Why Do Missionary Baptists Have Churches Association?
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What Is An Association?
Association as a term of relationship means “to join as a partner, friend, or companion: to keep company with,” while association as a term of organization means “an organization of persons having a common interest; a voluntary union of neighboring self governing churches of the same denomination. The definition was derived from Webster’s Third New International Dictionary of the English language.
When two or more churches of like faith and order vote or agree to cooperate together as equals in Christian labors of missionary, educational, and benevolent objectives they by vote constitute an association in mutual labors. Thus an association is a cooperative effort on the churches having a common goal.
Why Do Missionary Baptists Have Churches Association?
Because There Was Scriptural Example Of Messenger Assembly Of Churches Association`. The first messenger assembly of an association of churches was between the church of Jerusalem and the church of Antioch. The Jerusalem church was independent, even after other churches were organized, but she was not so independent that she did not entertain an association, with deliberation between appointed messengers from her own church and that of Antioch as they counseled on doctrinal matters. The messengers are message-bearers of a church to the messenger assembly. A delegate is one unto whom another has entrusted authority. True churches do not elect delegates to represent them; but they elect messengers to serve them. Acts 15:2-6 reads:
“When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they (the Antioch church) determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria… And when they come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them… And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.”
From the above verses it is to observed that the Antioch church elected Paul and Barnabas and certain other brethren to go to Jerusalem for a council meeting on this doctrinal issue; after the Jerusalem church and apostles and elders received them and heard the issue, then the apostles and elders of the Jerusalem church came together to consider this matter. These had evidently been elected by their church to consider the matter. The whole church at Jerusalem did not remain in session or assembly for that issue. At the meeting, Peter, Paul, Barnabas, and James are all mentioned as having made public speeches and testimonies concerning the issue (Acts 15:7-18). James, considered by scholars to have been pastor of the Jerusalem church, made the final speech and announced the messenger assembly’s conclusion to the church (Acts 15:19-22). The Jerusalem church received the decisions and counsel of the messengers who had been in council, and determined to write letters to the churches and brethren in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia. They also elected two other missionary messengers to return with Paul and Barnabas and the other certain brethren to Antioch. The conclusions of the messenger assembly at Jerusalem were sent with certain recommendations to the Antioch church, and both the letter and messengers were received by the Antioch church (Acts 15:30-34). There was an associational relation between the two churches.
Because There Was an Example Of Churches Working Together In a Common Cause For Mission And Missionary. The church at Antioch, Syria, sent Paul as their missionary to preach the gospel in other locations. He, of necessity, had to be supported with money and materials to meet his physical needs. It was the responsibility of the church at Antioch to furnish the needs of their missionary, but other churches cooperated with Antioch in supporting Paul on the mission field. He wrote the church at Corinth:
“Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely (for naught)? I have robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service. And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself” (2 Cor. 11:7-9). “Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated (had fellowship) with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again to my necessity” (Phil. 4:15-16).
The church at Antioch which sent Paul out as a missionary was joined by the churches of Macedonia together with Philippi to support and keep his needs supplied. These churches had a common interest and worked together for their common good. This is exactly the function of an association.
Because There Was An Example Of Churches Working Together For Benevolence Work. Benevolence means an act of kindness, a disposition to do good, and a generous gift. Conditions over which the brethren at Jerusalem had no control had reduced them to want of the necessities of life, and a movement was begun in Macedonia to receive offerings and gather such things as would relieve the distress of the brethren in Judea. Churches in other areas cooperated in this benevolent movement. The cooperating churches elected certain persons to represent them in this service.
“ But thanks be to God, which put the same earnest care into the heart of Titus for you….And we have sent with him the brother, whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches; and not that only, but who was also chosen of the churches to travel with us to the glory of the same Lord, and declaration of your ready mind….Whether any do inquire of Titus, he is my partner and fellow helper concerning you: or our brethren be inquired of, they are the messengers of the churches, and the glory of Christ (2 Cor. 8:16,18,19,23).
The pressing need of the brethren at Jerusalem was of common concern to many churches, and according to a systematic plan, they cooperated in their efforts to meet that common concern. This is an association: a group of churches working together harmoniously to accomplish a goal that one church working alone could not do. This is scriptural.
Because Of The Nature Of Association.
An association is comprised of those churches of like faith and order who voluntarily associate to promote mission work. Since the geographic sequence of the commission involves local, provincial, national and international mission work (Acts 1:8), it is reasonable to have churches association to promote mission work at those levels. The messengers from each local Missionary Baptist churches meet with an equal representation. Unlike the Southern Baptist Convention has unequal representation based on membership and money. An association recognizes each church is of equal rank and privilege in the eyes of God. That disallows any church or individual from becoming a pope over the churches. Christ utterly rejected the principle of allowing anyone to rule over His churches (Matt. 20:25-28). So Missionary Baptists accept the principle of the equality and sovereignty of each true church, regardless of numerical membership or financial output. In the doctrinal statement of Missionary Baptist Churches Association (MBCA) in number 20 says: “We believe that all associations, fellowships, and committees are, and properly should be, servant of, and under control of the churches (Matt. 20:25-28).” God does not want anyone becoming a lord over one of His churches (1 Peter 5:3; 3 John 9-11; Rev. 2:6). That is the nature of a scriptural association.
Membership In An Association
All churches desiring fellowship in an association must be regular New Testament churches, if an association is to be scriptural, and if there is to be peace and harmony in the fellowship. In the words of the prophet Amos:
“Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3).
The answer is obvious. New Testament churches, whether in or out of an association are governed by New Testament laws. Messenger assemblies are governed by man-made rules, but these should harmonize with law of Christ. Associations are formed by voluntary agreement on the part of the churches entering the fellowship; and not by the rule of the law. Thus, in the absolute sense, an association is not an organization; it is an agreement in fellowship of two or more churches to work together in a common cause for the good of all. It should be noted that the examples of association between churches found in the Scriptures are association as a term of relationship, not association as a term relating to a formal organization.
A fine young preacher wrote and asked Elder Ray O. Brooks (ABA president, 1986-1987) why many local associations in the state of Texas required petitionary letters from new churches. This practice permitted messengers to vote to accept or reject any new church as a cooperating church of an association. He pointed out that this practice was not permitted on the state (MBA) and national (ABA) levels of association.
The constitutional practice of voting to receive churches into an associational fellowship also carries with it the constitutional approval of voting to expel associating churches. If it is scriptural to vote to receive, it is scriptural to vote to exclude. In either case the vote violates on the sovereignty of the church involved.
Some object by saying that some churches with which our churches don’t want to fellowship may send messengers. Therefore it is necessary to have the option of voting to seat messengers to guard against this possibility. Elder Brooks answer is: Association demand trust. When any church has voted to accept the Doctrinal Statement of an association and voted to approve the Articles of Agreement under which all messengers assemblies will operate and has elected messengers to represent her; she has done all that is necessary to be included in an association of churches. She has done as much as the churches who first formed the association. For who voted to seat their messengers in the first assembly? To go beyond this is to violate the sovereignty of the churches. And such would violate the freedom of association.
BOOK REFERENCES:
Holy Bible
ABA 2000 Yearbook
Scriptural Church Association by Ray O. Brooks
Crendenda by Faculty: John E Owen, 1984
Defense of the Faith by Albert Garner, 1962
Baptist Church Manual by Albert Garner, 2003
Glover’s Church Manual by Conrad N. Clover with I.K. Cross, 1983
The People Called Baptist by Lee R. Tillman, 1974
