The Nazareth Manifesto

The history of the Christian Church has been one of turmoil and tension. Sometimes the trouble has come from "outside," but most often it has come from internal stresses, dissent, and power struggles.

Today is no exception. In the USA, nearly every "mainline" denomination is besieged within and without from forces tearing at the fabric of their very being. After the Disciples of Christ, some of the Baptist denominations (particularly The Alliance of Baptists and The American Baptist Churches) are very close to the UCC in doctrine and polity.

Over the past 30 years, we've witnessed the breakup of the Southern Bapist Convention, and, more recently, similar attempts to disrupt the American Baptist Churches. Out of this turmoil a new effort is underway, called the New Baptist Covenant, spearheaded by former presidents Carter and Clinton and leaders of several Baptist denominations and fellowships.

One of the related efforts is development of a video titled "The Nazareth Manifesto," which discusses Luke 4:18-19 as Jesus' "mission statement" and a call to the church to be about social justice. You can click the play button to view the 5-part (14 minutes) video. If you're not Baptist, just substitute "Christian" wherever you see/hear the word "Baptist" in the video. The message is not just for Baptists, but all serious (particularly those of us who think of ourselves as progressive or liberal) Christians.