This is Part 5 (last part) of a Gloriscope news summary about New Baptist Covenant, an unprecedented gathering of 14,500 Baptists from 30 Baptist denominations in Atlanta, Georgia, in late January 2008. We give details about the importance, purpose, participants, activities, achievements, and planned follow-up of this historical event.

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Published 10:50pm, Feb 02, 2008 in Minneapolis - London 4:50am 3/2
Buenos Aires 2:50am 3/2 - Jerusalem / Johannesburg 6:50am 3/2
New Delhi 10:20am 3/2 - Beijing / Manila 12:50pm 3/2 - Sydney 3:50pm 3/2

“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit
through the bond of peace.
There is one body and one Spirit –
just as you were called to one hope when you were called –
one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all”
(Ephesians 4:4-6 NIV)

By Gloriscope staff

Basic facts about New Baptist Covenant

New Baptist Covenant was a meeting of U.S. Baptists from 30 Baptist denominations from all over the United States. Some 14,500 people attended at least part of the gathering. The gathering took place in Atlanta, Georgia, from January 30 through February 1, 2008. The co-chairs of the gathering were former President Jimmy Carter and William D. Underwood, president of Mercer University in Atlanta.

What is next?

Next steps depend on the response from the participants. All participants were asked to send in their suggestions for possible cooperation among Baptists or between Baptists and other denominations or non-Christian organizations. President Carter said that the same leadership team will meet in March after Easter at the Carter Center in Atlanta to decide what can be done with the hundreds of suggestions that are already coming in.

But the organizers said that there are no plans for another large-scale gathering or for creating some kind of new interdenominational organization. No new Baptist “super-organization” or “super-association” is planned.

It will be a big challenge to transform the energy and enthusiasm seen at the gathering into concrete common action.

“The challenge will be to move beyond the good feeling,” said Ronald Ray to the New York Times. He is a deacon with the Second Free Mission Baptist Church in New Orleans, a black Baptist church.

President Carter said, “People stop me and say, ‘We don’t want this to be just a moment, but a movement.’”

At present, there is just a sense of great expectation that this gathering will lead to a movement or at least to a completely new period of cooperation among U.S. Baptists. Despite their enthusiasm for Baptist unity, the participants were aware of the big theological and cultural barriers dividing Baptist denominations. There is hope, however, that Southern Baptist Convention may cooperate to some extent with the denominations present at the gathering.

Jimmy Allen, coordinator of the gathering, told the Dallas Morning News that another large-scale Baptist meeting is probably “in two or three years.” He said, “My feeling is we’ve had a spark.”

All in all, then, everyone seems to wonder where this successful gathering will lead. The answer to this question will probably not be known for a year or more. And the true significance of this unprecedented gathering will only be seen in future, in retrospect.

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This story is part of a series of news stories on New Baptist Covenant published by Gloriscope February 2, 2008.

• Overview: New Baptist Covenant: A turning point in Baptist unity?
• Part 1 — New Baptist Covenant 2008: Why it was a historical event
• Part 2 — New Baptist Covenant 2008: Its promise and purpose
• Part 3 — New Baptist Covenant 2008: Its topics and activities
• Part 4 — New Baptist Covenant 2008: What did it achieve?
• Part 5 — New Baptist Covenant 2008: What is next?

NOTE: The official website of New Baptist Covenant is at http://www.newbaptistcelebration.org

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TO GOD BE ALL THE GLORY!

Published in the U.S.A. Copyright © 4T4C News Corp. 2008. All rights reserved.