Baptist Historian Comments on Modern Baptist 'Transitions'

At a recent retreat for Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF) officials, Dr. Bill Leonard, long-time Dean at the Wake Forest University School of Divinity, gave a presentation on the state of current Baptist life, including summaries of the long-time strengths of Baptist ideology and the subsequent challenges for Baptists today.

Seventh Day Baptists have long been a part of the Baptist community, from our earliest days in England to the present, and the strengths and challenges Dr. Leonard suggests may face us as well. In any case, the series of two articles gives us plenty to think about.

In summarizing his remarks, Leonard gives us an encouraging look forward, noting:

Baptists must confront their history -- good and bad -- while claiming the best of their traditions as rooted in a believers’ church, their sacraments/ordinances, local-church identity/autonomy, freedom of conscience, countercultural dissent, religious liberty and the witness of the minority. Given their history, Baptists should lead the way toward a renewed Christocentrism (Christ-centeredness) amid radical religious pluralism. It is our best hope of remaining a viable gospel people amid the transitions ahead.

You can find the full text of the article here.