Motions approved by
messengers to the Baptist State Convention (BSC) Nov. 9 call for studies on
North Carolina Baptists’ position on alcohol and on adopting the Baptist Faith
and Message 2000 as the statement of doctrinal parameters for the Convention.
Tim Rogers, pastor of
Ebenezer Baptist Church in Indian Trail, introduced the motion on alcohol
because of concerns that failure to address the issue specifically was implying
approval of moderate social drinking, when he believes abstinence is the only
appropriate stance for a Christian.
Mark Creech, a member of
Carter’s Chapel Baptist Church in Selma and executive director of the Christian
Action League in North Carolina, supported the motion, saying he is disturbed
about the “loose and even irresponsible way” the church approaches the issue of
beverage alcohol use.
“We have a whole new group
coming up that don’t have a strong biblical position on alcohol use,” Creech
said from his booth in the exhibit hall later. “They advocate moderation rather
than abstention.”
Creech said he’s seeing
“slippage in the Baptist ranks” concerning their attitudes toward social
drinking. “We need to draw a line,” he said.
Yet in his comments supporting
the motion, Creech said the motion “would do nothing to violate a person’s
personal convictions on alcohol use” but rather would develop a policy that
“requires Convention leadership and various ministries set the highest
example.”
Rogers’ goal is a policy
that employs, releases funds for church planting, and nominates only persons
serving on the board of the BSC, or any agency or institution, who personally
do not uses and publicly advocate total abstinence from the social use of
beverage alcohol.
Rogers was prompted to
present the motion by photographs of non-BSC church planters with alcohol, and
statements by a prominent North Carolina Baptist pastor that he would consume
alcohol if “not drinking” would be a stumbling block to winning a person to Christ.
To argue that there is any situation where not drinking “would hurt the cause
of the gospel” is a false argument, said Rogers, who found encouragement from
other pastors to present the motion, but none that would help him place it
before the Convention. Rogers said after he presented his motion, “I was
concerned that if we continued down the road we would end up affirming the
social use of beverage alcohol.”
While a motion against
beverage alcohol was approved at the 2006 Southern Baptist Convention meeting
in Greensboro, it did not pass without opposition and Rogers was dismayed at
the picture offered to the public that had Baptist pastors arguing against
abstinence. He says his motion does not address a church’s position, but
“merely directs a policy to be implemented that states to the world, the
Southern Baptists that make up the North Carolina Baptist State Convention
oppose the moderate use of beverage alcohol and we will not employ anyone that
advances its use.”
Motion for BF&M
Phil Addison, pastor of
Stony Point Baptist Church in Stony Point and a member of the BSC board of
directors, asked messengers to “direct the Board of Directors to study and come
with recommendations concerning the adoption of the Baptist Faith and message
2000 as the doctrinal statement for the North Carolina Baptist State
Convention.”
Addison said it is time to
adopt “doctrinal parameters” that will be beneficial to church planting,
discipleship and church health.
“Many issues we face in the
Convention would not have been issues years ago if we’d have had doctrinal
parameters,” Addison said. “Somehow we’ve never decided we’re Southern Baptist”
and will work with the Baptist Faith and Message, he said.
“It’s time we get this mess
behind us,” he said, without detailing the “mess” to which he referred.
Adopting any creedal
statement has long been anathema to Baptists until the “conservative
resurgence” in Southern Baptist life prompted a restatement of “Baptist
beliefs.”
No statement is binding on
any autonomous church, although the arguments that result in discussion about
such statements have caused significant controversy wherever it has been
introduced.