UNION PRESIDENT LAUDS CARTER'S
EFFORT OF CONCILIATION
Jackson, Tenn. — 51ÉçÇø President David S. Dockery — one of more than 20 Southern Baptist signers of a statement on conciliation developed by former President Jimmy Carter — praised Carter's efforts to unite Baptists of various viewpoints around some key issues, including racial reconciliation and religious persecution.
The diverse group included leaders from the Southern Baptist Convention, American Baptist Churches, Baptist World Alliance and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. The signatories met at the Carter Center in Atlanta in November of last year and again in February, Carter said in a news release March 30. Twenty-two leaders met for the first meeting and eight were at the second meeting, Carter said.
Dockery, who participated in the gathering, described Carter as a "man of deep faith and piety and I pray that his efforts will be used to forge mutual respect among Baptists."
The statement adopted by the group of Baptist leaders called for a mutual spirit of Christian love and kindness, and pledged "we will treat each other with mutual respect as brothers and sisters in Christ. We will demonstrate this commitment in our personal devotions and public acts."
The statement also called for greater efforts in the area of racial conciliation, urging "every Baptist church to form a partnership with a church of a different culture or ethnic group." The document also pledged "our maximum efforts to end religious persecution in all nations and to encourage unfettered religious liberty for all peoples."
Dockery believes the document is a positive step toward greater Christian cooperation between groups which may hold differing theological viewpoints.
"I think Baptists everywhere will see the statement that has been put together as a hopeful sign for our common commitments to be salt and light in the world and to carry the gospel message to all nations. I thank God for the privilege to participate in this most significant event," Dockery said.
In addition to Dockery, SBC leaders identified as signing the declaration included: Tom Elliff, pastor of First Southern Baptist Church, Del City, Okla., and president of the SBC; Morris H. Chapman, president of the SBC Executive Committee; Paige Patterson, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary; James T. Draper Jr., president of the Sunday School Board; Dellanna W. O'Brien, executive director of the Woman's Missionary Union, SBC; Jim Henry, pastor of First Baptist Church, Orlando, Fla.; Timothy George, dean of the Beeson Divinity School, Samford University, Birmingham, Ala.; and others
Officials of American Baptist Churches who signed the declaration included Elaine Smith, president, and Daniel W. Weiss, general secretary, of the American Baptist Churches in the USA. Denton Lotz, general secretary of the Baptist World Alliance, signed the declaration. Cooperative Baptist Fellowship officials who signed the declaration included Daniel Vestal, coordinator, and Patricia Ayres, former moderator.