative Program has been
unusually blessed of God as a tool for training and sending God-called
servants to proclaim Christ. Without hesitation, we desire for all
Southern Baptist churches to grow in their giving to the Cooperative
Program and encourage our state conventions to send higher percentages
of Cooperative Program receipts to the Southern Baptist Convention.”