October 2024 

Re: Israel-Palestine: I can’t keep up 

On my visits to Palestine I found similar situations to David.

We will be judged when future generations look at our response to Israel's unbelievable treatment of the Palestinians and Lebanese. Killing of innocent children, aid workers and reporters. The way they have stolen land from Palestinians.

It is time the Baptist Union stood up and really condemned what is happening with a much louder and effective voice. UK bombs are killing innocent people. We are too nice and middle class.

We see what is happening. We have no excuse when we stand before God.

Isreal is not protecting itself; it is aggressive and killing thousands with US and UK bombs which helps both our economies.

Noreen Gilhespy, Queens Road Baptist Church Broadstairs

 

Re: Protests or race riots?

In September’s ‘Comments’, the question of how Baptists should respond to the rise of the far right was addressed. In October, Wale Hudson-Roberts urged that we should condemn the recent disorder as a ‘far-right executed campaign of terror’. It seems to me that Steve Finamore offers a fairer and more hopeful approach in calling for wrongdoers to face justice, but also for ‘spaces of listening and constructive dialogue…for those desperate to have their concerns heard’.

I pastored churches in ‘superdiverse’ Luton. During that time the town loomed large in Islamist extremism and terror plots, gave birth to the English Defence League, and ‘hosted’ large and potentially violent demonstrations by EDL and Anti Fascists. I gradually came to the view that politicians and church leaders alike were ignoring or misrepresenting legitimate concerns of a large section of the local population. I made it my business back then to warn that if those who claim to occupy the centre ground ignore or show contempt for the anxieties of ordinary people, they would be driven into the arms of extremists.

I do hope that any attempts Baptists may make to respond to extremism will not be marred by an uncritical endorsement of the political status quo, or by loose use of the term ‘racism’, or by being as partisan and prodigal as Hope not Hate in applying the label ‘far right’. We need make more effort to understand those many non violent and non hate-filled members of the indigenous population who worry about the future of their country and their communities, have lost faith in the political establishment and do not know where to turn.

Michael Thomas, Grantham Baptist Church
 

Re: Ministers as fellow Disciples

It depends how vulnerable a minister wants to be and it can depend on their context, but there can be great wisdom in joining with other church leaders based outside their church, and there can be incredible freedom and blessing in walking alongside others in the church/context where they minister.

Some ministers struggle with being vulnerable but it is worth it with the right people. The Wesleyan style ‘band meeting’ takes some beating, and what we do in our ministry is largely inspired by that. 🙌🔥

embers__uk (via Instagram)

 

Re: Should your faith rely solely on the Bible?

In Chris Goswami’s article ‘Should your faith rely solely on the Bible?’ he writes that “As Baptists a well-rounded faith must be fixed on the person of Jesus and firmly rooted in scripture but should also acknowledge the value (and the biases) of our traditions and lived experiences, and the church meeting’s responsibility to discern.”

However Jesus was the ‘The Word of God’ made flesh that came and lived among us. Jesus had a high view of scripture as the Word of God. He said that ‘the scripture cannot be broken’(John 10:35). He said ‘Your Word is truth’ (John 17:7).

Obviously our sole authority is the Lord Jesus Christ but you cannot separate His authority from the authority of the scriptures, hence the Reformation doctrine of ‘Sola Scriptura’. They are one and the same thing. There are no ‘Red Letters’ in the New Testament. There is only the Word of God.

We so often hear well known pastors claiming that they read the Bible only through ‘the lens of Jesus’, which usually means that they are willing to ‘park up’ parts of the Bible that do not align with their cultural or world view.

But the world’s view is not a biblical one. We must be very careful when we ‘acknowledge the value of our traditions and lived experiences’. I believe that it is precisely because many Christians today have allowed their ‘lived experiences’ to shape what they believe that we are in the sorry position we are today having departed from what the Bible teaches about various issues including human sexuality and gender.

Tom Taylor, Devonshire Avenue Baptist Church, Portsmouth