PRESENT AT THE CREATION: LOMBARD CONFERENCE CALLS FOR THE CREATION OF A NEW ORGANIZATION FOR BAPTISTS; MAKES PLANS

This is a re-post, slightly altered, of my post of Saturday evening.

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 24, 2005

Conferees at the Lombard Meeting agreed today that a new organization for conservative American Baptists will be created and launched within months--essentially a new Baptist denomination.This comes days after the American Baptist Churches of the Pacific Southwest began a process of separation from ABCUSA and two days after a group of like minded executive ministers in the ABC met with and affirmed a continuing relationship with Dale Salico, the PSW executive.

A task force was partially created to work out the details, including the statement of faith, mission and values, after a lengthy discussion by the attendees. They are expected to report back by sometime in November. They will also make a proposal regarding the name of the new denomination.

The following vision statement was adopted by acclaimation:

We intend to be...“A group of Baptist congregations committed together to an orthodox, biblical and theological foundation that will result in the growth of the church of Jesus Christ as demonstrated by healthy congregations.”

The new movement can be for churches that leave the ABC or stay in the ABC and wish to be dually aligned or have already left the ABC, or that may be attracted to the new movement.