Europeans Saddened as SBC End 99 Year
Relationship with BWA
By Theo
Angelov, General
Secretary of the European Baptist Federation.
It is with
great sadness the Baptists in Europe learned of the decision of the Southern
Baptists in the U.S.A. to withdraw their membership in the Baptist World
Alliance. It has been clear for some time that the leaders of the Southern
Baptist Convention would push their constituents in this direction. For some
reasons Southern Baptists have followed their leaders in this wrong direction.
We are
surprised by an action that by its very nature is an offense to the biblical
call for unity and striving together to witness to a divided and lost world.
Will this action strengthen those working for God's Kingdom around the world?
Is Heaven rejoicing?
We are saddened because of the false accusations with which the leaders of the
SBC justify their position. They are a weak attempt to prove their own
righteousness. Take note when a person or group of people place themselves on a
higher level than others through unchristian methods. It is usually an
indication that they had to resort to such measures because their arguments had
no merits on their own.
We are amazed by the ignorance. The voices of Baptists around the world were
ignored; fellow Baptists once accepted as coworkers cut off and rebuffed. This
attitude is not Baptistic. Baptists are different. They are full of love. They
are humble people.
We are offended by the aggressiveness with which this separation was pushed
forward in the last months. Years ago, many of us became aware of problems in
the Southern Baptist Convention, but it seemed like an internal American problem
within the SBC. The leaders of the denomination insisted on introducing their
own battles into the rest of the world. It seems they needed an even broader
arena. We urged them not to export their problems. They wanted to make this
international and that is the reason for the accusations thrown against the rest
of the Baptist world. We have tried to explain to the leaders of the SBC that
we, the Baptists of the other continents, have enough problems with which we
must deal. We do not need North American problems. We have enough of our own.
Our pleas to them were unsuccessful.
We are terrified by the blindness with which they will destroy their own witness
and mission in the rest of the world. They cannot, or will not, see that the
world does not need strife; it needs disciples of Jesus, full of love and
humility. The success of mission work does not depend on the ideologically
pressed offensive or the money bags offered to insure worldly symbols of
success. Money may be used to "create" friends. But it is a mission strategy
like a house built on sand-—it will not stand.
The churches in Europe and especially in the eastern part of the continent went
through severe persecutions during the last century. Persecutions were not able
to wipe out the churches from the face of their countries. In some places
today, persecution in many diverse forms still continues. Here is our real
pain: in the time of our suffering, America was the example of democracy and the
Baptists in America were a source of help and hope. Now from the other side of
the Atlantic come authoritarianism, judgmentalism and division.
We are stunned at such an action coming from "mission-minded people." It is
inexplicable to us. We know the hearts of most Southern Baptists are full of
love and compassion, full of desire to help the world through mission work. How
can the "new politics" coexist with the expressions of love we have experienced
from congregations in the U.S.A. in the last century?
In our work and ministry, we will continue to serve Jesus and to bring the
message about Him in our world. We will do this in spite of the spirit of
secularization around us, the spirit of militant atheism against us, and in
spite of the spirit of selfrighteousness directed at us. We will appeal to our
constituency to work for unity among the churches and for the Kingdom of God.
This Kingdom is too strong and its Head is too high. We declare that we want to
stay on the side of Jesus.
We support the leaders and work of the BWA and all Baptists around the world,
especially in countries where our people still face persecution. We deeply
desire to be linked with the Baptist congregations in the U.S.A. who share this
determination. We want to assure all of them of our love and respect. Jesus is
higher than any human political plotting or authorities' ambitions. His church
still belongs to Him. We want to proclaim His name in the whole world.