This is an organization which was established in 1845, in Augusta, Georgia. Nowadays, it is one of the most important community in the United States, with 16 millions of members (roughly 7 percent of the United States adult population) and 45 000 churches, and it is very conservative. Southern Baptist Convention is also sponsoring more than 5 000 foreign missionaries in 153 nations of the world. In fact, Baptists have the mission to invite everyone to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and to spread the Gospel (the teachings of Jesus Christ) all around the world. Their “guide” is called the Baptist Faith and Message and was revised twice (the last version dates from 2000).
In everyday life, worshippers have to act as men and women made in the image of God. Each level of Baptist life is autonomous, but they have to regularly pray and go to church. Men and women are supposed to be equal, but they have very different roles: men have to take the decisions, to protect their families, etc., whereas the wives have to submit themselves to their husbands. Nevertheless, the husbands have to respect their wives and to help them managing the household and nurturing the children. In addition, and according to the Baptist Faith and Message, Man was innocent of sin and endowed with freedom of choice. That is why people can decide to become Baptists or not. However, once they are baptized, if worshippers make a bad choice, they are considered as transgressors and have to repent themselves. It is believed that only God can bring Man back into the holy fellowship.
As far as the restricted behaviors are concerned, there are several ones. First of all, female pastors are prohibited (this is a ministry office only reserved to men) and deacons cannot be married. Then, the Southern Baptist Convention is against homosexuality, considering it as a sin, and against abortion as well, which it considers as a murder. Moreover, as it is a Christian-based organization, it considers that marriage is the uniting of a man and a woman for a lifetime, so divorce is not looked kindly. Finally, women are restricted to hold certain offices in the fellowship simply because they were born a woman.
About controversies, it has to be said that Southern Baptists had issued several resolutions that supported the concept of separation of church and state. Nevertheless, they generally agree with the Conservatives, above all on moral matters such as the abortion and the Arizona’s immigration law.
In conclusion, it is not a surprise to see that Southern Baptist Convention is the second most important religious organization of the United States (under the Christians), given that they have conservative ideas and that the United States are largely conservative as well.
