:: in.a.mirror.dimly :: A theology and culture blog with the Bible in one tab and a news feed in the other.

I have been feeling kind of left out lately with the rise of sub-groups within the emerging church conversation. There are presbymergents, anglimergents, submergents (anabapists), and who knows what the heck else. What’s an independent Baptist to do?

Now there’s Baptimergent. They admit the name is a touch on the cheesy side, but if anything, it’s accurate. I really like the way the emerging conversation has allowed Christians from a variety of theological backgrounds to embrace their roots–in my case it’s my independent Baptist roots–while still contributing to the contextual theology conversation and living the Gospel missionally. The mission of God and our orthodox core create plenty of common ground that we need not conform everyone to one “emergent” branch of theology.

In reality, I think this is the only option for the emerging church. If we can’t embrace diversity in the same way of our Evangelical forefathers, then we’re bound to just create another divisive congregation. As it is, everyone can stay put, but change their theology, practice, and possibly even ecclesiology.

Balancing unity and diversity may in fact be the greatest contribution of the emerging church when we look back at it. All of the hubbub about postmodernism, absolute truth, and the other issues that cause controversy may very well be forgotten when future generations look back and marvel at the tremendous Christian unity of the emerging church in the midst of theological diversity.

If you’re interested in this group, as some of my Baptist friends may well be, I’ll post the info from the Baptimergent “About Us” page below.

What the heck is Baptimergent?

For starters, “Baptimergent,” is a made-up word, which in its own right is a mark of postmodern credibility. Is it a noun? Sure. Is it a verb? Could be. Is it an adjective? Most likely. Is it an expletive? Depends on who’s using it. Baptimergents have baptimerged into living their tradition in a third way called Baptimergent.

Aside from the cute games with language, Baptimergent is a real posture taken by many people who have a Baptist identity, but who have been trying to make sense of that identity in a postmodern world. As a result they have evolved as something other than the typical categories that have dominated our denomination for the last several decades.

This Baptimergent Blog is an outpost of sorts. Its virtual space for community among those who, as Baptists, have felt like aliens, weirdos, trouble-makers, heretics, and outcasts. Welcome, all you who are weary and heavy laden.

A Confession of Sorts…

We confess that we’re Baptist but we look around and see only two options; moderate/liberal or conservative. We don’t really identify totally with either one. We respect our heritage as Baptists. We value the competency of a person to work out their faith before God without coercion from an ecclesial authority or from the government. We also think that the strength of kingdom mission is in the local congregation, and is best sustained by free association. We also think that the Bible is best understood with Jesus as the hermeneutical guide. When we think of baptism we think of going down to the river for a full bodied washing.

While we value these Baptist distinctives, we are in no way inclined to value our Baptist identity over anyone else’s religious identity. It just happens to be the family of faith we were reared in, but we feel no need to make anyone else in our religious image.

We also have no stake in the fight that has defined many of us for the last forty years. No one has God or theology figured out and finished. The hubris of our recent forefathers who have wasted the last four decades fighting over who is most Baptist or most right is embarrassing. Especially when world events such as South African Apartheid, Latin American Disappearances, Rwandan Genocide, Darfurian Genocide, Middle Eastern war, global poverty, and climate change have dominated the landscape in those decades. Being the most right Baptist, or even the most right Christian is laughable in the face of these world issues.

We are Baptists, but we are dreaming of new ways of living that identity. Something more kingdom-of-God now, rather than later. Something with a lot more room for others, be they Christian or not. Something more than church on Sunday and Wednesday night. Something that hasn’t been co-opted by a political agenda, but still maintains its prophetic edge.

If this confession resonates with you then you will most likely find this blog and its community of friends encouraging engaging, and empowering. You may find that to be the case even if this confession doesn’t resonate. Whether you identify as Baptist, Emergent, both, or neither, you are welcome to interact with us via this site.

Welcome to the Emergent Baptist Network, a.k.a. “Baptimergent.”