LIBERTY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
Article Critique: Baptist and the Ecumenical Movement
Submitted to Dr. David Gorza
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of
CHHI 665-B01
History of Baptists
by
James D. Johnson
June 13, 2019
Introduction
In an article by John H.Y. Briggs entitled, “Baptists and the Ecumenical Movement,”
Briggs discusses the history of the Baptists and their role with the ecumenical movement. This
paper will focus on the main points presented by Briggs, and offer the reader a critique of Briggs’
writing on the ecumenical movement. The conclusion of this paper will offer the reader the
effectiveness of Briggs’ argument.
Summary
Within the article, Briggs outlines the history of the European Baptists engaged with the
ecumenical movement. Briggs writes, “But Baptist ecumenical involvement cannot be too easily
dismissed, for early Baptists, though separating from State Churches, were well aware of the
dangers of becoming isolated and sectarian.”1 It is clear that the authors intent to show how
Baptists viewed the ecumenical movement, and to show the reader how early Baptists viewed
this movement. Briggs notes, “The Particular Baptists Confession of 1677 speaks of each church
being bound to pray continually for the good and prosperity of all the churches of Christ in all
places.”2
Briggs then gives the reader two examples of voices within the seventeenth century that
desired more interrelationships (i.e. John Bunyan and Thomas Grantham).3 These two voices are
used to show the reader that the ecumenical movement was something that has been desired to
centuries. As Briggs notes, “The ecumenical question is about relating to other people just like
me, but also relating to other people/groups who are nothing like me/us.”4 After giving the reader
some statistics about the Baptist movement, Briggs concludes his articles by pointing the reader
1John H.Y. Briggs, “Baptist and the Ecumenical Movement,” Journal of European Baptist Studies 6, no. 1
(September 2005): 11–17.
2Briggs, 11.
3Ibid., 12.
4Ibid., 13.
back the first BWA. Briggs notes, “And there remains the missionary imperative to all this that
Timothy Richard of China made so clear at the first BWA Congress a hundred years ago, namely,
how can we expect an unbelieving world to take us seriously in our talk about a gospel of
reconciliation when we remain so obviously un-reconciled one to another.”5
Critique
There are some great strengths with Briggs’ article about the Baptists and ecumenical
involvement. Frist, one of the great strengths of Briggs, is he does a great job in explaining the
need for Baptists to be part of the ecumenical movement. Briggs writes, “So let me make the
point that evangelicalism and ecumenicism are far from being opposed: rather the one is the
child of the other.”6 In other words, Briggs was imploring the Baptist reader to not fear the
evangelical movement, but to know they are of the same family (i.e. family of God). Briggs
notes, “If you perceive anything of the Spirit of Christ in other Christian bodies you are bound to
relate to them.”7
One significant weakness of Briggs’ article is he does not give the reader any information
on the decline of the Baptists. According to Leon McBeth, “The Briggs report cited changes in
society and the erosion of interest in evangelical religion as helping set the environment for
decline. More specifically, it pointed to theological polarization, the charismatic movement, and
ecumenical commitment as specific factors in the Baptist decline.”8
Another weakness for Briggs, is the way the article is formatted. Each paragraph has been
neatly divided and numbered. While, this may make it easier for some to read, for this writer, the
5Ibid., 17.
6Ibid., 14.
7Ibid., 13.
8Leon McBeth, The Baptist Heritage: Four Centuries of Baptist Witness (Nashville, TN: Broadman and
Holman, 1987), 510.
entire article felt unfinished and had no formal academic flow. Again, this does not undercut the
message of the article, just makes it more difficult to read.
Conclusion
Briggs has done a great job in highlighting Baptist and the ecumenical movement. The
article shows the reader the need for Baptists, and all Christians to find common ground. There is
not just one denomination that is heaven bound, but all that truly profess the saving work of
Jesus Christ as their personal Savior are heaven bound. As Briggs noted in closing his article,
“So often the goal of unity seems so far off that we need to remind ourselves that this unity is
both gift and goal and we need to enjoy the gift of unity we already possess whilst ever striving
for richer and deeper relationships.”9
Bibliography
Briggs, John H.Y. “Baptist and the Ecumenical Movement.” Journal of European Baptist Studies
6, no. 1 (September 2005): 11–17.
9Briggs, “Baptist and the Ecumenical Movement.”
