The GCR and the 5 Axioms of Accountablity

"Baptists cherish and defend religious liberty, and deny the right of any secular or religious authority to impose a confession of faith upon a church or body of churches. We honor the principles of soul competency and the priesthood of believers, affirming together both our liberty in Christ and our ACCOUNTABILITY (emphasis mine) to each other under the Word of God.

Baptist churches, associations, and general bodies have adopted confessions of faith as a witness to the world, and as instruments of doctrinal ACCOUNTABILITY (emphasis mine). We are not embarrassed to state before the world that these are doctrines we hold precious and as essential to the Baptist tradition of faith and practice." ... taken from the Preamble of the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 Revision

There are those in the SBC who decry policies and guidelines as Landmarkism and/or Fundamentalism, but they are in fact nothing more than accountability tools. The Preamble of the BF&M sets forth plainly "before the world" the need for such accountability. This accountability is "to each other under the Word of God". The "Towards a Great Commission Resurgence" Delaration states under section 5, "A Commitment to a Healthy Confessional Center"... "We call upon all Southern Baptists to look to the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 as a sufficient guide for building a theological consensus for partnership in the gospel, refusing to be sidetracked by theological agendas that distract us from our Lord’s Commission. (1 Tim. 6:3-4) In 2000 the Southern Baptist Convention overwhelmingly adopted a revised edition of the Baptist Faith and Message as an instrument of doctrinal accountability to be used by our seminaries and boards."

One can only pray that the GCR and its leaders will continue to uphold this needed accountability. So, in the spirit of the GCR; I present these 5 Axioms for Accountability in the SBC...

1) The Bible is true and trustworthy.

- The Southern Baptist Convention has spoken clearly to the inerrancy, infallibility, and sufficiency of the Bible. We believe the Bible "has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter", so that "all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy".

2) Truth/Doctrine should never be forsaken or sacrificed for unity.

- The modern cry of less doctrine and more unity is anathema to Christ and His Word. The BF&M states under Article 11, "Evangelism and Missions"... that "It is the duty of every child of God to seek constantly to win the lost to Christ by verbal witness undergirded by a Christian lifestyle, and by other methods in harmony with the gospel of Christ." Also under Article 14, "Cooperation"... that "Cooperation is desirable... when such cooperation involves no violation of conscience or compromise of loyalty to Christ and His Word as revealed in the New Testament."

3) Christian unity in the New Testament sense is spiritual harmony and always voluntary.

- Again, Article 14 on "Cooperation" reads... "Christ's people should, as occasion requires, organize such associations and conventions as may best secure cooperation for the great objects of the Kingdom of God. Such organizations have no authority over one another or over the churches. They are voluntary and advisory bodies designed to elicit, combine, and direct the energies of our people in the most effective manner. Members of New Testament churches should cooperate with one another in carrying forward the missionary, educational, and benevolent ministries for the extension of Christ's Kingdom. Christian unity in the New Testament sense is spiritual harmony and voluntary cooperation for common ends by various groups of Christ's people."

4) Good stewardship requires accountability.

- Article 13 on "Stewardship" says... "God is the source of all blessings, temporal and spiritual; all that we have and are we owe to Him. Christians have a spiritual debtorship to the whole world, a holy trusteeship in the gospel, and a binding stewardship in their possessions. They are therefore under obligation to serve Him with their time, talents, and material possessions; and should recognize all these as entrusted to them to use for the glory of God and for helping others."

5) Accountability is warranted for representative individuals and/or entities.

- In answer to one frequently asked question, the "Towards a Great Commission Resurgence" website notes... "This is the beauty of our relationship as a group of churches that cooperate together, rather than functioning as a hierarchal denomination. Our local associations, state conventions, and national agencies and institutions are all parachurch groups and are here to serve the local church, to which they are accountable."

For a Great Commission Resurgence to begin in the Southern Baptist Convention accountability to the local churches must be maintained; financial accountability, administrative accountability, and/or doctrinal accountability. It is my belief that greater accountability leads to greater transparency, and that greater transparency leads to greater trust. Many Southern Baptist Leaders, Pastors, and Bloggers have taken what amounts to a "wait and see" attitude concerning the GCR. I on the other hand have signed the document with a "trust but verify" attitude. "Trust, but verify" was a signature phrase of President Ronald Reagan. At the signing of the INF Treaty he used it and his counterpart Mikhail Gorbachev responded: "You repeat that at every meeting," to which Reagan answered "I like it." I like it too.