I appreciate people who help us understand the diversity of associations (like the Southern Baptist Convention), while looking at also what unites us. Unity is not uniformity or unanimity. Unity is not tying 9 cats tales together and letting them go. Unity is formed by common roots and common core beliefs. it centers around a unified purpose in the Gospel of Christ. We don’t have to be the same to associate together, but we do have to have some things in common. That is why the Gospel and the Great Commission is the unifying factor in what we all do. Diversity will always be a fact of associations, even in an association that is ruled by a dictator (there the diversity is just underground). We must see diversity as good and cooperate on those things that we hold in common. Trevin Wax recounts the benefit of this diversity in the following article.
7 Types of Southern Baptists
By Trevin Wax on Jun 10, 2008
- Fundamentalists: hard-lined people who often have more in common with “independent” Baptists than with the SBC heritage.
- Revivalists: true heirs of the Sandy Creek tradition, including their suspicion of education.
- Traditionalists: heirs of the Sandy Creek theology, including the strong commitment to evangelism and revivalism, but affirming of education.
- Orthodox Evangelicals: an irenic group that looked to Carl F. H. Henry and Billy Graham as models. This group wanted a theological course correction, a commitment to the full truthfulness of the Bible, serious intellectual and cultural engagement, while interacting with all who would claim to great orthodox Christian tradition.
- Calvinists: a group that wanted to reclaim aspects of the “Charleston” theological tradition. They have much in common with the “Evangelical” group above. Sub-groups include “Nine Marks,” “Sovereign Grace,” “Founders,” and others. Most among this group no longer tend toward isolation as in years past.
- Contemporary church practitioners: a group of pastors who wanted to find new ways to connect with the culture, resulting in new models for doing church, including “Willow Creek Models,” “Saddleback Models,” “Missional,” and even some “emergent church types.”
- Culture Warriors: another group of conservatives who desire to engage the issues of culture and society. This group includes a variety of approaches including “church over culture,” “church transforming culture,” as well as “church and culture / social justice types.”