About seventy Baptists assembled at The Carter Center on March 12, 2008, to assess the hundreds of comments and suggestions that poured in following the New Baptist Covenant assembly in Atlanta. Almost of all of the participants represented conventions, associations, universities, or other organizations. They divided into ten groups to discuss issues related to evangelism and nine other subjects.

Over the ensuing weeks following the Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant, hundreds of suggestions and ideas for future action have been generated through feedback from participants. Additional ideas and suggestions were generated during the March 12 follow-up meeting of more than 70 Baptist leaders at the Carter Center.

A sampling of that feedback has been organized into broad categories and is presented here for consideration by individuals, churches and Baptist organizations that have participated in the New Baptist Covenant.

By Marv Knox
Baptist Standard

Photo: Billy Howard

ATLANTA-Fifteen thousand participants in the New Baptist Covenant convocation arrived in Atlanta Jan. 30 seeking unity in Christ and departed Feb. 1 wondering where their quest will lead.

In the meantime, they demonstrated racial, theological and geographic harmony as they prayed, sang, listened to sermons and attended workshops focusing on ministry to the people Jesus called "the least of these" in society.

By Carla Wynn Davis
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship

Photo: Billy Howard

ATLANTA-With a closing challenge to love God and love others, former President Jimmy Carter capped the three-day Celebration of the New Baptist Covenant Feb. 1 in Atlanta, ending a day that focused on future unified action and developing response to immigration, hunger, health care and other social issues.

"I feel that this New Baptist Covenant assembly is based on … love God and love the person standing in front of you at any time," Carter said.

By Robert Marus and Greg Warner
Associated Baptist Press

Photo: Billy Howard

ATLANTA (ABP)-The only way for a broad group of Baptists to move toward their goal of unity is with a spirit of humility and forgiveness, former President Bill Clinton told participants of the Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant Feb. 1.

"If we are going to form a covenant that can embrace the whole body of the Baptist [tradition], which every Christian can identify with and every good human being on earth can applaud, it is the spirit with which we go forward and our determination to offer specific things we can do as the children of God that will determine how it comes out in the end," Clinton said.

By Jim White
Religious Herald

Photo: Joel McLendon

ATLANTA-When it comes to spiritual discipline, simply spending time in God's presence is the primary requirement, seminary professors Linda Bryan and Loyd Allen agreed.

Bryan and Allen led a session titled "The Spirit of the Lord Upon Me" during the New Baptist Covenant gathering in Atlanta, Feb. 1.

By Hannah Elliott
Associated Baptist Press

ATLANTA (ABP)-Many churchgoers know human trafficking and sexual exploitation are global issues. But more than 200,000 children in the United States have become "sex commodities" as well, Baptist social workers say.

Ellyn Waller and Brenda Troy led a discussion about exploitive sex at the New Baptist Covenant meeting Feb. 1 in Atlanta-a city with the nation's second-highest rate of human trafficking, they said.

By Bob Perkins
 

Photo: Joel McLendon

Wendell Griffen, judge in the Arkansas Court of Appeals, said its time for Baptists to speak out about a broken system.

"Baptists should demand that the criminal justice system stop wrongful prosecutions," Griffen said. "We who believe that Jesus was tried and punished wrongly should demand transparency in the criminal justice system."

By John Pierce
Baptists Today

Photo: Joel McLendon

ATLANTA-While soup kitchens and clothes closets meet some basic human needs, something more personal is needed to counter poverty, said one who lives and works among the poor.

"We need football games, where we can play together," said Jimmy Dorrell of Mission Waco, a multifaceted ministry with impoverished persons in Central Texas.