What I was Taught- Pt 1
As a young girl in a Southern Baptist church (affiliated with the SBC), you might find it surprising that I was always affirmed as a servant and leader. I was taught baptist principals, those foundational and celebrated tenets around which our church, and supposedly all others in the SBC, practiced our faith. The leaders thought it beneficial for the youth to know such important things, because they provide a lens through which to see and a path on which to tread, not to mention preparing young people to become church leaders. And, I assure you, we covered the material more than once!
So, I learned about the priesthood of every believer, which supposed that EVERY individual was a priest to the other. We did not need a priest or bishop or “go-between” to dispense our forgiveness or relational happenings with God. Jesus, when he died, did away with the need for a “go-between” person/priest. The moment the curtain ripped separating the Holy of Holies in the temple from the rest of the place, it became clear that every place is sacred and God’s work happens everywhere and in the presence of all people (Matt 27: 50-51). Our priestly practices include encouraging, serving, mentoring, lifting up, receiving confessions and extending grace, proclaiming God’s messages, challenging, and wiping tears (in part).
I also learned about soul competency, the right and responsibility of every person who confesses Christ as their Savior to study God’s Word, experience the Creator in the world, and walk with the Spirit on life’s pathway. As a result of one’s relationship with God, each person listens, sees, perceives the truths of God and seeks to live by them. Yes, we can certainly learn from one another. However, no one is subject to the interpretaton of the other. This indicates a trust that God’s Spirit is living and active, present with each person as they work out their salvation.
And, I learned about the autonomy of the local church.. In a nutshell—ain’t no hierarchy gonna tell us what to do in this church. Baptists were differentiating themselves from other denominations which required adherence to set practices and dogma. The bottom line was, if we were all following Jesus’ way as best we knew how, no one else can determine how a church chooses to do so. It means a church can have women in leadership or not, can practice faith rituals like communion and baptism on their own timetable throughout the year, could determine how their finances were distributed and in what missions and service they engaged.
These are the baptist principals I was taught to treasure. There are responsibilities. There is freedom in which to practice them.
