The Chapel Hill weekly., 1963-01-16

TO De forming Is coaleSCence OF
the southwest and frontier groups.
The southwest bloc, characterized
by Self-aSurance and big-busin-
ess temper, provides the drive;
the frontier bloc embraces
Landmarkism," a t h col ogy
which maintains that the only
true church is the local Baptist
church and that such a church
stands in direct historical success
sion from Jesus Christ. Thus it
is obvious that the character of
a coalition party stemming from
these two sources will be both
exclusive and aggressive.
1t remains to be seen how the
middle-Of-the-road segment which
has generally been in power in
the convention will respond to
the preSSures and ambitions of
the ultraconservativeS. Whatever
ensueS, one may be sure that that
segment's leaders themselves
conservative by mainline Protes-
tant standards will try to let the
will of the people in the local
churches-in practice, the will of
the pastors-determine the future
course they chart One wonders
which people and pastors will
prevail-the southwest Landmark
coalition, or the moderates scat
tered across convention territory
who though not liberal do favor
free and progressive tone in
denominatiOnal life. The conSer-
vative coalition has the better
chance, if for no other reason
than it is more persuasive and
emotionally effective. The lib
erals, few in number and large
ly concentrated in Virginia and
North Carolina, cannot realistical-
ly be expected to win the day
or even to influence the future
course significantly.
The one realistic hope for pre-
venting the transfer Of Southern
Baptist leadership to ultracon-
Servative hands lies in the influ-
ence young ministers and laymen
trained since the mid-1950s may
be able to exert. Many liberated
young minds are being turned out
in some of the denominational
colleges and seminaries, as well
as in state and private colleges.
IF the conservative coming-to-
power can be forestalled for IS
to 20 years, a new breed may
assume leadership. Dimming
this hope is the strong pressure
felt by the more liberal clergy,
once in the pastorate, to return
2 to the orthodox ranks. Now, how
ever, there is more obvious rea-
son for resisting the pressure.
The next two decades will be
decisive. Unless the conSerya-
tive blocs can be withstood, the
Southern Baptist Convention will
find itself ttfftraeonservative, ttfftr sect
type, composed in the main of
authentic conservatives and those
who remain Southern Baptist es-
sentially because of tradition. In
one respect this prospect is not
so serious, for after all a ma
jority of southerners will continue
to be fertile soil for the tradition
al Southern Baptist approach. But
il is heartbreaking to contemplate
the probability that this Christian
body will have less and less and
finally no effect on regional lead
ers at all levels in all areas of
life. One is not cheered by the
possible restriction of Baptist
influence to the less well educa-
ted and more provincial in new
society whose leadership will be
educated and cosmopolitan.
At least three concrete courses
Of action will be necessary if
Southern Baptists are to reverse
the reactionary direction in which
they are now moving and prepare
themselves for a significant min
istry to the new south.
First, they must acknowledge
that authority is vested, that an
authorityless institution is an i'm
possibility. and that even if the
shift represents a compromise