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Resolution On Cooperation With Other Christians


The Committee wishes to express its appreciation to Mr. John W. Phillips (See Item 81) and to report as follows:

Item 1. Motion: “That we ask, or instruct, our Southern Baptist seminaries to welcome publicly and openly qualified students of any race.” The Committee wishes to report that since all Southern Baptist Convention seminaries, in Christian principles of love and farsighted policies, have long welcomed qualified students of every race and nation, that this item is already satisfactorily fulfilled.

Item 2. Motion: “That we request our state Baptist conventions to encourage their colleges to welcome the admittance of qualified students regardless of race.” The committee wishes to report that since Southern Baptist Convention has no authority over institutions belonging to our state Baptist conventions and since the control and policies of these institutions, in accordance with Baptist principles of autonomy, of necessity, has to be left in their province, the Committee feels that the Southern Baptist Convention has no authority in this matter except by example.

Item 3. Motion: “That we appoint a committee to study the possibilities of closer fellowship and eventual unity with fellow Baptists in our country.” The committee rejoices to report that the following fraternal committees and movements are already in effect:
(1) The Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs.
(2) The Joint Baptist Jubilee Advance Committee.
(3) A joint meeting at Atlantic City of seven major Baptist bodies in America already planned for 1964 to celebrate the third Jubilee of Baptists in America organized for missions.
(4) A committee on Canadian Baptist Cooperation.
(5) A vital part in Baptist World Alliance, which provides opportunity for cooperation among Baptist bodies of the world.

The committee feels that Item 3 is already being accomplished.

The committee respectfully requests that our people pray for God’s guidance about other ways of expressing a spirit of brotherliness with other Baptist bodies.

Item 4. Motion: “That we appoint a committee to study ways and means for a vital, useful, and constructive relationship to other Protestant bodies of Christians in our country and around the world.”

WHEREAS, A great amount of co-operation with other Christian bodies is already in effect in local churches, in pastors’ associations, in temperance endeavors, religious surveys, in campaigns against vice and social evils, and the like; and

WHEREAS, An effective all-out Christian witness is needed to counteract world communism in the crises of this atomic age; therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED, That we encourage our Baptist people as individuals to think, and pray (during the next year) about additional ways and means of brotherly cooperation with other Christian bodies in matters of mutual concern wherein the sacrifice of cherished principles is not involved.