The Freedom and Responsibility of the Baptist Community for Relationship with Like-Minded Faith Communities

The Freedom and Responsibility of the Baptist Community for Relationship with Like-Minded Faith Communities

Robert E. JOHNSON

This article begins by exploring Baptist origins, observing that two important issues became trans-cultural principles in Baptists' heritage — (1) the strong emphasis of each Baptist church in supporting the autonomy of every local congregation to decide for itself matters of doctrine, practice , and polity, and (2) the need for every congregation to connect with other like-minded congregations for mutual encouragement and cooperative ministries. The article studies (1) what can happen when the doctrine of local church autonomy is embraced to the exclusion of cooperative or convention involvement and also (2) what can happen when convention or associational connectionalism violates the autonomous decision-making authority of the local church. The article concludes that it is Baptists' recognition of the local congregation's responsibility to live corporately under the lordship of Jesus Christ that prevents abdication of its obligations to any other person or authority. At the same time, it is the lordship of Jesus Christ that also requires the local congregation to live into its responsibility of sharing in “one body and one Spirit … and one hope … and one calling, and one Lord, and one faith, and one baptism, and one God and Father … who is above all and through all and in all.”