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by Jesse Croome
Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church Ahoskie, North Carolina
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In September of 1993, First Baptist Church of Ahoskie, which will celebrate its bicentennial in 2004, took an “historic” step as it divorced itself from the Southern Baptist Convention. It was the first Baptist church in North Carolina to take such an action that declared everything was not well in the “Baptist family.” The divorce decree came as a result of separation initiated by the Convention and irreconcilable differences with Convention leadership which had exhibited little knowledge of and appreciation for historic Baptist beliefs. Traveling an uncharted path in our region, I soon discovered through his writings and lectures one whom I identified as a kindred spirit and bold Baptist--Dr. Walter B. Shurden. Unknowingly, he provided support and encouragement as I struggled with how to lead my congregation to be Baptist. Early this year my daughter sent me information about the mini-sabbatical for A. H. Newman Scholars at Mercer University’s Center for Baptist Studies. It was exciting to think about spending a week of study with Dr. Shurden, but my immediate reaction was that I just did not have time. Yet, changes which have continued to take place in other parts of the “Baptist family” caused me to reconsider. Remembering Dr. Shurden’s help ten years before, I felt that a week of study with him would be of great value in my present struggle. I remembered the times I had said, “I wish I could talk with Dr. Shurden about this.” I submitted a proposal to Dr. Shurden to study societal relationships in Baptist history and to prepare a series of sessions in which members of my congregation could explore how their relationships with other institutions might be formed in the future--perhaps even in the immediate future. To my delight and surprise, I received a message from Dr. Shurden notifying me that I had been chosen as the fourth A. H. Newman Scholar at the Center for Baptist Studies. It was agreed that the mini-sabbatical would be in September 2003. The pre-sabbatical reading list at first seemed overwhelming; but, as I began to read, I found it to be less a chore and more a rediscovered adventure in my faith and tradition. It was a well-designed study of Baptist history, Baptist identity, and historic Baptist convictions. The guided reading that Dr. Shurden had planned for my week of study introduced me to Baptists and their writings with whom and which I was unacquainted. It was exciting to discover how contemporary some of those older writings are. They have validated for me the truth that societal relationships may be the means for traditional Baptist churches to do their mission and ministry in the future. As valuable as the readings prior to and during the sabbatical were, that which I found to be of greatest help to me were the conversations with “Buddy” Shurden and his associate, Greg Thompson. Whether it was in one of their offices or sharing a meal, I immediately felt at home with them. It was both refreshing and challenging to be with genuine Baptists! It was even better than I had hoped to finally “talk with Dr. Shurden” about some critical Baptist issues. I am deeply grateful to Dr. Walter Shurden and Mercer University for the experience I had as an A. H. Newman Scholar at the Center for Baptist Studies. I am also thankful for First Baptist Church and its providing time for me to study in preparation for our discovering and venturing together in the doing of God’s will.
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The Center for Baptist Studies, Mercer University, 1400 Coleman Avenue, Macon, GA 31207 Phone (478) 301-5457 |
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A Mini-Sabbatical at the Center for
Baptist Studies