Way of Life:Emerging Independent Baptists

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The call for an Independent Baptist “unity in the essentials” movement is growing rapidly. This, of course, is one of the foundational principles both of New Evangelicalism and of the emerging church.
Consider Pastor Tom Messer and Trinity Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida, home of Trinity Baptist College. I don’t know Pastor Messer personally. He is probably a likable guy, and I’m sure there are commendable things at Trinity. That is not the issue. The issue is whether there is “death in the pot.”
Messer believes that the Independent Baptist movement should take a stand against “divisiveness,” downplay issues such as music for the sake of world missions, pay attention to the church growth gurus, and put more emphasis on social work and social justice issues.
Consider the following statements from a blog entitled “Is the Independent Baptist Movement at a Crossroad?”
“The historic, unifying leadership of the independent Baptist movement has passed off the scene, leaving a leadership vacuum that has led to a more fractured... Read More

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