Our Scottish Baptist Union Council residential meeting at Gartcosh House was well worthwhile. We were reminded afresh, in contrast to the 'vision statements of big business', that our destination is Christ. We want to look at how we best continue in this journey as churches true to Christ in a way that touches our culture and context. A ‘splash of colour’ on the big canvas, a phrase that summarised the keynote address of our new General Director, Alan Donaldson’s, was Building Missional Relationships. A good thought and a good way of engaging. It was also good to be reminded of the 'Principles of Union': the gule that brings the member churches of our Union together:
1 That the Lord Jesus Christ our God and Saviour is the sole and absolute Authority in all matters pertaining to faith and practice, as revealed in the Holy Scriptures, and that each Church has liberty under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to interpret and administer His laws.
2 That Christian Baptism is the immersion in water into the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, of those who have professed repentance towards God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for our sins according to the Scriptures; was buried and rose again the third day.
3 That it is the duty of every disciple to bear witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to take part in the evangelisation of the world.
I realise afresh how profoundly important these principles are to me as a Christian; the features that make me happy to be a baptist believer. We have to work through afresh what our Declaration of Principles means in practice for all our congregations. We all need to focus in on how these can be outworked in our local contexts.
1 That the Lord Jesus Christ our God and Saviour is the sole and absolute Authority in all matters pertaining to faith and practice, as revealed in the Holy Scriptures, and that each Church has liberty under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to interpret and administer His laws.
2 That Christian Baptism is the immersion in water into the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, of those who have professed repentance towards God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for our sins according to the Scriptures; was buried and rose again the third day.
3 That it is the duty of every disciple to bear witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to take part in the evangelisation of the world.
I realise afresh how profoundly important these principles are to me as a Christian; the features that make me happy to be a baptist believer. We have to work through afresh what our Declaration of Principles means in practice for all our congregations. We all need to focus in on how these can be outworked in our local contexts.
