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Technorati"I think there's a feeling of malaise and disillusionment towards denominational life in general," said Thornbury. "They're decidedly upbeat about their local ministries ... but they seem increasingly less and less certain that they are meaningfully connected to something that can be described as 'Baptist identity.'"
Theologically, Thornbury added, many feel they are Baptist but denominationally, "not so much."
Thus, in a post-denominational era, Mike Day, director of Missions for the Mid-South Baptist Association, introduced a new paradigm for Southern Baptist associations and state conventions. Although dismissed by many, and not yet fully developed, the paradigm is emerging in the SBC, Day said.
The new paradigm is church-driven, where the Great Commission is given to the church and not the denomination; priority-based, meaning behaving like Jesus if the church priority; institution free where there is no ownership of institutions, just ministering and supporting; and regionally located but not geographically bound.
"This new association will be denominationally connected but not in traditional ways," said Day. "It will not necessarily rely on a state convention to be its primary source for training ... input or perhaps even income.
"If this paradigm plays itself out to the fullest, then the association as we know it today will likely no longer exist."
The new Baptist paradigm follows a similar change that Presbyterians are proposing. Presbyterians discontent with their denomination, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), have proposed a model that would be based on a grassroots polity, recognizing the local congregation as the primary decision-making group. It's a "radical change" for the Presbyterians and so is the new model for the Baptists.
"People would say 'He doesn't know what he's talking about,'" said Day about the paradigm he presented. But he stated, "It's time for us to apply the pressure and stop the bleeding in the Southern Baptist Convention."
