Thinking about Baptists

Many times being a Christian, and most especially a Baptist, can be a challenging experience. The past two months have taught that lesson to me in ways that I never wanted to really learn. Having soldiered through this period, there are many thoughts that come to mind. But first, what is the situation? A few months ago, I volunteered to lead our church youth group. What I didn't expect was the opposition and pure hostility I encountered as a result of volunteering. Since I grew up as a preacher's kid in Southern Baptist churches, you would have thought that I learned never to be surprised by what Baptists would do because they truly are unpredictable people. But, I don't believe anybody could be prepared for the events that have followed. Little did I know that two weeks before election day, severe opposition would appear that included young people being used in a campaign to stop my election as youth leader. Probably the most hurtful part of this whole episode has been that young people were used in such a way.

Why the opposition? What is the objection to my leadership of the youth? Why the phone calls in opposition? What exactly is the problem? You would think that I would know these things or would at least understand why all of this happened. But, two months later, the hurt is deep and the understanding is no better than it was when all of this mess started. Did I volunteer for this to be hurt by people that I care about very deeply? What is the objection to someone leading the youth who has directed Vacation Bible School successfully for nine years and directed the AWANA program for one year? What is the objection to someone who gives freely of their time expecting no recompense nor asking for any because they love the church and their service to God? No, I volunteered because I feel a real burden for the youth program at our church and know that God is leading me to this work. I volunteered out of a joy for service, a joy for doing a work that is so important to the future of our faith. Our young people are the future of our church and our faith. When we are all old and gray, these young people will be the next group of the faithful to do God's work and share the gospel of Christ with those who do not believe.

But, what have they learned? What have I learned from this fiasco? I've learned that people of faith can wound in the harshest of ways. People of faith will run roughshod over each other to push their personal agendas. People of faith will continue to push an issue until they alienate the very people they need to do the work that needs to get done. And who cares about the young people watching in the meantime? Do they even factor in the picture at times? Do we see what we are doing to them? I often think that we don't see it out of acts of willful ignorance, if we don't acknowledge the truth it isn't there. It is that old ostrich syndrome I wrote about in my post of a week and a half ago.

I have also learned that if you dare to stand up and speak your mind that you end up being labeled the "trouble-maker". You should just go-along-to-get along seems to be the prevailing mentality. Or worse yet, you're told to wait for a resolution. Wait how long? Wait for what? What exactly is the proposed solution, neutral parties? Does it even matter that the burden I feel has not lessened one iota? Am I to ignore that burden because we "need a neutral party"? Or do I just resign to stop the hurting? Well, that last approach is what I actually did to try and staunch the hurt, the constant surprises that hurt more and more each time they occurred.

Does the fact that I resigned from the youth committee change the way I feel about our youth? Of course not, I love them with every fiber of my being and would do anything for any one of them. So, I hurt in exile. I wonder exactly how all of this transpired after the open testimony I shared in church when I decided that I couldn't leave to go to Charleston. I believe God left me here to do a work with the youth but that is now blocked. So what does one do?