Historicc Event for ABHS

[Ed Pettibone]

From ABC Web Site

This Saturday, September 27, I will have the privilege of participating in the grand re-opening of the American Baptist Historical Society archives at its new home at Mercer University in Atlanta. The culmination of many months of hard work by ABHS staff and volunteers, this will be a wonderful celebration of our rich history and the safe arrival of the physical reminders of our history in their new, climate controlled home at Mercer.

ABHS is the oldest of the Baptist historical organizations, having been founded in 1853, and it has the largest and most diverse collection of Baptist historical material, including irreplaceable records of the modern missionary movement, the growth of African-American church associations, women’s work, and the social gospel movement.

I hope that those of you who are able to be in Atlanta this weekend will make plans to be with us as we celebrate together.


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Centered in Christ,

Roy Medley

Ed: Sure wish we could be there, but with the World Mission Conference last week in Connecticut and Trudy going to the CBF Coordinating Council Meeting in Decatur, GA the week after next and then when she gets home we will head to the Finger Lakes Region of NY for the NYS Biennial the 11th, 12th, &13th of October, the budget is stretched thin. Also had to pass on the upcoming ABP recognition of Dr. Shurden in Providence RI.

[Mark]

I'm delighted that American Baptists are entrusting Mercer with their history, but my question is... Why? Does this mean there are plans for a greater American Baptist presence in the south? (Which is fine with me, btw.)

[Haruo]

Perhaps it is not so much a great American Baptist presence in the ABCUSA sense as a recognition of the great commonality that exists among American (read USA) Baptists of a wide variety of organizational adherences (not only ABCUSA, but CBF, SBC, CBA, GARBC, NABC, etc etc). All these groups trace their early history more in common than in separate ways, so perhaps it makes more sense to treat that history in common rather than saying "okay, now, if your church withdrew from ABC/NBC/"us" in 1922 or 1947... or 1845... then we ceased at that point to have a common history with you". When my mom was a girl, she went to all-city Baptist youth events at churches that are now not ABC; e.g. First Swedish Baptist Church. Japanese Baptist was founded with the active involvement of two churches, First Baptist (still ABC) and Tabernacle Baptist (then unorganized at the national level, later Northern Baptist, but now and for decades GARBC). The ABHS should not be a house historical society for a particular, sectarianly defined part of American Baptist History. IMO.

Haruo

[Haruo]

I might add that the Swedish Baptists were involved in the local recognition of Fremont Baptist as a New Testament church in the summer of 1892, several months after our organization in the Chapel Car Evangel. I think we all lost something when we lost touch with each other. There are several vibrant BGC churches in the general Evergreen area, and there is no good reason why we should have less contact and fellowship with them than with our deciduous ABCNW neighbors like Queen Anne and Chinese... especially now that the BGC knows English ...

Haruo

[Ed Pettibone]

[Big Daddy Weaver]

[Haruo]

[Big Daddy Weaver]

Well, Baylor is the only research university with a Baptist heritage/roots that still claims to be a "Baptist university"

A research university would be defined (very basic definition) as:

Giving high priority to research AND committed to graduate education through the doctorate

As a teaching university, Mercer wouldn't meet that definition. They only offer two doctoral programs: Education and Pharmacy. And while professors do research at Mercer as they can, research is not central. Not a publish or perish environment for tenure-track professors. I think Underwood would like to take Mercer in the "research university" direction. But both Baptist and research modify "university" in Underwood's quote. Underwood was just a couple of years ago the interim Prez of Baylor and Baylor is always touting their status as a "research university." So, I think that's where that language comes from - though inaccurate in Mercer's case.

A good bit of "Baptist research" has come out of Baylor. So, if Baptist modified research rather than University, I'm not sure that Underwood could make that claim either.

Clearly, Underwood is committed to keeping Mercer a Baptist University which emphasizes research on Baptist history. I hope the next President of Baylor shares Underwood's commitment to Baptist Higher Education. I don't have high hopes.