For fourteen months the good people of Southside Baptist Church in Birmingham shared their building with Temple Emanu-El, a Reformed Jewish congregation, during the reconstruction of Emanu-El’s building.  During this time the two congregations often conducted joint worship services. 

Baptists from over the United States will gather in Birmingham for the annual meeting of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship in late June. Seizing upon the example of Southside Baptist as well as others, the Baptist Center for Ethics announced a luncheon during the Fellowship gathering with the theme of mutuality and dialogue between Baptists and Jews.  Once the plans were released to the press, Russell Moore, a professor at Southern Seminary and outspoken critique of all Baptists with whom he disagrees, wrote a scathing article in Baptist Press, the news organ of the Southern Baptist Convention.

His main concern is that Baptists are fraternizing with Jews rather than trying to convert them.  He disparages all attempts at dialogue and even seems to have a problem with mutual respect.  It makes me wonder how much success Moore has had in converting Jews with his confrontational style. 

Moore accuses Southside Baptist Church of not being faithful to the Great Commission of Jesus.  By so doing he reveals that he does not know the people of Southside Baptist nor its staff.  Those, including myself, who know them, know they are a missional, evangelistic and innovative congregation.  But, moreover, we know them to be a church that understands the teachings of Jesus, some of which Moore seems to have missed.  Jesus taught us to do unto others as we would have others do unto us, to treat others as we would want to be treated.  I regularly play tennis with one of the members of Temple Emmanu-el.  He is a really, really, nice guy.  He respects me as a Baptist minister, and I respect his faith.  I do not confront him with the gospel, even as I would not want another tennis buddy to be confrontational with me about his faith.  I treat others as I would like to be treated, with respect and a desire to dialogue.  This does not mean I cannot pray for them and seek the Holy Sprit’s opportunity to speak to them about Jesus.  And people are more likely to listen to someone they know, and someone who respects them.

As Baptists and Jews dialogue in mutual respect, I think Jesus will be pleased.