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How Much of a Doctrinal Statement Do We Really Need?

By June 30, 2009June 6th, 2014No Comments

As if to unwittingly confirm the Gospel Coalition’s call for stricter theological formulations, two evangelical groups with murky doctrinal beliefs met on the weekend after the Gospel Coalition.

The New Baptist Covenant Regional Conference at Wake Forest University on April 25 and 26 was organized by former president Jimmy Carter, but he downplayed the importance of specific theological beliefs.

“We’re saved by the grace of God through our faith in Jesus Christ. That’s a fundamental in which I believe. And I think for Christians that’s basically adequate,” the former president said as he appealed for unity. The adequacy of Carter’s theology remains an open question; in a previous interview published in 2007, he questioned whether a profession of faith in Jesus Christ was necessary for personal salvation.

The Emergent Village leadership somehow managed to articulate even less of a doctrinal core when they met on the same weekend in Washington, D.C. Expressing hope in “a robust conversation that leads to action for a better world” and affirming a “renewed expression of this generative friendship,” the group described themselves as “an intersection where many distinct voices meet, leading to new and often surprising outcomes.”

The group, a leading advocate of “emerging church” ideas, recently addressed its sagging finances by laying off its national coordinator and reorganizing its board of directors. The Emergent Village continues to resist all attempts to define its doctrine, declaring that “we’re happy whenever people are growing in love for God and neighbor, as Jesus taught.”

Kevin Mungons is managing editor of the Baptist Bulletin.

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