What does it mean to be a centrist convention?

Joshua 1:9 has been one of my favorite verses since I was a child. In its immediate context, along with the exhortation to be strong and courageous, the Lord instructs Joshua to obey all of His law given through Moses and not to turn from it to the right or to the left. This last command has piqued my curiosity for some time.

Certainly, the modern political designations of “right” and “left” were not in place in the ancient Hebrew context of Joshua. Yet, they allude to the danger of straying on either of two sides. It is consistent with the image Jesus presents about the narrow way (Matthew 7:13-14).

I find the way Jesus confronted the religious people of his day interesting. Both the Pharisees and the Sadducees were committed to Judaism, but from very different perspectives. The Pharisees were strict adherents of the law who went out of their way to maintain doctrinal purity. They believed all the right things about God, including the resurrection of the dead and angels.

On the other hand, the Sadducees were concerned with political and religious power. Their inspired canon, if you would, was limited to the Torah, and they rejected the oral tradition of the Pharisees. Furthermore, they did not believe in the resurrection of the dead or in angels.

Interestingly, Jesus rebuked both groups. He criticized the Pharisees for adding human traditions to God’s Word and for being legalistic at the expense of justice and mercy. He corrected the Sadducees for their deficient doctrine. It is an insightful picture of the danger of straying from God’s Word and God’s heart, which Jesus addresses in the Sermon on the Mount.

As we approach our Texas Baptists Annual Meeting, I have heard a few people ask if the BGCT is in danger of a theological drift to the left. Yet, others are wondering if BGCT is at risk of being pulled to the extreme right. Meanwhile, some of us continue to insist on our commitment to the center.

Labels like right and left, conservative and liberal, fundamentalist and progressive, centrist and moderate are subjective. Sometimes we use them to self-identify. Too often, we use them to discredit or dismiss others.

In an era of extremism, when some groups move further right, the center might seem like it moved left, even when it did not. Similarly, when some groups move further left, the center might seem like it moved right, even when it did not.

So what does it mean for Texas Baptists to be a centrist convention? It means that it has historically avoided extremes. While it has been inclusive of churches with diverse views on tertiary issues, it has also been steadfast in its commitment to orthodox doctrine and Baptist distinctives.

The BGCT has treated statements of faith in the way the preamble of both the 1963 and 2000 describe their nature:

(1) That they constitute a consensus of opinion of some Baptist body, large or small, for the general instruction and guidance of our own people and others concerning those articles of the Christian faith which are most surely held among us. They are not intended to add anything to the simple conditions of salvation revealed in the New Testament, viz., repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord.

(2) That we do not regard them as complete statements of our faith, having any quality of finality or infallibility. As in the past so in the future, Baptists should hold themselves free to revise their statements of faith as may seem to them wise and expedient at any time.

(3) That any group of Baptists, large or small, have the inherent right to draw up for themselves and publish to the world a confession of their faith whenever they may think it advisable to do so.

(4) That the sole authority for faith and practice among Baptists is the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. Confessions are only guides in interpretation, having no authority over the conscience.

(5) That they are statements of religious convictions, drawn from the Scriptures, and are not to be used to hamper freedom of thought or investigation in other realms of life.

To be centrist means that we have statements of faith expressing the doctrines that we have in common in order to be in fellowship and to cooperate together, but that these statements of faith are not imposed or used as instruments of uniformity. Words like "consensus of opinion,” “general instruction” and “no authority over the conscience” are important to us.

That is why our convention allows churches to affiliate regardless of whether they are in general agreement with the Baptist Faith and Message 1925, 1963, 2000 or similar Baptist confession of faith. This is centrist because while it values conservative Baptist statements of faith, it does not insist on strict adherence to an exclusive one.

BGCT is not officially complementarian nor egalitarian when it comes to the role of women in ministry. Neither view nor practice is a test of fellowship. This is not new for our convention. It has been so for several decades.

BGCT has taken a stance in regard to human sexuality. Churches that affirm same-sex marriage or sexual relationships outside of the marriage of one man and one woman are considered out of friendly cooperation. The convention has been consistent in applying this stance.

Texas Baptists continue to champion religious liberty. Among other things, it means that we do not endorse a political party. It means that while we advocate for life, justice, human flourishing and religious liberty, we believe a free church in a free state is the Baptist ideal.

Our position on the autonomy of the local church, the nature of statements of faith, the role of women in ministry, the view of human sexuality and our stance on religious liberty are not an exhaustive list of what makes us centrist, but they are real examples. 

There is no drift! Texas Baptists is not moving to the left or to the right. Being centrist may not be glamorous in a culture that values extremism, but it is the right place for us.

We do not want to be distracted by battles that seek to pull us to the extremes. We want to keep our focus on the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. We have work to do! The lost depend on it! Jesus will hold us accountable for it!

Come to Abilene November 16-18 and celebrate what God is doing and continue to be a part of it as we cooperate together!