c. 2000 Religion News Service

ORLANDO, Fla. _ A day before Southern Baptists are to vote on a revised statement of faith, outgoing Southern Baptist Convention President Paige Patterson urged them Tuesday (June 13) to give “overwhelming endorsement” to the controversial proposal opposing women pastors and homosexuality.

Patterson, speaking to the messengers, or delegates, of the annual meeting of the nation’s largest Protestant denomination, said the proposed changes in the Baptist Faith and Message cap the two-decades-old conservative resurgence in the church body.

“For more than 20 years now, you have attended these conventions and voted to return to the faith of our fathers and to be bound only by the authority of Christ and the God-breathed Word of the Lord,” Patterson said in his presidential address on the opening day of the two-day meeting.

“Now let us tell the world in a succinct confession of those truths most widely believed among us. May we seize this moment in A.D. 2000 to give our distinctive witness to a watching world with overwhelming endorsement of these freshly stated truths from God’s Word.”

Patterson’s second one-year term as president of the denomination ends at the conclusion of the meeting on Wednesday.

James Merritt, 47, pastor of First Baptist Church, Snellville, Ga., was elected by acclamation as the next president of the 15.9 million-member denomination. Merritt is the immediate past chairman of the Southern Baptist Executive Committee and previously pastored churches in Mississippi and Kentucky.

The outgoing president urged Southern Baptists to re-energize their commitment to evangelism, even when others protest their means for encouraging conversion to Christianity.

“My brothers and sisters, above all else, we are ambassadors for Jesus Christ,” Patterson said.

He praised the recent release of “The Chicago Declaration on Religious Freedom,” which declares the right to evangelize in a pluralistic society. Patterson was among the original signers and endorsers of the document.

“I have never been inclined to sign statements, especially those of an ecumenical nature, but I am grateful for the courage of evangelicals who crossed denominational lines to draft this magnificent declaration emphasizing the obligatory nature of our Christian mission.

“Whatever the cost, Southern Baptists must ever champion the cause of religious liberty,” he said.

The declaration, which eventually included a range of evangelical leaders, was initiated by agencies of the denomination in response to criticism of some Southern Baptist evangelistic practices. Critics have accused Southern Baptists of targeting particular non-Christian groups, including Jews and Muslims, through special prayer guides distributed by the denomination’s International Mission Board.

“May I say to our International Mission Board friends, don’t let anybody intimidate you,” said Patterson, whose remarks were greeted with applause.

Southern Baptists are meeting for the first time in Orlando since messengers at their 1997 gathering voted to encourage Baptists to boycott Disney’s theme parks and stores, some of which are located here. Patterson reiterated his concern that Baptists consider their entertainment choices carefully.

“I do not speak to you today of boycott as much as I speak to you of personal holiness and accountability,” he said.

The Baptists will consider controversial changes to their statement of faith on Wednesday. Protesters plan to gather outside the Orange County Convention Center to object to new language that would oppose women clergy and homosexuality. Some of the critics protested at the recent General Conference of the United Methodist Church.

Representatives from “ex-gay” ministries plan to stage a counterdemonstration supporting the proposed position on homosexuality.

Other proposed additions to the statement would oppose racism, abortion and pornography.

Some Southern Baptists gathered inside the convention center seemed concerned about some of the proposed changes.

At the first opportunity to make motions, one messenger recommended that the changes be considered for a year and voted on at next year’s meeting.

In other business, Morris Chapman, SBC executive committee president, announced new initiatives focusing on prayer and families. He has set up an “Upper Room on the Internet” (http://www.sbcpray.net) and hopes individuals and groups will sign up to pray regularly for spiritual revival.

He also has developed a “Save a Family Council,” which will work to prevent divorce and foster good family relations.

Speaking from personal experience as the son of parents who divorced after 21 years of marriage, Chapman said he believes divorce hurts all family members.

“Jesus heals the wounds, but the scars remain for the rest of our life,” he said.

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