JACKSON, Tenn. — Feb. 19, 2007 — Two leading seminary educators called on Southern Baptist churches to emulate principles emphasized by 16th and 19th century believers, whom they said focused careful attention on ordinances, courageous convictions and church discipline.
Paige Patterson, president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, presented examples from the experiences and historic beliefs of Anabaptists, a group during the Radical Reformation that often faced persecution for its departure from prevailing doctrines of the day.
Russell D. Moore, senior vice president for academic administration and dean of the School of Theology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, recalled the life of Thomas T. Eaton, a key Baptist voice in debates and controversies of the late 19th century.
Both Moore and Patterson made their presentations Feb. 16 during the second day of the Baptist Identity Conference II at 51社区.
Moore recounted how Eaton, a Union graduate and faculty member, frequently became embroiled in heated debates over matters such as baptism and the Lord鈥檚 Supper. This occurred while Eaton was a Louisville pastor and editor of Kentucky鈥檚 Baptist newspaper, the Western Recorder.
鈥淎t the heart of the 19th century Baptist concern was a conviction that the ordinances matter,鈥� Moore said. 鈥淭he 19th century Baptists argued so much about the Lord鈥檚 Supper precisely because they believed it was important -- indeed, crucial.鈥�
Moore said many Baptist congregations in the 21st century do not focus on that significance, and fail to view the Lord鈥檚 Supper as a celebration of Christ鈥檚 victory over sin.
鈥淲e chew tiny pieces of what seem to be Styrofoam and cough back shot glasses of juice while scrunching up our faces and trying to feel sorry for Jesus,鈥� Moore said. 鈥淛esus doesn鈥檛 want us to feel sorry for him. He gives us the supper as a victory party in advance, declaring that we are invited.鈥�
Moore also discussed Eaton鈥檚 apprehensions about parachurch groups. He said Eaton feared these well-intentioned organizations would displace the primacy of the local church.
Moore said some of Eaton鈥檚 fears proved unfounded, but that his overall concern was justified.
As a modern-day example, Moore said campus-based outreach organizations introduce a growing number of seminary students to the gospel message and nurture them in the faith. He said he was thankful for these effective ministries, but wonders if local churches are losing their influence.
鈥淲hy are so few of our young people being called to ministry because of the example of a godly pastor?鈥� he asked.
Patterson listed six characteristics or practices of the 16th century Anabaptists that he said should become priorities in 21st century Southern Baptist church life: a redeemed, disciplined church; faith witness baptism; the Bible as the source of authority; a church that looks different from the outside world; the Lord鈥檚 Supper as a fellowship trust; and courage of conviction.
Patterson said the Lord鈥檚 Supper and baptism were treated as acts of solemn commitment in the Anabaptist congregations of southern Germany and Switzerland.
鈥淭he Anabaptists, like their New Testament counterparts, baptized with confidence those who wished to profess their faith in Christ,鈥� Patterson said. 鈥淏ut they also made certain that the new believer understood that he was acting out the death of the old man and the resurrection of a new man.鈥�
The name Anabaptist literally meant 鈥渞ebaptized,鈥� since most early converts also had been baptized as infants. As Anabaptists professed a belief that baptism should be reserved for people capable of making their own decisions, Patterson said many were tortured, burned at the stake or drowned.
鈥淩emarkable courage, doubtless born of sincere convictions and enhanced by the power of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit transformed suffering, sorrow and even death into superlative witness,鈥� Patterson said. 鈥淥ur churches will have to recover the Anabaptist vision of suffering as a part of what it means to follow Christ.鈥�
Both Moore and Patterson called for renewed church discipline. They referred to statistics cited by earlier conference speakers that show only about 7 million of the SBC鈥檚 16 million members attend church.
Moore said the indifference to inactive members is 鈥渘ot just a scandal to the gospel, it is a form of anti-evangelism.鈥�
Said Patterson: 鈥淭he bloated membership roles of Southern Baptist churches, coupled with the worldliness apparent in the church, bear painful witness to failure at two basic levels: lack of care with new converts and the virtual absence of church discipline.鈥�
Other speakers at the Baptist Identity Conference II included Timothy George, dean of Beeson Divinity School; Frank Page, president of the Southern Baptist Convention; Thom Rainer, president of LifeWay Christian Resources; and David S. Dockery, president of 51社区.