Sermon Date: June 5, 2005

“There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.” (Gal. 3:28)

I don’t know when we began celebrating Religious Liberty Sunday but it is important that we do. We Baptists have been important in recognizing the need for separation of church and state, the need for freedom of religion and the role it plays in our world today. Because of Baptists like John Leland, Roger Williams and Isaac Backus, we are free to choose the church of our choice and not be forced to pay taxes to support a state church.

So today, on Religious Liberty Sunday, let us celebrate the freedom given to us to worship God.

Scripture Litany

One: We are American Baptists, a cooperative effort of 5,800 congregations, 35 regional organizations and a number of national and international agencies have resulted in fruitful accomplishments in evangelism and social outreach.

All: We claim Jesus’ words as he said, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” We will do our part to share the gospel message with those around us.

One: Since 1948, we American Baptists have enabled more than 75,000 people

from dozens of other countries to find "a safe haven" within the U.S.--an accomplishment unmatched by any other Protestant body.

All: Amos says: “Let justice roll like a river.” We will do our part to ensure that justice is present is our community and our world. We will speak for those who cannot speak, for those who are not heard.

One: As American Baptists we are equipped by God to do the work that must be done.

All: “He gave these gifts to the church; the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.”

One: Being American Baptists does not mean that we are God’s only voice or that we must also agree on all issues. It does mean first and foremost that we claim Jesus as our Lord and Savior and that we are to share the gospel with everyone, everywhere.

All: “when the Holy Spirit has come upon us, we will receive power and tell people about Jesus everywhere – in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, in Lafayette, and to the ends of the earth.” Thanks be to God.

Sermon: “Why I am an American Baptist”

We all have different stories as to why we belong to the churches we do. In celebrating Religious Liberty Sunday, I have asked two other members to share their stories as to why they are American Baptists.

From Rod Zambrows:

From Deana Potterf:

Like many of you, I’m what Pastor Peg refers to as a “cradle to grave” American Baptist. Looking back on it, it’s really not surprising that I’m an American Baptist considering my parents’ profound influence on my life. They were both raised in other Christian denominations, but they were extremely active in the Baptist Temple in Logansport, where I was raised.

I also have childhood memories of attending Camp Tippecanoe, an American Baptist camp. My sister went to camp there too, and worked there during the summers while she was in college. I even have a scar from when I was a little girl visiting her at camp. I guess you could say that I’ve been tattooed by an ABC facility.

We moved to Lafayette when I was a sophomore in high school. And as many people do, we shopped around a little before making First Baptist Church our home. We considered the big Baptist church on the east side, but found them to be a little conservative. And at the time, we didn’t even know the half of it. So, American Baptist blood runs deep in this 32-year-old body. It’s the only denomination I’ve ever known.

As I’ve been thinking about this topic, it dawns on me that being an American Baptist has been secondary to being a member of a church that I consider home. So, I guess I’m wondering if I’m an American Baptist for the sake of being American Baptist, or because that’s the type of church that I’m most comfortable in.

The two American Baptist Churches that I’ve been part of have had distinct differences, but that may also be a sign of the times. At the Baptist Temple, there was a very good reason why they had a “women’s Sunday”, because women didn’t really participate as ushers or serve communion on any other Sunday. That was in the 70s and early 80s, so I’m not sure if it’s still that way today, but I’m proud to now belong to a church that values my role in service to our Lord Jesus Christ.

I recently visited the American Baptist Churches USA Web site to do a little research for this project. And while I was there, I read some of the policy statements and resolutions.

Some of them made me wonder about where our denomination is heading. And some of them made me down right angry. However, that’s what I love about our church.

First of all, I love that I can stand up here and tell you that I disagreed with some of the statements. Because as Pastor Peg mentioned a few weeks ago, even if our denomination is having a difficult time getting there, our American Baptist church right here in Lafayette, Indiana has figured out how to agree to disagree, let each other have our own opinions, and still worship together for the glory of God.

I also found some other un-official ABC Web sites that summed up being an American Baptist like this…

In common with centuries of Baptist tradition, each congregation has almost complete autonomy within the denomination. American Baptist Churches USA affirms that "our priority as a denomination is to affirm, support and challenge congregations as they live out their mission". The Commission on American Baptist Identity emphasizes that our denomination:

cares "for the needy, the weak, and the oppressed"
seeks "justice for all persons"
finds "unity in diversity / and / diversity in unity.."
embraces "a pluralism of race, ethnicity, and gender" 4
respects "individual difference of conviction and theology"

Those statements make me proud to be an American Baptist.

I pray that our denomination will accomplish what our church has already accomplished: a spirit of study, thoughtful prayer and discussion - none of us acting as though we have all the answers or a specific doctrine other than to follow Jesus. After all, as we’ve heard from Pastor Peg on more than one occasion, where 3 or more of us American Baptist’s are gathered, you’ll find 5 or 6 different opinions.

I’ve really appreciated being able to do this. It’s made me think about why I’m an American Baptist. And as you’ve heard, there are many internal and external reasons why I am. Above all, I wouldn’t know how to worship any other way.

From Nick Starr:

I have been a member of two churches. The first church was the church I was baptized in as a teenage. It was the First Baptist Church of Salem, Indiana. The second church was this church. Both are American Baptist Churches, USA.

I was raised in the Salem church and went to church camp at Indian Creek and was baptized in my home church after attending a rewarding week at camp.

While attending the church in Salem I didn’t know the differences from one denomination to another. I knew I was raised in a church where the adults supported me and treated me as one of their own.

After leaving Salem and coming to Purdue my church attendance, shall I say, was scarce. I found reasons not to attend church. After Carol and I got married and after our second child, we decided we needed to find a church to raise our kids in. We attended a few churches and some were Baptist but they weren’t like the Baptist church I was raised in. Carol wasn’t comfortable with any of the churches either. Then we decided to try this church again because we had attended church service here before.

After becoming involved with the Young Homebuilders Sunday School Class (noticed I used the original name) we began to learn what American Baptist Churches stood for and we liked that. O. U. Sullivan was a very dedicated Sunday School teacher and I was grateful for his faithfulness. Through our interactions in that class we began to learn that ABC stood for ideas that we had been looking for. We learned that it was okay to have different views of the Bible and not feel like we had committed a sin. We found out that people in this church accepted people from all walks of life, even accepting a hick from Southern Indiana. We found out that this church decided what projects it wanted to do for the people of this community. We also learned that ABC had very good national and international missions that we could contribute to in our own small way. We found this out while worshiping with people who had conservative as well as liberal ideas of the Bible. It was refreshing to be able to have a lively discussion of the Bible with other members and no one left the church over differing ideas. I have seen visitors with a very ridged outlook on life come and join our class discussion only to leave and never return after finding out that everybody did not agree with their views.

This church is an accepting church. This is what I believe American Baptist Churches, USA stand for. I believe this church is special. I hope we continue to be a special church. I believe the history of the American Baptist Churches, USA makes us special.

From Pastor Peg:

I didn’t actually understand the difference in one Baptist from another until I moved away from Scottsburg and began attending an ABC church in Indianapolis. In my church search I learned that not all Baptists think the same way. Then I happened by Emerson Avenue Baptist Church, walked in the door and felt at home.

Some years later I began chair of the search committee and realized while there are much freedom in local church autonomy, there are many frustrations as well. One day I called my mother and asked just why we were American Baptists and she said that it was the only Baptist church in town then. So began my story with the ABC. In fact, like Deana, I too am a cradle to grave Baptist, or at least that is my plan.

I learned more about ABC in seminary. Gene Ton, professor of Baptist Polity class – (polity meaning, the way we do things) helped me to really understand what we are all about. In Walter Shurden’s book, FOUR FRAGILE FREEDOMS, he talks about what makes us uniquely Baptist, not American Baptist, but Baptist.*

I love the notion that we stand for local church autonomy, freedom to worship as the individual congregation decides, freedom to interpret the scriptures for self, within the body of the church; freedom to be in ministry, regardless of whether one is ordained or not.

However, I admit to fears about the direction we are heading but still believe that it is our right to stand up for what we believe, to stand firmly for the fragile freedoms and work to protect them.

I have served in the United Methodist churches, attended a Christian Church, Disciples of Christ seminary, attended numerous church services but the ABC is home and always will be. I am an American Baptist because it is home.

THE BAPTIST IDENTITY:

FOUR FRAGILE FREEDOMS*

By Walter Shurden

BIBLE FREEDOM is the historic Baptist affirmation that the Bible, under the Lordship of Christ, must be central in the life of the individual and church and that Christians, with the best and most scholarly tools of inquiry, are both free and obligated to study and obey the Scripture.

SOUL FREEDOM is the historic affirmation of the inalienable right and responsibility of every person to deal with God without creed, the interference of clergy, or the intervention of civil government.

CHURCH FREEDOM is the historic Baptist affirmation that local churches are free, under the Lordship of Christ, to determine their membership and leadership, to order their worship and work, to ordain whom they perceive as gifted for ministry, male or female, and to participate in the larger Body of Christ, of whose unity and mission Baptists are proudly a part.

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM is the historic Baptist affirmation of freedom OF religion, freedom FOR religion, and freedom FROM religion, insisting that Caesar is not Christ and Christ is not Caesar.

*published by Smyth & Helwys Publishing Inc, Macon, Georgia, 1993