In advance of the event there were those asking "why" a Baptist Gathering would be of value and "what" would come of it. These are good questions, of course, in the days of careful prioritizing resources for attending such events. They are also appropriate questions for "outcome based" evaluations of programs and events.
There are also those who referred, in advance, to The Baptist Gathering in Atlanta as "historic". Yes, in some sense it was historic when you consider the range of Baptist organizations participating and the array of leaders. As for me, I wish to let someone in a future time determine, using the test of time, to decide if the Gathering was "historic".
What I do know, however, having just experienced The Gathering is that it was one of the most significant experiences of my ABC life--and I was carried into an ABC (Northern) Baptist Church by my parents. It was significant because we spent important time "dwelling" together in the presence of God and a broad representation of Baptists from North America. What will come of it? For one it has already presented a time and place where God was glorified, where we learned together, where we greeted and embraced one another. These are "outcomes" already realized that must not be discounted.
If we had not taken this initial step there would be no potential for shared mission and ministry across some traditional "human built" divisions. I celebrate The New Baptist Covenant Celebration. My prayer would be that within our own ABCUSA family we would discover anew the joy and necessity of dwelling together in the presence of God and one another that we might be energized for mission and ministry in our time.
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