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Technorati"Many faithful brothers and sisters who are members of Southern Baptist churches differ on this issue as they seek to live out their lives in obedience to Christ," the statement continues. "The Bible at no point raises this issue to a matter of primary doctrinal importance, thus it should not disqualify any godly missionary candidate for service with the International Mission Board."
They further argue that the baptism guideline places the IMB board in the position of "dictating to local churches what constitutes a legitimate Christian baptism."
"With no anecdotal evidence from the field of wide-spread charismatic practices within our missionary family, and acknowledging that Southern Baptist churches are competent to judge the biblical nature of their members’ baptisms, we strongly urge Southern Baptists to seek the removal of these controversial and superfluous guidelines from use in the candidate approval process," the statement reads.
Since the new guidelines were put in place, Southern Baptists have remained divided on whether the IMB trustees acted appropriately.
Frank Cox, pastor of North Metro First Baptist Church in Lawrenceville, Ga., who is running for presidency of the Southern Baptist Convention, believes the trustees "acted in line" with their responsibility and that their action on the issue of baptism and private prayer language "was appropriate in keeping with the doctrinal integrity as to who we are as Southern Baptists," according to Baptist Press.
Meanwhile, William L. (Bill) Wagner, a former Southern Baptist missionary who is also up for SBC president this year, doesn't believe the trustees' action was appropriate.
"We have lost some wonderful missionaries because of this decision. We already have the Baptist Faith and Message document. It has served us well. We do not need to add to it," Wagner recently told Baptist Press. "I know much about this action at the IMB, and I feel that there was too much political reasoning involved in the decision. We as Baptists need to put politics aside and get back to our main task of winning people and making them disciples."
Despite disagreements, the group of signatories – which are being added to – asserted their support for the missions agency and commended the more than 5,000 IMB missionaries who have committed to spreading the Gospel.
On the Web: imbchange.info
Correction:Monday, June 2, 2008:
An article on Monday, June 2, 2008, about a new statement signed by a group of Southern Baptists and former missionaries incorrecty reported that the International Mission Board's missionary candidacy guideline on baptism bars those who have not been baptized by immersion. The baptism guideline requires candidates to have been baptized in a church that practices believer's baptism by immersion alone and by a proper administrator or another Baptist who believes in eternal security.
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