This weekend, I am traveling to
I’m not saying that no CBF churches are doing this, but I’m not seeing a whole lot of role models out there. I’ve enjoyed being exposed to churches that are doing outstanding ministry and reaching people for Christ, but I’ve not seen many CBF churches on the short list of churches that are really knocking it out of the park. Why is that? I don’t really know, but maybe we have so identified fundamentalism with evangelism, contemporary expressions of worship, focused outreach, empowered leadership, and church growth that when we turned our backs on fundamentalism, we turned our noses up at some of the very practices that make for dynamic churches. A lot of CBF churches are very proud of our classical worship, our traditional programs, support for historic Baptist principles, and so forth and we are genuinely perplexed as to why our churches are plateaued or declining. We’ve looked to the past to find our inspiration. We just need to remember to look to the future to find our direction as well. Maybe it’s time to reconsider what it really means to be a ‘moderate’ church and celebrate those things while not rejecting everything that is new, fresh, and dynamic. Well, I don’t know if CBF Wilmington is doing those things, but it will be an interesting weekend to learn from some fellow travelers on the journey.
What I love about Broadus is that we’re a church that has taken some bold risks in our history. We’ve been willing to try some things. I appreciate the church supporting me in my last few months in the Sustaining Pastoral Excellence Program that has enabled these trips. They have been a meaningful learning experience for me and I hope that some of that learning helps us as a church now and in the future.
You can check out FBC Wilmington at www.fbcwilmington.org.
1 comment:
Eric, as a moderate church, we have a powerful possibility to bring to Christ those among us who have been forsaken elsewhere, and to do it openly. I was highly impressed by the UCC's advertisements (eventually pulled) depicting open doors to homosexuals. There is also the possibility, in this liberal town, to reach out to African-Americans who may be turned off by the fundamentalism of many African-American Baptist Church's.
If we have walked away from the fundamentalism that would shut these folks out, we have to walk towards something else. I would say it's in our mission to bring those in who have never felt they belong. Invite them in, openly and publicly, not under the radar "tolerance."
We have targeted, specifically, university students. What courage it would demonstrate to target, specifically, gay people and people of color who need to know Christ, but feel that right has been taken away from them, or proscribed through a very narrow door.
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