I am getting older. Can't stop it. Not sure I would want to if I could. Staying young, or at least locked into one age or another, would just make you weird and out of place. People would look at you as if you were some kind of freak, that you needed to be in a laboratory somewhere or at least in a museum. After all, everything around you is changing. Why aren't you?
We have met the enemy of change and it is us! (Sorry, Pogo) There is a church sign in my area that says something like "When change stops, death starts." Not bad for a church. In fact most churches I know would consider that heresy. Change comes hard, so hard that for some death is preferrable.
People don't change much, at least not their basic needs and their basic patterns of life. Society does change and with it comes the way we as Christians must relate to it. The questions arise as we look at how much our methods and our images must change to keep us communicating with a society in constant change.
Baptists don't like change. After all if God doesn't change, why should we? Therefore churches shouldn't change. Associations shouldn't change. State conventions shouldn't change. National conventions shouldn't change.
Of course we know all the responses to this. Change the methods without changing the message. Be relevant in a changing society. Meet the never changing basic needs by using ever changing different methods. God's love never changes. Man's sinful nature never changes. Only the methods of communication change.
The conflict arises when the new method reflects a desire to change rather than a more effective method. Churches can change and die in the process. Associations can change and lose all reason to exist. Same can be said for state and national comventions.
Change can be initiated because the old has become ineffective. It can also be initiated because someone felt they weren't receiving the attention they deserved. Change can also come about because someone felt that a little revolution is always healthy regardless of the methods or outcome.
Churches and their cooperative structures have to change. Are we changing for the right reasons? Do we have any reasonable assurance that what will result after the change will be an improvement? I can say change is essential. I cannot say yes to either of the two remaining questions. Baptists need to be very aware of the consequences of change for the wrong reasons and in the wrong direction.
