INAUGURAL MEETING HELD ON
A MOST EVENTFUL AND HISTORIC DAY
by Holmes Moore
September 11, 2001 will long be remembered by all Americans and the
entire world as the day that a desperate enemy struck our nation by terrorist
attacks against New York City and Washington, D.C., killing multiplied thousands
of innocent men, women, and children, destroying the World Trade Center
buildings and seriously damaging the Pentagon. These stunningly desperate and
evil acts perpetrated against a free and peaceful society caused our nation and
the entire world to wonder and deeply grieve.
Yet in the midst of this great tragedy, many pastors and other
Christians gathered in St. Louis for the purpose of inaugurating the Sovereign
Grace Baptist Fellowship. This date had been chosen long before. Throughout the
day we received updates of the momentous events taking place in our land and
prayer was fervently made throughout the day for our nation and its leaders.
However, the purpose set for these meetings was carried out in the conviction
that the cause of the everlasting Gospel of the Grace of God was of greater
moment even than these pressing national concerns. Certainly a great solemnity
permeated all that was said and done. God was pleased greatly to bless this day.
More than twenty pastors and churches were represented in our first
meeting. Besides these, twelve other pastors and churches had written expressing
their interest in the Fellowship effort. We thank God for this very fine
beginning, but it is only a beginning. It is my firm belief that there are many
others who, when they clearly understand what we are all about, will also be
interested in what we are attempting to do by the Sovereign Grace Baptist
Fellowship…
...We intend to work
together in order to help promote the work of the Gospel of the Grace of God at
home and on foreign fields. We purpose to do together that which is difficult or
impossible for us to do alone. We desire to leverage our strength and efforts so
that together we might accomplish more in the interest of the glory of God and
the salvation of mankind.
We do not intend to
form a "denomination" or any kind of exclusive, sectarian group where some are
"in" and others "out." Our aim is to be a friend to all friends of the Grace of
God, not to become a tool of division, separating brethren one from another. We
hold sincere goodwill toward all, irrespective of their feelings toward our
Fellowship effort. We heartily welcome as brethren all who hold the Doctrines of
Grace and wish to have part in what we are attempting. We earnestly ask the
prayers of all, even of those who, for whatever reasons, do not see fit to join
our efforts.
Our Articles of Faith
are but a general statement of what we in common believe to be the teaching of
Scripture. They are not intended to be in any sense a "creed," as that which
binds our conscience and becomes the standard of our faith and practice. Only
the Word of God itself is that. This statement of what we believe is
comprehensive, but not complete; it is sound, but not authoritative. Our
individual pastors and churches will believe and teach much that is not touched
upon in these Articles. Differences respecting matters beyond the scope of these
statements will not necessarily be made a test of fellowship. We are encouraged
by the good start God has given us. We invite others to earnestly consider
having a part with us. We desire to "attempt great things for God" and to
"expect great things from God."
(Holmes Moore
was the initial Chairman of the Sovereign Grace Baptist Fellowship and is Pastor
of Bible Baptist Church in St. Louis, Missouri)
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