Alignments and Re-alignments in the Southwest and the Prospects for a Bright Future for the ABC

His Barking Dog has already reported on the upcoming organizational meeting to be held in Alhambra later this month to begin work on forming a new association of ABC congregations in the southwest, under the watchcare of the ABC of Los Angeles (aka LABCMS). This past week a lengthy letter was mailed from the regional office dealing with a variety of concerns.

Dr. Samuel Chetti, Executive Minister of the region, put out the letter under his signature on September 5, detailing a number of issues relating to regional policy and the future. He reiterated his presentation of November 9, 2005 where he dealt with LA City Mission Society's response to questions of homosexuality. Citing biblical texts, Dr. Chetti reminded his pastors that the regional board had adopted the 1992 ABCUSA resolution on human sexuality.

By way of implementation, Chetti listed regional staff hiring policies, staff and faculty personnel policies for the LA Baptist Jr./Sr. High School, representatives on the regional and national boards of directors, regional staff assistance with pastoral searches, ordinations recognized by the LACMS, and discouragement for pastors to perform marriage ceremonies for practicing gay, lesbian, and transgendered persons. Additionally, Chetti reminded his readers of a variety of General Board resolutions dealing with human sexuality from 1987, 1992, 2005, as well as Dr. Medley’s pastoral letter of July 17, 2006.

Chetti indicated that the ABCLA would offer watchcare for the congregations “in the former ABCPSW who choose to remain with the ABCUSA," including assistance with ordinations, pastoral searches, and American Baptist Women’s ministries. (In a presentation to his pastors today, he reassured them that the new association would be incorporating in the next few weeks in order to avoid any financial confusion or liability being incurred by the LA region).

Finally, he cleared up what he saw as “false information that is being circulated” regarding the current restructuring process in the ABC. He referenced the Dr. Trish Jones facilitated process leading toward a meeting in a couple of weeks, spoke of “about five proposals” being reviewed, and suggested that a final draft of the proposed structure will be available for review and approval by the covenanting regions before implementation.

Chetti has proven himself a stalwart centrist, conservative in theology while being innovative in methodology and cooperative in spirit with persons across the ideological divide, during his tenure as head of ABCLA. As a signatory to the Lancaster Proposal, he obviously believes that changing the structure and reaffirming regional commitments will provide avenues for positive and constructive ministry as American Baptists.

A very different interpretation of the prospects for restructure and reconciliation in the ABC has been given by the capable Dr. Dwight Stinnett, Executive Minister of the Great Rivers region in the ABC. Writing in his ABC Views from the Middle blog(http://abcviewsfrommiddle.blogspot.com/) this week, Stinnett openly agonizes over the struggles in the ABC and the toll it has taken on some of the key players on all sides of the conflict. What was especially interesting to me, however, was the tone of resignation with respect to reconciliation pervading his writing.

The practice of reconciliation begins with conviction—mine not yours. It moves through confession and forgiveness to changed behavior. Without this there can be no reconciliation. It is self-righteousness, if not sacrilege, to claim to be “bridge builders” when we have no intention to build bridges among ourselves.

I confess that I see none of these. Perhaps I am blind. Perhaps I am jaded. Perhaps I am moving in the wrong circles and looking in the wrong places. Perhaps 10 years is too long to be engaged in such a struggle at this level of intensity. Perhaps the best thing I can do for the cause of reconciliation is to walk away myself.

Lest anyone suspect that rhetorical devices camouflaged rather than clarified his point of view and that perhaps their might be a shred of optimism in the good exec’s prospects for the future, he speaks plainly enough when he writes:

I have all but given up my dream of community in my lifetime. And I think church without community is an abomination. God calls us to community, not autonomy. Father, forgive me, for I have sinned. Even now people ask me “Is ABC going to split?” Have they not seen? Have they not heard? The ABC has split and is continuing to splinter. (I wonder how they define “split.”).

Stinnett spreads the blame for the impasse on both the left and right equally, suggesting that no faction has clean hands in this area, and does not spare himself in the process. Ultimately, all he can do is grieve and call upon those among us smug enough to say “our side won” or “our side withdrew from ‘them’” to repent and to lament. And, as Stinnett puts it: “Our lament should go beyond rhetoric. It should involve sackcloth and ashes.”

[His Barking Dog yips and yaps and sometimes wails disconsolately in the night. Remember, however, that even those who hold my leash cannot make me behave all the time. So please do not blame anyone but this mangy mutt for opinions contain herein.]