In This World: Baptist and Methodist Churches in New Zealand 1948 to 1988

<p>New Zealand Baptist and Methodist Churches' growth and decline between 1948 and 1988 was caused by the manner of their involvement in this world, in their roles of experiencing and telling about God in word and action. These roles link with the three factors - secularisation, evangelical theology and practice and the Charismatic movement. The roles and factors are encompassed within the context of change and discontinuity. 1. The impact of secularisation showed in declining religious profession and membership, yet also in greater involvement in this world through experiencing God immanent within it. 2. Commitment to evangelical theology and practice led to short term Baptist success, but in the long term triggered membership losses. Methodists without this emphasis showed even greater membership decline. 3. The Charismatic movement which was initially divisive holds within it potential for experiencing God in this world, and for dynamic continuity to make sense of the changing world scene. The relationship of the context of change to the three major factors was that the greater the degree of responding to discontinuity with creative dynamic continuity, the greater the growth of the churches. Increasing the degree of static continuity induced decline. The absence of any form of continuity resulted in even greater decline. The Baptist Churches successfully increased membership through relating well to the post-war generation. Through social service and outreach ministries they became more involved in this world. Evangelism, through a variety of methods, provided continuity in sharing the God news. The Charismatic movement as catalyst for church change in times of societal change brought the potential, through emphases of servant theology, to channel God experience into relational outreach. This led to its meshing with the positive effects of secularisation and evangelism. Methodist church growth was restricted by suspicion of the Charismatic movement, loss of evangelical focuses and recruitment programmes. Social action continued to be the Methodist way of being involved in this world. Profiles completed by 200 Baptist and 168 Methodist churches demonstrated the interplay of these factors. These were complemented by surveys completed by 106 resigned ministers, over 170 interviews, 6 case studies, 46 church visits and extensive reading. Analysis of profiles and membership statistics showed that Baptist churches did not do better because of short term ministries, Pastoral terms, membership and evangelical theology. But without evangelical theology and practice Methodist membership declined more. For every 12 members welcomed Baptists would lose 8 and Methodists 15. This indicated that churches not retaining members and clergy needed a balance of evangelism and whole-of-life theology with longer term focuses to provide dynamic continuity in the discontinuity of life.</p>

In This World: Baptist and Methodist Churches in New Zealand 1948 to 1988

<p>New Zealand Baptist and Methodist Churches' growth and decline between 1948 and 1988 was caused by the manner of their involvement in this world, in their roles of experiencing and telling about God in word and action. These roles link with the three factors - secularisation, evangelical theology and practice and the Charismatic movement. The roles and factors are encompassed within the context of change and discontinuity. 1. The impact of secularisation showed in declining religious profession and membership, yet also in greater involvement in this world through experiencing God immanent within it. 2. Commitment to evangelical theology and practice led to short term Baptist success, but in the long term triggered membership losses. Methodists without this emphasis showed even greater membership decline. 3. The Charismatic movement which was initially divisive holds within it potential for experiencing God in this world, and for dynamic continuity to make sense of the changing world scene. The relationship of the context of change to the three major factors was that the greater the degree of responding to discontinuity with creative dynamic continuity, the greater the growth of the churches. Increasing the degree of static continuity induced decline. The absence of any form of continuity resulted in even greater decline. The Baptist Churches successfully increased membership through relating well to the post-war generation. Through social service and outreach ministries they became more involved in this world. Evangelism, through a variety of methods, provided continuity in sharing the God news. The Charismatic movement as catalyst for church change in times of societal change brought the potential, through emphases of servant theology, to channel God experience into relational outreach. This led to its meshing with the positive effects of secularisation and evangelism. Methodist church growth was restricted by suspicion of the Charismatic movement, loss of evangelical focuses and recruitment programmes. Social action continued to be the Methodist way of being involved in this world. Profiles completed by 200 Baptist and 168 Methodist churches demonstrated the interplay of these factors. These were complemented by surveys completed by 106 resigned ministers, over 170 interviews, 6 case studies, 46 church visits and extensive reading. Analysis of profiles and membership statistics showed that Baptist churches did not do better because of short term ministries, Pastoral terms, membership and evangelical theology. But without evangelical theology and practice Methodist membership declined more. For every 12 members welcomed Baptists would lose 8 and Methodists 15. This indicated that churches not retaining members and clergy needed a balance of evangelism and whole-of-life theology with longer term focuses to provide dynamic continuity in the discontinuity of life.</p>

George Liele: Liberated slave and African American Baptist Missionary to Jamaica

Liele introduced Baptist witness to Jamaica and served as pastor and educator of churches in Kingston and Spanish town cities there. Further, Liele was responsible for the conversion and baptism of another African American, Moses Baker, who migrated to Jamaica in 1783 and was a leader in establishing Baptist churches in western parishes in Jamaica. Beyond his work in Jamaica, Liele’s ministry reached as far afield as Nova Scotia, Canada, and Sierra Leone, Africa, through the influence of his protege, David George, who was first known as David, until he changed his name to “David George” in honor of his friend and mentor George Liele.

Not in Our Church

Chapter 1 explores the tensions that arose in southern evangelicalism between local church congregations and state- and nation-level bodies in the wake of the 1954 Brown decision. Such tensions reveal how Southern Baptists and Methodists negotiated the heightened antagonism emerging between denominational leaders and the people in the pews over civil rights in the mid-1950s. The chapter opens with South Carolina Southern Baptist churches rejecting broader Southern Baptist Convention efforts to advocate for civil rights in religious language and concludes with lay South Carolina Methodists defending the White Citizens’ Councils against criticism from a small number of Methodist clergy. Both these studies reveal the effective authority of local congregations in directing southern white churches’ responses to matters of race in the civil rights years. This chapter highlights that the congregational-level perspective gives the best vantage point for understanding white evangelicalism’s response to the civil rights movement, regardless of church polity.

Faith-Based Interventions in the Reintegration of Migrated Displaced Persons into the Society

There is a unique set of forcefully displaced persons from Boko Haram insurgency affected areas in north-eastern Nigeria that migrated back to their ancestral homes in Ogbomoso in the south-western Nigeria. These people are referred to in this research as migrated displaced persons (MDPs) because they are not in any IDP centre or camp, but live among their ancestral relatives. This research investigates the extent Baptist churches in Ogbomoso are responding to re-integrate these migrated displaced persons in Ogbomoso into the society. Semi-structured interviews are conducted among fifteen randomly selected pastors of Baptist churches in Ogbomoso metropolis and three other stakeholders. Some available documents are also used in analysing the collected data. Findings from this study reveal that the churches are responding to some extent to transforming the lives of the migrated displaced Boko Haram victims in the area. Therefore, it is recommended that churches and other faith-based organizations should intensify their efforts in responding to transforming the lives of displaced Boko Haram victims in the area, and they should start having documented records for these efforts. Key Words: faith-based organizations, internally displaced persons, migrated displaced persons, Nigeria, Nigerian Baptist Convention, Ogbomoso land

Discussions About Water Baptism in West and East

SummaryThis article analyses the emergence of new liturgical thinking in the Baptist movement, especially in the Slavic Baptist churches, in the context of the worldwide liturgical renewal. The author points to British Baptist sacramentalism, to ‘A Manifesto for Baptist Communities’ in North America, criticising these movements, and then to the comparable discussion in the Slavic churches after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Particular emphasis is put on water baptism, as a test case showing different theological approaches to understanding God’s presence in the liturgy. The article considers the discussion on the understanding of baptism in the journal Theological Reflections and concludes that the question of what saves ‐ faith, repentance or baptism ‐ is incorrect because it does not take into account the integrity of the process of salvation shown in the Bible.RésuméL’auteur analyse les nouvelles conceptions liturgiques au sein de la mouvance baptiste, plus particulièrement dans les Églises baptistes slaves, et ce dans le contexte d’un renouveau liturgique mondial. Il fait état du sacramentalisme baptiste britannique, du « manifeste pour les communautés baptistes » en Amérique du nord, critique ces mouvements, puis considère les tendances comparables dans les Églises slaves suite à la chute de l’Union soviétique. Il considère en particulier le baptême d’eau comme un cas type permettant de mettre en lumière des approches théologiques diverses à propos de la présence de Dieu lors de la pratique liturgique. Il considère le traitement du baptême dans le journal intitulé Theological Reflections et conclut que la question de savoir si c’est la foi, la repentance ou le baptême qui sauve est inappropriée parce qu’elle ne prend pas en compte la globalité du processus de salut tel qu’il apparaît dans la Bible.ZusammenfassungDer vorliegende Artikel analysiert ein neues liturgisches Denken, das unter den Baptisten Raum gewinnt, insbesondere in den slawischen Baptistengemeinden, und zwar im Rahmen der weltweiten liturgischen Erneuerungsbewegung. Der Autor verweist auf Sakramentalismus bei den britischen Baptisten sowie auf ,,Ein Manifest für Baptistische Gemeinden“ in Nordamerika und unterzieht diese Bewegungen einer kritischen Betrachtung. Dann wendet er sich einer ähnlichen Diskussion in den slawischen Kirchen und Gemeinden nach dem Zusammenbruch der Sowjetunion zu. Er legt einen besonderen Schwerpunkt auf die Wassertaufe als Testfall und zeigt unterschiedliche theologische Ansätze auf, die Gegenwart Gottes in der Liturgie zu begreifen. Der Artikel berücksichtigt die Diskussion über das Verständnis von Taufe in der Zeitschrift Theological Reflections und zieht die Schlussfolgerung, dass die Frage nach dem, was rettet ‐ Glaube, Buße oder Taufe ‐ unzutreffend ist, weil sie nicht den gesamten Erlösungsprozess wie in der Bibel aufgezeigt berücksichtigt.

Pemahaman dan Kontribusi Gereja Terhadap Hak Penyandang Disabilitas

Jesus taught and preached the gospel of the Kingdom of God and eliminated all diseases and weaknesses among the nations. Evidence of Jesus fulfilling spiritual and physical needs to those in need. The task of the church is not just teaching the word of God, but also giving attention to the church and people who have not believed. One concern that needs to be given is the fulfillment of accessible rights for persons with disabilities. The purpose of this study is to explore the understanding and contribution of Baptist Churches in the West Semarang region regarding the fulfillment of the rights of persons with disabilities. This type of research is qualitative using interview instruments, and observation. The results obtained by church leaders see people with disabilities as individuals who have deficiencies and incompleteness in the body, as people with permanent disabilities and have special needs and need attention compared to normal people in general. So that the involvement of persons with disabilities to serve God in the fellowship of believers is not obligatory. And the contribution given by the church is only up to the charity stage, which is to provide assistance in the form of basic food, visiting services, shuttle services, and death insurance programs. Physical accessibility in the form of a ramp with a slope that is too sharp, a staircase for stairs that are too high, and toilet seats that can help physical disability is more comfortable.