wfn.org | American Baptists Adopt Statements of Concern

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AMERICAN BAPTIST NEWS SERVICE
Office of Communication
American Baptist Churches USA
P.O. Box 851, Valley Forge, PA 19482-0851
Phone: (610)768-2077 / Fax: (610)768-2320
Web: www.abc-usa.org
Richard W. Schramm, Director
  E-mail: richard.schramm@abc-usa.org

GENERAL BOARD/BIENNIAL MEETING UPDATE: June 25, 1999

NEWS FROM THE GENERAL BOARD/PROGRAM BOARDS
Des Moines, Ia. / June 18-21, 1999

STATEMENTS OF CONCERN
  Delegates affirmed the following Statements of
Concern (excerpted):

"Statement of Concern on the Sabbath Rest"
  "A daily sabbath set aside for rest and reflection has
the power to bring personal spiritual renewal and
restoration.  Consistent, regular time during the course of
the busyness of the day for meditation, self-examination,
prayer, and Bible study prepares us for all that God has in
store for us.
  "Jesus declared a Jubilee 'the year of the Lord's
favor'on the Sabbath (Luke 4:16 NIV)....  Spiritual renewal
and restoration always begin by resting in the Lord; being
open to the Holy Spirit; and carefully waiting, listening,
and receiving from God.  We must provide planned
opportunities for sabbaths to happen, such as a break from
responsibilities for congregational lay leaders, occasional
respite for parents, and times of rest for all kinds of
caregivers.  We must encourage our professional church
leaders to take sabbaticals.  And we must all take the time
to come to the Lord for nurture before we can go into the
world in mission.
  "The opportunity for intentional sabbath re-creation
is the essential preliminary step leading to the other
Jubilee traditions of forgiveness, freedom, justice, and
jubilation.  Therefore, for us as American Baptists to be
renewed for mission, let us:
  "As individual Christians, recognize the need for a
daily, weekly, seasonal, and Jubilee Sabbath to establish
the foundation for our ministry and mission to the world; as
Baptist congregations, provide opportunities for all people
to observe regular sabbath rests, opening ourselves to the
Spirit's call for renewal and restoration; and as the
American Baptist Churches in the USA, affirm this next
biennium as a season of denominational sabbath, in order
that we shall discern the will of God for us as we enter a
new millennium."

"Statement of Concern on Forgiveness"
  "The call for forgiveness in a year of Jubilee is
clearly Biblically based.  A year of Jubilee, as the year
2000 approaches, calls forth the celebration of all aspects
of this Biblical concept.  Such a call rings forth in
Leviticus 25, and its centrality was reinforced by Jesus in
the model prayer he taught: 'and forgive us our debts, as we
forgive our debtors' (Matthew 6:12 KJV). Paul challenged the
Ephesians to 'be kind and compassionate to one another,
forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you'
(Ephesians 4:32, NIV).  Indeed, God's forgiveness of
humanity serves as a powerful call to us for reconciliation.
Again and again in the Old and New Testaments, we are
challenged to set aside and move beyond our debt record-
keeping and to forgive."
  The Statement urges:
  "American Baptists to explore prayerfully and
seriously the issue of forgiveness and its influence on our
personal and corporate actions and to take appropriate
actions to accommodate and achieve true forgiveness in all
its varying facets; American Baptist leaders to develop
biblical and practical resources on the issue of forgiveness
in order to educate the wider American Baptist constituency
and other faith communities; the American Baptist Churches
USA General Board and all national program boards to
continue to evaluate unforgiven financial obligations and
unreconciled relationships and to take appropriate actions
to forgive debts; and the American Baptist Churches USA
General Board and all American Baptists to appeal to the
United States and other nations to likewise evaluate
unforgiven financial obligations and unreconciled
relationships, in order to take appropriate actions to
forgive debts, especially those that overburden developing
nations."

"Statement of Concern on Children in Crisis"
  The Statement calls on churches, among other actions,
to: "build a relationship(s) with families in crisis and
determine immediate needs; ...advocate for adequate and
affordable child care; ...encourage job creation and community
reinvestment in low-income areas; support health fairs for
children to encourage immunizations, age appropriate sex
education, safety education, and early detection of health
needs; carefully select and appoint adults to reach out to
children and youth in the community to offer friendship
and invitations to church activities."
  It also urges churches and members to "share local
data about the incidence of domestic and other types of
violence in order to raise awareness; promote nonviolent
games and activities; encourage rehabilitation rather than
punishment for children and youth who commit crimes or are
delinquent; monitor implementation and impact of state and
national welfare reform measures; advocate for health
insurance for all children; write letters to those who
produce and distribute violent material on TV, video and
computer games, music and motion pictures; pursue
legislation against deadly weapons."

"Statement of Concern on Celebration"
  "At this time of Jubilee, each congregation can
celebrate the past that has formed us and given us identity.
We can celebrate what we share in common with our American
Baptist brothers and sisters, our distinctives, and the
special mission to which God has called us.  We can
celebrate the role our local congregations have played in
the life of our communities.  We can reflect on the wondrous
things God has done and celebrate with thanksgiving.
  "At this time of Jubilee, each congregation can
celebrate the present moments of clarity, devotion and
energy.  We can celebrate the church as the body of Christ
in the world [and] celebrate that as a denomination and as
local churches we are being renewed for mission.  We can see
God at work among us and celebrate with commitment.
  "At this time of Jubilee, each congregation can
celebrate the confident future into which God is moving us.
We can celebrate the sovereignty and providence of God as we
grow in so many ways each new day.... "

"Statement of Concern on Self-Determination for Puerto Rico"
  In their statement on Puerto Rico delegates noted:
"Puerto Ricans must be given a genuine opportunity to make
their choice free of U.S. dominant interests...now is the
time to let the world's oldest colony choose its political
future.  In the spirit of Jubilee, let us allow for the
political control of the island to be returned to its native
people (Leviticus 25:8-55)....
  "Therefore, we call upon American Baptists as
individuals, congregations, and organizations to:
demand Congress to approve nonpunitive legislation leading
to the fulfillment of Puerto Rico's self-determination
through a fair and unbiased plebiscite to be held no later
than the year 2000; urge Congress to honor and support the
results of the vote by the majority of the people in Puerto
Rico; call upon appropriate federal officials, including
President Clinton, to grant unconditional amnesty for
political and related crimes to the fifteen Puerto Rican
independence activists currently incarcerated; support our
sisters and brothers of the Baptist Churches in Puerto Rico,
regardless of their political preferences or status."

"Statement of Concern on Reaffirming Opposition To the Death
Penalty"
  Delegates cited the several existing General Board
resolutions against the death penalty and urged the
denomination "to make available resources for study in local
congregations and...publicize the denomination's position on
this issue whenever possible."

"Statement  of Concern on the 1999 International Year of
Older Persons"
  Delegates called on American Baptists to "celebrate
the presence of older persons...encourage our congregations to
observe 1999 as the International Year of Older Persons
[and] make available resources for study in local
congregations."