When I came to Midlothian, TX, as the new young pastor of the First Baptist Church, I was thrilled about their tradition of holding annual evangelistic services in the public schools. In my first year, I preached our Baptist version of salvation during school hours to a captive audience of the not-yet-converted school children. That was my first and last opportunity. The next year, when First Baptist lost its school board majority position, another faith group gained board control and took over the annual public school evangelistic services. The new preacher’s version of salvation was quite different from the Baptist version. Some First Baptist members were outraged and spoke out in the local newspaper with such comments as, “Our children should not be forced to listen to those kinds of beliefs in a public school meeting. After all, Baptists are in the majority in our town.”

As a young, over-zealous, first-time pastor, I was wrong to use political power for a religious advantage. I had conveniently forgotten the serious consequences of that kind of religion. In my enthusiasm, I had forgotten that my Baptist heritage was born out of a culture where powerful government and religious organizations punished people who strayed from approved beliefs, worship and practices. Woodland is a CBF (Cooperative Baptist Fellowship) church because we believe that religion must be voluntary and uncoerced. No individual, faith group or civil authority inside or outside a church should be allowed to force anyone to conform to their religious creed or form of worship. The majority should not rule in matters of faith. How critical is this? Just move to almost any place in the world where religious leaders control a nation and you’ll witness the pain of persecuted women, children and the poor. Love, compassion, sacrificial service and a non-coercive invitation should always rule. Young, inexperienced pastors like I was in Midlothian often do and say foolish things. But, CBF churches, like Woodland, must keeping working to overcome the damaging results of what some Baptists do and say. See you next week at this same place where we’ll look at some of those damaging results and positive consequences of different approaches to faith. Bill Nichols.