Dr. Shurden received the Whitsitt Couage Award, given annually by the William H. Whitsitt Baptist Heritage Society.  In his presentation to the group today, Dr. Shurden discussed Baptist Pavement (Baptist Strengths) and Baptist Potholes (Baptist Weaknesses).

Following are selections that caught my attention (these are lifted from "the big daddy weave" blog, authored by Aaron Weaver, who is attending the General Assembly):


"... local church autonomy as a Baptist Strength: 'A local group of believers seeking to live under authority of the living Christ as expressed in the Bible'...

"...local church autonomy as a Baptist Weakness: 'tendency toward selfrighteousness and isolationism.  Despite weakness, I celebrate local church autonomy.'

"…Being a Christian means taking seriously what Jesus of Nazareth took seriously.  It is not about signing a creed.  That’s easy church. It’s not about identification with institutions.  That becomes too easily idolatrous…..What did Jesus take seriously?  It was not believer's baptism by immersion or the priesthood of all believers or a symbolic view of the ordinances….those issues contain the seeds of freedom in our denomination that blossom into much larger issues in our world.  Jesus, so it appears to me, took freedom very very seriously. He took seriously the freedom to be included rather than excluded, the freedom to be appreciated rather than exploited, freedom to share rather than horde, freedom to love rather than to hate, fundamental freedom to anchor your life under God’s reign."

"It’s much easier to be a Baptist than it is to take Jesus seriously."

"…I never want moderate Baptists to minimize or forget the Baptist ideals of freedom.  I want moderate Baptists to embrace the Jesus ideals of freedoms."