FROM THE GENERAL SECRETARY

Neville Callam Baptists Help Overcome a Scandal Baptist work started in Sweden in the 1840s and, in

1857, the first General Conference of the Baptist Union of Sweden (BUS) took place. BUS was among the European unions represented at

the inaugural BWA congress which was held in London, England, in 1905. Facing religious persecution at home, the Baptists desired to participate in the wider fellowship of Baptists which was just taking institutional form. The congress received a telegram with greetings from 3,000 Baptists gathered at Stockholm, in Sweden, conveying their “most heartfelt and brotherly greetings.” From the early years, Swedish Baptists have exhibited

concern for the unity of the church. In 1870, they considered uniting with the Independent/Free Lutherans, but the union did not materialize. In the year when they participated in the inaugural BWA

congress, BUS also partnered with the United Methodist Church in Sweden and the Mission Covenant Church of Sweden in a historic conference. In this first “Free Church” Conference held in Stockholm, the three partners sought to draw nearer to each other for fellowship and closer cooperation. By 1918, as a sign of their commitment to order their

mutual relations in harmony, the three Free Church unions formed a Free Church Committee for Cooperation. At one time, the Committee discussed the idea of establishing a Free Church Federation. It also contemplated other forms of cooperation but, in the end, no consensus was achieved on which to build an edifice capable of manifesting visible church unity. Meanwhile, the Swedish Baptist family itself experi-

enced the pain of division. This resulted from a number of factors, including a tradition of not accommodating church congregations that did not comply fully with the doctrinal positions and church practices the BUS leaders believed were required of all Baptists associated in their union. With the passage of time, the BUS has become increas-

ingly aware of the scandal of disunity not only among Bap- tists, but also in the wider church community in Sweden. A report issued in 1965 by a committee established to consider possible BUS membership in the World Council of Churches (WCC) did not offer a positive recommendation on WCC

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membership. Nevertheless, the authors of the report did state that “every step which, in complete faithfulness to the Word of God, can be taken towards a gradual overcoming of Christian division … ought to be taken.” In May 2010, significant steps were taken by the three

church groups, which had their first meeting in 1905, to come closer to the unity they have been contemplating since at least the early 1900s. Earlier, the three partners had decided to accept a Declaration of Intention concerning the creation of a new joint church. Now in 2010, for the second time, the United Methodist Church in Sweden, the Mission Covenant Church of Sweden and the Baptist Union of Sweden held their annual church conference in a common venue, with significant joint evening celebrations. In a session attended mostly by members of BUS

churches, I had the opportunity to share with the gathering some perspectives on the formation of united churches. I made special reference to the United Church of North India (CNI) which was formed on Nov 29, 1970, by Anglican, Baptist, Congregational, Disciples, Methodist, Brethren and Presbyterian churches. Coming as the fruit of a process which had its origins in the 1910 Edinburgh Conference, and given birth 23 years after the Church of South India (CSI) was formed in 1947, the CNI is of particular interest to Baptists. It is one of the relatively few church union schemes in which Baptists participated voluntarily. They were involved from the inception of the talks in 1929. Drawing upon the papers and reports associated with

the eight international consultations of United and Uniting Churches, I emphasized the importance of understanding the union being pursued rather as a conversion of identities than as a merger of administrative units. I also canvassed the importance of the partners keeping the focus on the mission they will carry out in the name of Christ, rather than concentrating too much of their energy on questions of administrative structure and concerns related to the distribution of power in the new church which is emerging. Out of respect for the commitment to visible ecclesial unity that is partly responsible for the drive of the Swedish partner churches, I encouraged strong refusal to regard the united church that will come into being as the pioneer of a new denomination or a nucleus of a new Christian World Communion. Currently before the churches is a draft constitution

to which each of the groups is expected to send in written responses that will be discussed by the coordinating committee. The hope is that, in the near future, a new united church will come to full flower. Could such a church serve as another sign of the urgent need for us to remember the scandal of division in the one body of Christ?