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We Have Been to the Summit!

By: Abigail Hastings

One thing you can count on in February in Rochester is snow. One thing you might not have imagined is how a meeting that was envisioned for a dozen people grew to over 150! When the word got out that there would be conversations about what is going on in the ABC(USA) - how a loud and tenacious minority voice is employing tactics that seem determined for a takeover of the mind and body of the denomination – everyone wanted in on it. On February 17-19, people from 14 states and 11 ABC regions met at Colgate-Rochester Seminary for “The Summit” – a gathering that brought together people associated with the ABC and many other groups, including: Alliance of Baptists, Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America, the Baptist World Alliance, the Baptist Joint Committee, Welcoming and Affirming Baptists, the Roger Williams Fellowship – and 30 of our own Baptist Principles crowd.

I will be the first to admit that I didn’t think a group that large could produce useful documents in two days. I was wrong! After we worshipped together, we had a very helpful briefing of current issues and concerns led by Susan Johnson of Chicago IL. Relevant documents to this discussion are provided on the Rochester-Genesee region website (www.abcrgr.org) and I encourage you to review it.

For the remainder of our time, small groups worked to develop statements designed for various purposes:

- The Rochester Summit Statement: signed by participants at the meeting and reprinted here (individuals not at the Summit are invited to sign as well)

- A Draft Resolution for Regional Boards to bring to the General Board: this resolution will serve as an alternative to actions generated by the IN/KY Region Board. It will need 200 churches in 5 different

- regions to sign on to it so that it can be presented to the General Board at their next meeting. Please see our website for updates on the progress of this important effort.

- A Draft Letter to the Regional Executive Ministers Council (REMC) regarding their “pastoral” letter adopted at their November 20th meeting in Green Lake WI.

- A Draft Theological Statement that will be circulated this spring and all over the Biennial with the tag line: Join Jesus at the Table

The documents from the Summit are available through the Rochester-Genesee website listed above and are linked from our website: www.baptistprinciples.org. The Summit statement, as with The Judson Declaration, is a document that individuals are signing. Please pass the word along so that we can collect as many signatures as possible and to help inform people that there is momentum for change in the ABC. I believe we will look back and see that the Summit was a watershed moment for us. The Gospel According to Rochester – the good news of the Summit - is that as we stand at the crossroads of where the ABC is headed in its life and witness, there is renewed energy to point us in the direction that preserves all that is meaningful about our Baptist heritage.  

The Rochester Summit Statement, [from Alan Newton, convener:]

Friends, one hundred fifty eight American Baptist leaders have just concluded a historic meeting to celebrate our heritage and to affirm the diverse and inclusive nature of our fellowship. We used a process called Open Space Technology which allowed for maximum engagement and input from all in attendance.

There were a multitude of actions and working statements developed which will be shared with the larger family in the next weeks and months.  All are available on the www.abcrgr.org website. Here is a copy of one statement which was endorsed by consensus of the group gathered:

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