An Open Letter to NSW & ACT Baptists
A Special Assembly held in February 2021 passed motions that hold significant consequences for our Association. We are concerned that our Association is locked into implementation of these without sufficient regard for the complexities they present for our pastors and churches and the challenges they pose to the relationship between the Association and its member churches. We write to let you know of our concerns.
The motions passed at the February Special Assembly require the removal from our Association of any church that does not support the Association’s basic beliefs, core values and objects and the withdrawal of the accreditation of any pastor who likewise does not subscribe to the Association’s basic beliefs, core values and objects.
It is our view that this represents a deep and fundamental break with what we understand is central to a Baptist way of being church.
British Baptist theologian Nigel Wright points out that “Baptists are at the radical end of the Protestant spectrum and represent a markedly different way of being the Church of Jesus Christ. They have broken with the idea that the church was ever called to be an imperial institution exercising sacred power over its members and with the power to command. They came to see it as a free community of the redeemed, of those committed to voluntary and wholehearted commitment to the way of Christ pursued in solidarity and mutual affirmation.” (Nigel Wright, “Baptist Christians Repentant and Unrepentant” in Cohen and Parsons, Beyond 400. Exploring Baptist Futures.)
Central to this way of being church is our recognition that every local church has Christ as its head and that it is the responsibility of its members gathered, with Christ in their midst and the Scriptures as their rule of faith, to discern the will of Christ for their faith, life and mission.
This has significant implications for the shape of our Association of churches. Our Association exists for member churches to support and consult with one another, but has no place prescribing what member churches must believe and practise. We are an association of local churches that share allegiance to Christ the Lord and a commitment to the Scriptures as our rule of faith, but often reach diverse conclusions as to what the Scriptures say and mean and on their application to our local contexts. Consequently, on those occasions in which our diversity has provoked strong debate between our churches and on the floor of our assemblies, we have found our way forward not by dividing or excluding but by making space for one another.
This has never prevented the Association from making statements of beliefs, values or purposes. We have however regarded these as confessional, that is, descriptions of the consensus position of our member churches, with churches and individuals free to dissent. We have steadfastly refused to treat our statements as creedal, that is, as prescriptive positions to which churches and individuals must conform.
The motions passed at the February Assembly break with these core principles of Baptist practice. Their specific purpose is to prevent member churches and their pastors holding any position that differs at any point with the Association’s basic beliefs, core values or objects statements. To ensure compliance they introduce the requirement that pastors and churches make regular, formal declarations of their alignment with the Association’s basic beliefs, core values and objects and require the disaffiliation of churches and discreditation of pastors that fail to do so. They turn our confessions into creeds, invert the relationship between church and Association, and intrude on the relationship between Christ and every local church.
We cannot support such a shift and will not participate in processes that require us to do so. We are already seeing destructive fallout from the decisions of the February Assembly in a number of our churches and believe the consequences for Baptist churches and our Association will multiply. We intend to explain the risks to our churches and to urge them to join us in supporting a traditional Baptist understanding of the priesthood of all believers and the autonomy of the local church.
We do not have any confidence that it was the intention of the February Special Assembly to break with a Baptist way of being church, nor that it is prudent to proceed with implementation of motions that bear so heavily on our pastors, churches and Association when almost 4 in 10 votes were cast against them.
In view of the matters we are raising, we call the Association to pause implementation of the motions of the February Special Assembly until the member churches have given sufficient time to reflect on the nature of what it is to be Baptist churches in a Baptist Association.
Posted September 17, 2021
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An Open Letter to NSW & ACT Baptists
Signatories
220 | Sharon Debenham | Church Member |
219 | Bruce Debenham | Church Member |
218 | Narelle Hampe | Church Member |
217 | David Hampe | Church Member |
216 | Iven Laufer | Church Member |
215 | Marcia Balzer | Church Leader |
214 | David Deal | Accredited Pastor |
213 | Georgina Hulme | Non Accredited Pastor |
212 | Abby Gibson | Church Member |
211 | Ruth Hamilton | Church Member |
210 | Roslyn Hancock | Church Member |
209 | Alan LIVINGSTON | Non Accredited Pastor |
208 | Jess Stevens | Church Member |
207 | Andrew Roberts | Church Member |
206 | Andrew Hulme | Accredited Pastor |
205 | Russell Hancock | Church Member |
204 | Jono Dorse | Non Accredited Pastor |
203 | Stephen Walter | Church Member |
202 | Stephen Logan | Church Member |
201 | Brendan Handel | Accredited Pastor |
200 | Bethany Parson | Church Member |
199 | Greg Lear | Church Member |
198 | Janine Laidler | Church Member |
197 | James Clarke | Church Member |
196 | Vikki Howorth | Church Member |
195 | David Carpenter | Church Member |
194 | Maddison Wales | Church Member |
193 | Emma Lalic | Church Member |
192 | Rick Middleton | Church Leader |
191 | Ruth Middleton | Church Member |
190 | Barbara Scott | Church Member |
189 | Arden Cassie | Church Member |
188 | Robert Gibson | Church Member |
187 | Natalie Stackhouse | Church Member |
186 | Leona Goodman | Church Member |
185 | Alan Hood | Accredited Pastor |
184 | Judy Kay | Church Member |
183 | Ella Palmer | Church Member |
182 | Peter Kilpatrick | Church Member |
181 | Sally Pilgrim | Church Member |
180 | Shawnee Schmid | Church Leader |
179 | Sue Gould | Church Leader |
178 | Susan Lear | Church Member |
177 | Dorothee Wenner | Church Leader |
176 | Lesley Burgess | Church Leader |
175 | Tracy Wright | Church Leader |
174 | Bruce Millar | Church Leader |
173 | Alwynne Gray | |
172 | John Lewis | Accredited Pastor |
171 | Rosemary Schaffler | Church Leader |
170 | Niall Robb | Church Member |
169 | Dan Walz | Accredited Pastor |
168 | Richard Nash | Non Accredited Pastor |
167 | Mike Jones | Accredited Pastor |
166 | Shannon King | Accredited Pastor |
165 | Mark Hall | Non Accredited Pastor |
164 | Paul Johnson | Church Member |
163 | Terry Logan | Church Member |
162 | Peter GREEN | Retired Pastor |
161 | Ben Rodgers | Accredited Pastor |
160 | Daniel Waugh | Accredited Pastor |
159 | Thomas Schmid | Accredited Pastor |
158 | Vu Thien An Le | Accredited Pastor |
157 | Ric Sindel | Accredited Pastor |
156 | Don Wright | Accredited Pastor |
155 | David Choi | Accredited Pastor |
154 | Peter Junor | Accredited Pastor |
153 | Ian Stanfield | Accredited Pastor |
152 | Anne Kilcullen | Church Member |
151 | Canberra Baptist Church | Church/Congregation |
150 | Sue Lavery | Church Member |
149 | Rob Ellis | Church Member |
148 | Keith Joyce | Church Member |
147 | John Higgins | Church Member |
146 | Richard Bauer | Church Member |
145 | Aaron Rose | Church Member |
144 | Jen Rose | Church Member |
143 | Glenn Jackson | Church Member |
142 | Meryl Jackson | Church Member |
141 | Liz Blackwell | Church Member |
140 | Emily Stein | Church Member |
139 | John Morrison | Accredited Pastor |
138 | Jill Lorenzen | Church Member |
137 | Sharon Cox | Church Member |
136 | Elaine Mercier | Church Member |
135 | Edna Jones | Church Member |
134 | Les Steinl9 | Church Member |
133 | Diana Amos | Church Member |
132 | Neale Amos | Church Member |
131 | Jack Styles | Non Accredited Pastor |
130 | Ross Young | Church Member |
129 | Douglas Sotheren | Retired Pastor |
128 | Barbara Arndell | Church Member |
127 | Annette Conlon | Church Member |
126 | Wendy Schaefer | Church Member |
125 | Ross Dickens | Church Member |
124 | Christine Lambert | Church Member |
123 | Noeleen Horswell | Church Member |
122 | MERILYN HUNT | Church Member |
121 | RAY HUNT | Church Member |
120 | Harry Brooks | Church Member |
119 | Cindy Selwood | Church Member |
118 | Donald White | Church Member |
117 | Patrick Aristobil-Adele | Church Member |
116 | Christene Apps | Church Member |
115 | Heather Jordan | Church Member |
114 | Lynette Hunter | Church Member |
113 | Peter Hunter | Church Member |
112 | Clive Dillen | Church Member |
111 | Tim Lindsay | Church Member |
110 | Virginia O’Bree | Church Member |
109 | Doreen Battle | Church Member |
108 | Steve Cooper | Accredited Pastor |
107 | ROGER KEMP | Retired Pastor |
106 | Glenys Wakeford | Church Member |
105 | Helen Holly | Church Member |
104 | Russell Holly | Church Member |
103 | Mandy Gray | Non Accredited Pastor |
102 | Neil Harris | Church Member |
101 | Barbara Kent | Church Member |
100 | Geoff Crawford | Church Member |
99 | Melanie Wellings | Church Leader |
98 | Tony Richardson | Accredited Pastor |
97 | Glenn Bower | Church Member |
96 | Carolyn Altman | Church Member |
95 | Ian Altman | Accredited Pastor |
94 | Gary Hilton | Church Member |
93 | Peter Churcher | Church Member |
92 | Helen Hilton | Church Member |
91 | Skye Callan | Church Member |
90 | Steve Callan | Accredited Pastor |
89 | colin cowling | Accredited Pastor |
88 | Douglas Hynd | Church Member |
87 | Catherine Stafford | Church Member |
86 | Robyn Richardson | Accredited Pastor |
85 | Sue Williams | Church Member |
84 | Rebecca Hilton | Church Member |
83 | Helen Stafford | Church Member |
82 | Kathy Joyce | Church Member |
81 | Ella Whateley | Church Member |
80 | Janelle Lamont | Church Member |
79 | John Clark | Church Member |
78 | Lucy Gledhill | Church Member |
77 | Miriam Downey | Church Member |
76 | Andrew Jackson | Church Member |
75 | John Fletcher | Church Leader |
74 | Gill FLETCHER | Church Member |
73 | Mark Falson | Church Member |
72 | Graham Weir | Accredited Pastor |
71 | Rose Weir | Church Leader |
70 | Emma Walsh | Accredited Pastor |
69 | Danelle McLeay | Accredited Pastor |
68 | Chris Clarke | Accredited Pastor |
67 | Bradley Blacker | Non Accredited Pastor |
66 | Peter GREEN | Retired Pastor |
65 | Heather Hollier | Church Member |
64 | Paul Hollier | Church Member |
63 | Peter Archer | Accredited Pastor |
62 | Ian Packer | Church Member |
61 | Karen Quah | Non Accredited Pastor |
60 | Lyn Kidson | Church Member |
59 | Christal Richardson | Church Leader |
58 | Rosanne Marsden | Church Member |
57 | Ken Clendinning | Accredited Pastor |
56 | Merrill Dodson-Wellings | Church Member |
55 | Mark Wellings | Church Member |
54 | Darrell Jackson | Accredited Pastor |
53 | Jennie Clarke | Accredited Pastor |
52 | Thorwald Lorenzen | Church Member |
51 | Emma Matheson | Church Member |
50 | Erin Sessions | Non Accredited Pastor |
49 | Dave Rowe | Retired Pastor |
48 | Gary Izzard | Accredited Pastor |
47 | Cheryl Clendinning | Accredited Pastor |
46 | Pip Miner | Church Leader |
45 | Philip Waugh | Accredited Pastor |
44 | Hayley-Jayne Bernhardt | Non Accredited Pastor |
43 | Daphne Bate | Church Member |
42 | Ian Reid | Church Leader |
41 | Rob Mcgowan | Church Member |
40 | Thomas Walton | Non Accredited Pastor |
39 | Vivian Grice | Accredited Pastor |
38 | Todd Darvas | Non Accredited Pastor |
37 | Benj Gould | Non Accredited Pastor |
36 | Christine McPherson | Non Accredited Pastor |
35 | John Reid | Retired Pastor |
34 | Ian Vippond | Accredited Pastor |
33 | Darryl Spicer | Accredited Pastor |
32 | Paul Falconer | Retired Pastor |
31 | Gerlinde Spencer | Church Member |
30 | Dean Moore | Accredited Pastor |
29 | Rob French | Accredited Pastor |
28 | Ian Spencer | Retired Pastor |
27 | James Piper | Church Leader |
26 | Virginia Ellis | Church Member |
25 | John Merchant | Accredited Pastor |
24 | Chris McGowan | Accredited Pastor |
23 | Sid Grindley | Accredited Pastor |
22 | Kelly Crawford | Church Member |
21 | Alan Anderson | Church Leader |
20 | Amy Watkins | Non Accredited Pastor |
19 | Graham Hill | Accredited Pastor |
18 | Matt Beckenham | Non Accredited Pastor |
17 | Mitch Forbes | Accredited Pastor |
16 | Jeanette Mathews | Accredited Pastor |
15 | Andrew Dodd | Accredited Pastor |
14 | Katie Watson | Church Member |
13 | James Kime | Retired Pastor |
12 | John Cavanough | Church Leader |
11 | Josh Dowton | Non Accredited Pastor |
10 | Graeme Anderson | Accredited Pastor |
9 | Mark Beresford | Accredited Pastor |
8 | Phil Smith | Church Member |
7 | Christine Redwood | Accredited Pastor |
6 | Joel Small | Accredited Pastor |
5 | Will Small | Non Accredited Pastor |
4 | Belinda Groves | Accredited Pastor |
3 | Scott Higgins | Accredited Pastor |
2 | Andrew Robb | Accredited Pastor |
1 | Andrew Palmer | Accredited Pastor |