[1]ORLANDO (BP) – The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) hosted an event on Monday night (June 8) in advance of the SBC Annual Meeting, discussing the importance of Christian political engagement in light of America’s upcoming 250th anniversary.
The event, entitled “One Nation Under God: Reflections on 250 Years of Faith and Democracy,” focused on the upcoming anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence this July 4 and featured a panel of special guests talking about what healthy Christian civic engagement and patriotism look like in America as citizens of God’s Kingdom.
Evan Lenow, who officially began [2] his role as ERLC president June 1, opened the event by speaking about his vision for the work of the organization.
“It’s exciting to see a room full of people wanting to come and hear about what the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission is doing,” Lenow said.
“My vision for the ERLC is that we would serve churches and help prepare you to address the most difficult moral questions that you are facing in your communities. You all are the ones on the front lines living day-to-day in your communities having to address these things, and what you face in your community or church may be different from somewhere else in the country.
“Even in our public policy work and the legislation that we would like to see passed, we want to connect the dots directly back to the churches of the SBC and be able to say this is why this particular advocacy is important. Ultimately, we are here to serve you in all we do.”
[3]RaShan Frost, ERLC director of research and senior fellow, followed Lenow by offering a short message about the importance of living well as citizens of both America and the Kingdom of God.
“We are called to live as dual citizens,” Frost said. “We are called to be faithful citizens of the Kingdom of God whose ultimate allegiance and loyalty is to the Lord Jesus Christ, while also living as faithful citizens in the United States of America where we currently reside.
“America is a better nation when we as believers are living as faithful dual citizens. As we remember 250 years of America, we are here to be salt and light in this special moment.”
After Frost’s presentation, a panel of guests continued the discussion about living as Christians in America as her anniversary approaches.
In addition to Frost, the panel discussion featured:
- Dan Darling, ERLC research fellow, director of the Land Center for Cultural Engagement for Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and author of “In Defense of Christian Patriotism.”
- Adam Groza, president of Gateway Seminary and ERLC research fellow.
- Nathan Finn, ERLC senior fellow focused on issues of religious liberty and professor of faith and culture at North Greenville University.
- Dustin Bruce, ERLC research fellow and dean of Boyce College.
Moderated by Finn, the panel discussed some of the material covered in the ERLC’s recently released church resource “One Nation Under God,” [4] to which each of the panelists contributed.
[5]After each panelist detailed a specific moment when they felt proud to be an American, Bruce briefly addressed the history of Baptists in the American Revolution.
While Bruce admitted history is always “complicated,” throughout the course of the war most Baptists became “fiercely loyal patriots,” regardless of where they may have begun.
Darling expounded on the idea that Southern Baptists have always believed one can love Jesus and be patriotic.
“I think we often create a false binary that you have to love God or love your country,” Darling said. “That’s not really how Scripture presents how we can think about these things.
“Our love for God informs our love for country and all our lesser allegiances. Patriotism can be idolatrous, but I also think it can be sinful to be apathetic or to loathe your country. We should be grateful for where God has put us, and we have been afforded an extraordinary amount of prosperity that is really unheard of in human history.”
Groza echoed this sentiment about following Jesus and becoming a better citizen.
“As believers, our ultimate authority to God is to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ, so one of the most patriotic things we can do is pursue righteousness,” Groza said.
“The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 speaks about ‘The Christian and the Social Order,’ clearly stating we are to oppose what is evil and advocate for what is true. So, cultivating a love for God is one of the most patriotic things you can do.”
Darling expanded on this idea, saying political activism for Christian causes does not contradict the need for internal spiritual formation.
“Sometimes I think we pit revival and spiritual renewal against activism, as if they’re opposed,” Darling said. “I actually think they have to run parallel. Someone is going to do politics, and I think Christians are the best kind of people to be engaged in the political process. At the same time, the way that America is going to become more Christian is through evangelism, church planting and revival. We have to pray that the Lord would send a fresh wave of his Spirit upon our country.
“America has lasted 250 years, and that is amazing. But for America to last 250 more years, it’s going to require us and future generations to preserve these ideas.”
The event was closed with a short charge and prayer from Richard Land, who formerly served as president of the ERLC for 25 years.
“Father, I am just so profoundly grateful for Evan, for the way in which you’ve invested in him and gifted him and prepared him for this job,” Land prayed.
“Thank you for his family, the search committee that recognized him and brought him, and for his willingness to serve. I pray for a hedge of protection around him, around his family, as he seeks to serve you and be the soldier of the Kingdom that you’ve called him to be.”
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