Autonomous But United

Posted By Jesse Owens on Aug 11, 2014 | 12 comments

I grew up in Free Will Baptist churches, occasionally attended local association meetings with my father, and regularly attended the annual National Association Free Will Baptists. Even from a young age I knew that all Free Will Baptists didn’t share identical philosophies of ministry, nor did they agree on Bible translations, or what men and women ought (or ought not) to wear. But from what I could tell, we were a lot alike. I knew that we all wanted to see the Gospel spread to the ends of the earth.

It wasn’t until later (probably during college) that I began to wonder: “What is the purpose of my denomination?” We had colleges, youth programs, missions organizations, and an annual convention with worship services and business meetings, but I never could put my finger on the larger point. Quite often we felt more like an awkward family reunion than a group of churches attempting to accomplish a common mission. But I was sure that we had united for something. I just wasn’t sure what that something was.

As I began studying English General Baptist and early Free Will Baptist history, I began to understand the purpose of local, state, and national associations. Reading documents such as the Free Will Baptist Treatise of Faith and Practice, the English General Baptist Confession (1660), the Orthodox Creed, and other important creeds and confessions helped me realize that we had a very clear purpose. We were a people dedicated to the Great Commission. That dedication required robust biblical doctrine, Christian education, and global evangelism. I didn’t believe that we had forsaken these things, but I did feel as if we may have lost our focus somewhere along the way.

In view of this broader context, this article will discuss the importance of district, state, and national associations, and the purpose of the National Association of Free Will Baptists. My purpose is not to provide a biblical defense of associations or denominationalism per se, but to clarify the spiritual purpose and value of such associations.

Baptist Associationalism

It’s important to begin by clarifying the nature of Baptist associations. Most Baptist denominations are somewhat unique in that they consist of self-governed churches that voluntarily unite and delegate varying levels of authority to local, state, and national associations. For Free Will Baptists, this means that the members of individual congregations retain final authority on matters including, but not limited to financial decisions, hiring pastors, and disciplining members. In these things, we may refer to local churches as “autonomous” or “self-governing.”

It would be a mistake, however, to think of local church autonomy as complete independence in the sense that other churches aren’t needed. The very existence of local, state, and national associations today illustrates that previous generations of local churches recognized their need to unite with others in order to accomplish together what they couldn’t accomplish individually.

English General Baptists such as Thomas Grantham and American Free Will Baptists such as John J. Butler understood the local church to have final authority on all matters. But they also understood the biblical precedent for and the value of churches being gathered into associations for support and accountability (Acts 15).[1] As Grantham clearly explained, “The mutual consultation of many churches together, shows not the superiority of churches one above another; but only the brotherly interest which they have in the strength of each other, and the duty which lieth upon the churches one to help another in their difficulties.”[2]

Throughout Baptist history, it’s been understood that each church has final authority to resolve its own internal affairs. That is not to say that local, state, or national associations have never attempted to overstep their bounds. Some have, and we should avoid that. However, the overwhelming consensus among previous generations of Baptists favored strong associational ties, while also affirming the final authority of the local church. Thus, the formal documents of the National Association of Free Will Baptists include a consistent refusal to encourage either isolation or associational totalitarianism.[3]

In what follows, I’d like to provide three examples of how associations can be beneficial to local churches and their endeavors to fulfill the Great Commission.

Example #1: Doctrinal Clarity, Unity, & Accountability

Local churches that unite into local associations help each other and their pastors clarify biblical doctrine and remain accountable to it. On a somewhat recent Friday night, I sat in a local church waiting to meet with the ordaining council of my local association. I was expected to answer many questions about theology, ministry, and my personal life. If I “passed” this extensive interview, I would be deemed “ordainable” as a Free Will Baptist pastor in my association.

As I met with that associational ordaining council (sometimes called a “presbytery board”), I was keenly aware of one thing: doctrine matters. It mattered to these men (each of whom was a pastor or church leader in my association) that I believed in and committed myself to the teachings in the Free Will Baptist Treatise. The Treatise was developed by pastors and lay leaders throughout my denomination to express the theology of my physical and theological ancestors. These pastors wanted to know that I would not attempt to lead a fellow congregation astray.

According to the Treatise, the churches of my association had covenanted together to send potential pastors before respectable pastors to either affirm or deny their doctrinal soundness. In this way, the local association helped protect its member churches from doctrinal confusion and error. This was possible because each local church had delegated authority to the associational ordaining council to ordain Gospel ministers.

Example #2: Formal Christian Education

Local, state, and national associations also serve local churches by providing formal Christian education for their congregants. While formal Christian education should not and cannot replace on-the-ground training, denominations can bring together a faculty of formally-trained theologians and local church pastors to provide a robust and rigorous Christian education that will prepare students for ordained and lay ministry.

It would be difficult for many local churches and pastors to provide the extensive training their members for ministry in the local church, on the mission field, or in the business world without the assistance of organized education institutions. However, when local churches unite around a clear confession of faith (or treatise) and pool their financial resources, they strengthen their churches by deepening their students’ understanding of the faith delivered once and for all to the saints (Jude 1:3).

Pastors can even unite locally to form programs for training Sunday school teachers and young men who aspire to the office of pastor.[4] While one pastor may not have the necessary time or resources to train all of his congregants in a systematic way, a group of pastors and lay leaders can pool their resources and abilities to equip their congregants, and even themselves, with a better understanding of Scripture and biblical doctrine.

Example #3: Missions

The first line of the Free Will Baptist Treatise’s Preface states: “The Free Will Baptist denomination is a fellowship of evangelical believers united in extending the witness of Christ and the building of His Church throughout the world.”[5]

I don’t know about your church, but mine cannot afford to fully fund a single missionary, much less multiple missionaries throughout the world. When churches unite into associations for the sake of the Gospel, which comprise a single denomination, they are able to pool their finances in order to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth. This is not only wise, but also a sign of Christian unity and charity. Though different in many ways, churches that have committed themselves to a confession of faith or Treatise can unite in accomplishing the Great Commission.

Conclusion

Free Will Baptists mustn’t allow the modern spirit of autonomy and independence to hinder the biblical pattern of mutual accountability and Gospel partnership that should exist within local and national associations. As a church member humbly submits to the loving guidance and instruction of fellow church members, so pastors and local churches should submit in humility to the guidance and instruction of other local churches and pastors. We should test all things by Scripture, but be open to our brethren’s counsel in matters of doctrine and practice. Even if the majority of our district or state association errs, we must patiently and persuasively reason with them from Scripture, and pray for biblical renewal.

Of equal importance is our responsibility to approach one another with charity and unity for the sake of the Great Commission. Spreading the Good News throughout the world is too great and daunting a task for separation or isolationism. Either we have joined around a confession of faith for sake of the Gospel, or we haven’t. Either we can lovingly maintain doctrinal accountability, train and disciple our congregants, and evangelize through mutual support, or dissolve our associations and attempt this on our own.

In short, we must clarify the purpose of our union, approach every endeavor with that purpose in mind, and lovingly support one another and our mutual Gospel endeavors.

____________________

[1] The Historical Commission of the National Association of Free Will Baptists, Free Will Baptists and Church Government (Nashville: Randall House Publications, 2008).

[2] Thomas Grantham, Christianismus Primitivus 2.10.137.

[3] Free Will Baptist Treatise, 47.

[4] This is exactly what the Evangelical Training Association has been doing for decades. FWBs have had a good relationship with them (etaworld.org).

[5] Treatise, Preface.

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