Strong Beginning for New Baptist Covenant

Bill Underwood, President of Mercer University, opened the Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant by quoting Dr. Martin Luther King's August 28, 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech. From the steps of the Lincoln Memorial King proclaimed,

"I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood."

Underwood noted that on this historic occasion, King's words were truly being fulfilled among Baptists. On the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners were sitting down together at a celebration of our brotherhood.

Then Dr. William Shaw, President of the National Baptist Convention, delivered a rousing sermon about peace and justice. The most memorable moment of the sermon came when Shaw questioned whether, at times, claims for morality could become tools of injustice. The comment came as he was recounting the story of the woman who was taken in adultery and brought to Jesus. Here's a two minute podcast of his comments.

Former President Jimmy Carter closed the first night's meeting with a call for Baptists to set aside differences and unite around sharing the gospel with all the world.