The "other" in the Baptist experience.

Gourley, Bruce T.

All new religious movements begin their existence as an "other." For the early Baptists, "other" meant they did not participate in the common Christian paradigm of creedal faith, fettered conscience, state-enforced dogma, and infant baptism.

For being "other," Baptists were often branded as heretics. Ostracized and persecuted, they were frequently banished, jailed or beaten by order of Christian governments.

Yet for these heroic Baptists, their otherness was that of all "others." They demanded, to the horror of respectable citizens, freedom of conscience and religious liberty for all, and church-state separation. Willingly suffering persecution at the hands of majoritarian Christian officials for the sake of all "others," Baptists advocated for all of the disadvantaged, including those with whom they strongly disagreed theologically.

In ensuing centuries, however, Baptist advocacy for the disadvantaged has too often fallen by the wayside. Many Baptists of present-day America are part of a larger majoritarian evangelical coalition that exudes political power, cultural influence, and personal and corporate wealth to a degree entirely unimaginable in the colonial era. From their privileged status, some Baptists in America believe "others" (those not of an evangelical or Christian orthodox persuasion) should be forced to conform their behavior to certain Christian dogma.

The recent Hobby Lobby v. Burwell Supreme Court decision is a particularly glaring example. Departing from their faith heritage, some privileged Baptists welcomed the Court's ruling that corporatations may force employees to conform to business owners' religious dogma. To understand how early Baptists would view the Hobby Lobby decision, substitute "king" for "corporations" and "citizen" for "employees."

Within the larger movement of some privileged Christians shrouding religious coercion under the guise of "religious freedom" (of the powerful over the people), astute observers note the similarities with Christian slaveholders of the antebellum and Civil War era who appropriated religious doctrine in demanding "freedom" for whites only, mandated by government edict. Biblically-fueled and government-sanctioned white discrimination against blacks in the century following the Civil War is another legacy invoked in today's widespread discrimination, often spearheaded by majoritarian Christians, against "others"--whether corporate employees, women, LGBTs, immigrants, or persons of non-Christian faith or no faith.

Baptists at their best, however, welcome rather than discriminate against "others." As Bill Leonard reminded us at our annual conference in Sioux Falls, Baptists themselves are a diverse, and often divisive, people. Yet in the midst of the vast differences that characterize the Baptist family, persons of widely disparate beliefs dwell together under a broad Baptist umbrella.

The Baptist History and Heritage Society in 1995 expanded its mission to include working alongside all within the Baptist family. Much of the theological spectrum of Baptists is represented in our annual meetings, as was certainly the case in Sioux Falls, where every participant was an "other" in the eyes of someone present.

Yet despite the diversity, differences, and debates inherent in our annual gatherings, we collegially share the speaker's podium, breakout sessions' platform, panelist's table, and meals. We come as friends and depart as friends. The otherness present in Sioux Falls, as at each of our annual gatherings, is tempered by our common grounding, as Bill Leonard also reminded us, in the believers' church.

This journal edition celebrates our Baptist otherness embodied in Sioux Falls. Sioux Falls Seminary and the North American Baptist Heritage Commission were remarkable and gracious hosts for our recent annual conference. The Association of Librarians & Archivists at Baptist Institutions, our conference partner, brought a broader and complimentary Baptist presence to our gathering, as noted by ALABI president Taffey Hall in her editorial. Albert Wardin's conference opening remarks and Bill Leonard's keynote address frame the topic of "Exploring the 'Other' Baptists" in a compelling manner. Bill Pitts' essay on the relationship between Baptist historian Walter Rauschenbusch and Catholic historian Ignaz Dollinger probes the otherness between two very different Christian denominations and the similarities between two individuals. Joe Early's analysis of the early Baptist Missionary Association of America focuses on a peripheral Baptist group. And in a reprint from a 1983 journal edition, longtime Baptist historian and former Society president Robert Gardner provides an overview of Baptists and the Indians of North America prior to the formation of the Southern Baptist Convention in 1845.

There are, to be certain, many "other" Baptist stories yet to be told. The BH&HS remains a venue for the telling of such stories, in our conferences, in our journal, through other print publications, and by digital means.

Finally, I encourage you to make plans to attend the 2015 annual conference of the Baptist History and Heritage Society in Nashville, Tennessee, April 20-22, 2015. In partnership with National Baptists, our hosts are American Baptist College and First Baptist Church, Capitol Hill. The theme is "Seeking Justice: Baptists, Nashville, and Civil Rights." Nashville has a rich Civil Rights history of which Baptists were often at the forefront. This conference promises to be exciting and informative as we examine the bitter discrimination against and inspiring courage of "other" Baptists during a tumultuous and formative time in America's recent history.

Due to the calendar needs of the National Baptist Convention, the 2015 conference dates fall during spring semester. If you are within driving distance of Nashville, consider bringing students with you. This will be our first conference where student BH&HS membership fees include conference registration fees. In addition, thanks to a generous donation by a Society member, students attending the Nashville conference are eligible to participate in the Fellowship of Baptist Historians dinner at no cost.

In Nashville next year our Baptist diversity, differences, and debates will once again characterize our annual gathering. Everyone will be an "other" to someone, yet together as friends we will mine the Baptist past, ponder the present implications, and move forward together into an unfolding and hopeful future.

I hope to see you in Nashville in April.

Bruce T. Gourley

Executive-Director