During the memorial service for Dr. Warren Lewis, my mind wandered backward to days of my youth and days of his strength. He was the single largest figure in the life of most of us in my small town. He was polemic and controversial. Our majority community was fearful of him; he was graduate school educated and capable of thinking ahead of them. He demanded busing for African American students, he argued for African American presence on the school board and city council. He created a Baptist worldview and most African Americans, whether they attended Mount Tabor or not, engendered these values in their homes. He was one of the most refined, polished, classical rhetoricians I have heard or formally studied.
Our minority community was fearful of him too. He challenged each family to encourage their children to study and then send their children to colleges and universities. Theologically, he did not compromise. He did not wink at slothfulness; he did not make excuses about putting other things before Christian service. He pushed common people to do noble things; he believed this was possible and that Scripture mandated these kinds of initiatives from believers. Like the synagogue is for Jewish brethren, it was his goal to make the church the center of consciousness.
At other times, my mind traveled towards the future, I noted that few people in attendance if any were younger than me. That is not necessarily good. I am not so young anymore; President Obama and I are the same age, separated by a few days. I wondered. Where are the new and younger Baptists? Earlier I indicated, Lewis’ death may be a metaphor or a trope for something larger. It may be that a cultural era has ended; a culture where Baptists are the mainstream of African American national ethos, pathos and life.
For instance, Dr. Lewis did not believe that women should preach, he did not believe that women should wear pants in worship services or in churches, he did not believe in drums in worship services. I used to believe that too. That is what I was conditioned to believe within the veil. But can or should this be sustained today? How many young women attend colleges and universities and experience life outside of their former cultural relativism and former life within the veil – believe that outer adornment is necessary for Christian worship or service? I do not mean distasteful clothing and cosmetics. I mean types and kinds of dress that is governed by moderation. Many times, however, I have witnessed older and respected women share with younger women modes of dress for worship and the differences between market places and pews. But you see my point don’t you?
For Baptists to advance, it seems to me, is to reconsider the differences in theology and cultural mandates and determine those that are cardinal principles to faith and practice and those that are cultural motifs that will continue to change. Later let’s look at the my suggestions for Baptist.
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