Who needs a denomination anyway? Isn it an outdated concept?
Some critics try to give the impression that a denomination is an un-Biblical, authoritarian, bureaucratic structure best left in the dust of history, while at the same time they are busy creating modern replicas under different terminology! But denomination is a term that simply means that a number of churches share enough in common, and express that through some form of uniting organization, that you can apply (denominate) the same descriptive name to them. How a denomination is organized is altogether a different question. Baptists are famous for forming Associations in order to better accomplish mission, to increase discipleship and fellowship, and to present a more united front in witness to the world around them. We’ve just done it again with ABCOSH! And ours is organized under historic Baptist patterns of Association and not under the modern mega-church paradigms of authoritarian leadership that seeks uniformity of belief and practice. • If I leave the American Baptist family, w
