I realise that this is not the real answer, but sometimes little things such as inserting on Church websites ( as set out below) create a sense of community and belonging and can create a temptation to think about such issues. I also think the Taskforce should consider what is taught to all Morling College students about our Baptist Identity.
1. Statement of faith
We believe that the Bible is the basis of our Faith and practice; therefore I think it would be good to have reference to a site that includes it, such as http://www.biblegateway.com/ Very few church websites do this.
2. A simple statement of Baptist Beliefs:
http://baptistnsw.asn.au/what_do_baptist_believe.html
3. Major NSW Baptist agencies in NSW:
NSW Baptists http://baptistnsw.asn.au/
Baptist Community Services - http://www.bcs.org.au/
Morling College - http://www.morling.nsw.edu.au/index.html
HopeStreet - http://www.hopestreet.org.au/
Baptist Youth Ministries - http://www.baptistyouthministries.org.au/
Baptist Investments & Finance - http://www.bif.com.au/
4. National:
BUA - http://www.baptist.org.au/
Crossover - http://www.crossover.baptist.org.au/
Baptist World Aid Australia - http://www.shareanopportunity.org/
Global Interaction - http://www.globalinteraction.org.au/index.php>>
5. International:
Baptist World Alliance - http://www.bwanet.org/
Another site that incorporates some very good features is http://www.teddingtonbaptist.org.uk/tbchome.htm The Virtual tour is very well done and I believe is used by schools to understand what a church is like and what happens. I do not know if you know anyone has the skills to adapt it.
John Church is a businessman and member of Gordon Baptist Church.
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John, that is an excellent idea, and I have pasted these links on our church website.
On a slightly different tack, perhaps we need to produce a DVD something like the Southern baptists have produced:
RESOURCE: Latest 'Forged by Faith'
DVD examines SBC identity
By Michael Foust
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Defining the identity of Southern Baptists isn't an easy task, but the latest film in the Forged by Faith DVD series seeks to do just that.
"Forged by Faith: A Character of Commitment" tells the story of Southern Baptists around the world and provides six examples of what makes them who they are. Just over 17 minutes, the DVD is the third film in a series to help Southern Baptists better understand and appreciate their heritage and beliefs. Designed particularly for use in small groups, Sunday School classes, new member orientation and special programs, the DVDs are produced by the SBC Executive Committee. Segments of each DVD also can be used for sermon illustrations and in worship services.
The first DVD in the series, "Forged by Faith: The Early Years," told the story of Southern Baptists' early history, while the second DVD, "Forged by Faith: One Sacred Effort," focused on the Cooperative Program. Other titles are in the works, including a forthcoming one looking at the Baptist Faith and Message. Previews of the films can be viewed online at www.sbc.net/forgedbyfaith.
"The film series is an updated way to supply information Southern Baptists once regularly received through the Training Union curriculum," said Morris H. Chapman, president and CEO of the Executive Committee. "When the idea surfaced in one of our executive leadership team meetings, I immediately approved the development of a prototype and eagerly looked forward to its production. When that first film was finished, we telecast it during an annual meeting in the convention hotel. The response was overwhelmingly positive, and a series was born."
D. August Boto, who has written and produced much of the series, said he hopes the resource will continue to gain recognition as a useful training tool.
"I have heard of some churches which have incorporated the films into their new member training," said Boto, executive vice president of the Executive Committee.
One pastor using the films is David Hill, pastor of Northside Baptist Church in Springfield, Ohio, and this year's chairman of the convention's Committee on Nominations.
The DVDs are "extremely well done," Hill said. "In fact, I showed them to my Wednesday night Bible study adult group, and they were so thrilled that they want me to do a sermon series on them. They want everyone to see them.
"We're going to use them for the whole church somehow," Hill said. "Since we no longer do disciple training here, we've really lost a lot in teaching our history and the way the convention works....I had people [who watched the DVD] saying, 'We didn't know this. We've never heard this.'"
The narration of the latest DVD, "A Character of Commitment," acknowledges that defining the Southern Baptist identity "is a challenge of significant proportion" due to "their broad range of diversity." But, it notes, there are six key characteristics that give Southern Baptists their identity.
Southern Baptists are:
-- Christians whose first loyalty is to Jesus.
"They do not believe that being Southern Baptist makes one a Christian," the narrator says. "They believe the only way to be a Christian is through an individual relationship with Jesus. They do not claim to be the only Christians or the only true Christian denomination or group. Southern Baptists identify with and pray for their brothers and sisters in Christ who work to advance the cause of Christ under another denominational or descriptive banner or as independent fellowships."
-- a people of the Book.
"They view God's Word as indispensable. This stems from their belief that sound doctrine can only come from the Bible, which they also believe to be entirely reliable and authoritative. They credit their growth in ranks and ministry -- at a time when other Christian groups have suffered decline -- to their staunch adherence to this high view of Scripture which they hold openly and unashamedly and often in spite of contrary popular opinion."
The narrator references the Baptist Faith and Message's article on the Bible and says it is based on the Apostle Paul's definition of Scripture in 2 Timothy 3:16.
"A strong characteristic displayed by most Southern Baptists is their individual and collective conviction that the value of any religious belief rises or falls in direct proportion to its biblical underpinning."
-- evangelical.
"Basically this means that they believe they have good news to share -- that good news being the Gospel message of the New Testament. They see the Great Commission, found in Matthew 28:19-20, as an assignment to all Christians.... Southern Baptists are enthusiastically mission-minded in their beliefs and practices, supporting an extremely large missionary personnel force both domestically and overseas. Southern Baptists are known for sharing the Gospel as a part of every ministry they offer or perform."
-- cooperative, resilient and adaptive.
"They're not uncomfortable with diversity and welcome open and heartfelt debate about matters affecting church practice and doctrine. They recognize the Holy Spirit at work through the wide variety of giftedness possessed by their members and often distribute ministry assignments accordingly."
A tour of various Southern Baptist churches, the narrator says, would show a "full range of worship styles," including formal and expressive. Additionally, Southern Baptist churches "include both multi-cultural and specific nationality types."
-- independent.
"They follow a congregational approach where each local church is autonomous or self-governing. Southern Baptists consider the highest authority to be God, with the next highest to be their own local church. An institution known as 'The Baptist Church' does not exist, but rather only local Baptist churches. For this reason Southern Baptists do not recognize religious authorities outside or above the local church.... A result of this mindset is that the various organizations with which the local churches choose to affiliate -- such as associations, state conventions and even the national Southern Baptist Convention -- have no authority over any church."
-- advocates of religious liberty who historically have been its guardian.
"In fact, most Americans are unaware that their Constitution's statement protecting freedom of religion is the direct result of political involvement by Colonial Baptists in the South. This is an illustration of the Baptist ability to navigate a healthy tension -- in that while Southern Baptists believe that government should not intrude into matters of faith, they also believe that an active faith should cause Christian involvement in government and public life. Southern Baptists maintain that keeping the identities and functions of church and state completely separate is best for both -- for when one has controlled the other down through history, corruption has resulted, and Christian work and reputation suffered."
Southern Baptists, the narrator says, "are as varied as God is creative."
"No two are alike," he says. "What draws them together is ... their joint and cooperative commitment to a common goal. Defining that goal goes a long way toward understanding who Southern Baptists are. So what is that goal? Simply stated, it is to reflect God's character as accurately as possible and to be at His service doing what He wants."
The Forged by Faith DVDs can be ordered online for $15 each at www.sbc.net/ForgedByFaith or by calling 1-866-722-5433
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Michael Foust is an assistant editor for Baptist Press. With reporting by David Roach, a writer based in Louisville, Ky.
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