THE BAPTIST UNION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24430, 16 October 1940, Page 3

THE BAPTIST UNION

DOMINION ASSEMBLY IN DUNEDIN The fifty-eighth assembly of the Baptist Churches of New Zealand will be held in Dunedin this week. Throughout the world the growth in the membership of this denomination during the past century, from a few hundred thousand to 12,000,000 is, indicative of the widespread appeal of the democracy and autonomy of the Baptist constitution. This principle of self-government by each group of believers has enabled the Baptists not only to sur Ive, but increase even within the borders of Soviet Russia. No formal contract binds one church to the other, yet the Baptists haye achieved an international fellowship which is making, through the Baptist World Alliance, a definite contribution to human welfare. They have ever been in the .forefront of the struggle for religious and civil liberty, inspired by their profound conviction of the rights of the individual and the freedom of the soul. ' Baptists were, in fact, the first to claim this liberty, when, in 1612, Thomas Helwys published his thesis which challenged the authority of kings to interfere in matters of faith. Roger Williams who emigrated to America, and established the original Baptist Church there, also founded the settlement of Rhode Island, which was the first to grant full religious liberty—a principle which was subsequently incorporated in the Constitution of the United States. Baptists have also been noted for their missionary zeal, and consequexitly they were deeply concerned in the movement to abolish slavery. In 1833 William Knibb returned from missionary work in Jamaica, and for six days gave evidence before a Parliamentary Committee, which resulted in the Act to terminate slavery. Wherever there has been a movement for social reform, Baptists have shown a genius for leadership. What they have claimed for themselves they have endeavoured to secure for others. They have laboured continuously since the last war for the persecuted religious minorities in Europe in general, and for those in Rumania in particular. To-day, men such as Mr A. V. Alexander, First Lord of the Admiralty, Mr Ernest Brown, Secretary of State for Scotland, and Mr Geoffrey Shakespeare, Under-secretary for the Dominions, are among the many Baptists occupying important positions in Great Britain. In a . lecture on “The National Genius of England,” Viscount Grey said: “The Baptist Church has consistently, md from the beginning, been the representative of the passion for individual liberty, and id this has been a pioneer to the other Free Churches.” To the Baptists belongs this honour of being the. first Christian communion, speaking through a world assembly, to take an attitude towards national totalitarianism, which has since become adopted by all free countries. This pronouncement was first made in Berlin, where the Baptist World Alliance was being held in the midst of the plebiscite which elected Herr Hitler as Fuhrer. Since their insistence has been on individual faith as a basis of Church membership, it may be reasonably inferred that the passion of the Baptists for social righteousness and civil liberty springs from a personal experience of Jesus Christ.