For Baptists, the Holy Scriptures have historically always been the binding authority for both personal and congregational life. As the times gradually required it, a variety of Baptist confessions of faith were formulated, containing the biblical truths that individual congregations held to. The first Baptist congregation in Prague was no exception. Its pastor, Jindřich Novotný Sr., published A Confession of Faith of Believing Baptized Christians, Commonly Called Baptists in 1886, a year after the congregation was founded. The absolutely fundamental importance of the Bible for Baptists is evident from the fact that the first article of this Confession is Of the Word of God, and it explicitly recalls that the Holy Scriptures are „truly breathed out by the Holy Spirit.“ We wish to consciously continue this God-fearing service of our forebears, and with God’s help likewise hold to those foundational truths which, in our land, once led to the founding of Baptist congregations.
Sadly, these foundational truths on which our Union was founded have in recent times been fading away. Over the past seven years we have tried to draw attention to a variety of developments appearing within the BJB that are in conflict with biblical teaching. We did so at the delegate assemblies through a number of proposals, which were, however, always rejected, and no biblical discussion of their content — the kind we had hoped for — ever developed.
This so-called Statement of the Five Congregations, and the Appeal to All Members of the Union, were above all an attempt to reach and warn every individual member of the BJB about the danger of the ever-spreading influence of liberal theology, which is disastrously steering our Union away from the original BJB course, one firmly grounded in the Word of God. We are genuinely sorry that our Union no longer shows the same concern for the purity of Scripture-based doctrine that our forebears did. It grieves us that inter-congregational deliberations are conducted more in a spirit of politics and personal preference, and lack any search for truth grounded in God’s will as revealed to us in Scripture. The Union lacks spiritual vigilance, and as a result, one biblical doctrine after another is gradually being eroded and broken down. Our most significant, long-standing objections concern the following:
- A departure from the authority of Holy Scripture
For a number of years now the BJB has been undervaluing the crucial significance of Holy Scripture as the highest authority and as sufficient for the ministry and life of the church. This inevitably results in an inability to take clear biblical positions on questions of church practice and believers‘ lives, or even in blasphemous attempts to separate the authority of Scripture from the authority of the Lord Jesus. Many declare that Christ is the highest authority, yet there is no clear answer as to how Christ exercises that authority. Like those who stood at the beginning of our Union’s history and laid its foundation, we believe that Christ exercises His authority through the God-breathed, infallible, and therefore sufficient Scripture.
We are genuinely sorry that many in today’s Union no longer believe this. Although the BJB’s Foundational Document, in the section titled The Mission of the Church and Basic Articles of Faith, states that „the doctrinal foundation and binding norm of Baptists are the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments,“ practice clearly shows that this has long ceased to be true. The opposite is the case. We are convinced that current developments show that, for many, the Holy Scriptures have become an entirely non-binding norm, where everyone may believe and interpret Scripture as they see fit, and there is no adequate system capable of correcting all these new questionable tendencies.
The weak view of Holy Scripture within the BJB is also evident from the fact that hardly anyone dares to appeal to it during joint deliberations.
This loss of the authority of Scripture means that, as a denomination, we no longer have a common, firm foundation, which brings with it compromises that we can no longer, and no longer wish to, overlook. They are in conflict with the faith we wish to keep with a good conscience before our Savior.
- Loss of clarity in the doctrine of justification by faith alone.
This key thesis of the Reformation is greatly undermined within the Union by its very active membership in the ERC (Ecumenical Council of Churches). Because the BJB remains a member of this organization, it cannot clearly distinguish itself from churches that fail to preach — or even distort — the biblical gospel. Through cooperation and participation in joint „worship services“ with these churches and their representatives, we simultaneously demonstrate a false unity, not only toward them but toward secular society as well. In doing so we commit sinful compromises at the expense of Truth once known, thereby pushing aside the doctrine of justification by faith alone.
- Loss of unity
A further consequence of denying the sufficiency and decisive authority of Scripture for life is the loss of true unity and deep fellowship. In His so-called „High Priestly Prayer,“ the Lord Jesus asks the heavenly Father for the unity of His followers and adds: „Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.“ (John 17,17) True unity in the church is therefore possible only on the basis of being united in the truth of the Word!
But because the BJB cannot even agree on the most fundamental matters, such as the authority of Scripture or the gospel itself, it is only natural that disagreement also prevails on other key doctrinal questions. As a result, there is no true unity within the BJB, nor can there be. The Jablonec congregation sought to have several additions made to the BJB Constitution, so that the unity and purity of our doctrine on fundamental and clear biblical questions would be protected, but this was flatly rejected — demonstrating that the BJB cares more about unbiblical diversity than about biblical unity.
- Inability to preserve the purity of the church
The departure from the authority of Holy Scripture toward a non-binding handling of God’s Word according to human whim has resulted in a further decline of our church. The BJB already has an installed female pastor, and the overwhelming majority of congregations have accepted this fact. How, then, can we stand before our Lord, who clearly forbade this very thing in Scripture (1 Timothy 2,12)? Instead of taking seriously the words of the apostle Paul, who grounds his argument in the order of creation, some leaders within the BJB would rather deny creation itself. In this we confirm, to our own harm, the teaching of Scripture, that neglecting one truth produces a distorted view in other areas as well.
Despite clear texts (Romans 1,26-27; 1 Corinthians 6,9-10, among others), the most recent Delegate Assembly in the spring of 2018 was unable to take a clear position on the denial of the sinfulness of practiced homosexuality. This proceeding fully demonstrated the utter decline of the BJB — one that was, however, the logical outcome of a long-standing failure to address substantive problems. Disunity over what is and is not sin, and its consequent toleration; a lack of caution toward false teachers and their teaching; an unbiblical attitude toward the pastoral office; and a number of other matters have turned our Union, as a whole, into a confederation of lukewarm disciples (Matthew 7,21; Luke 6,46).
Conclusion
Given that the goals of the BJB, as defined in its Foundational Document — namely, to bring together congregations of the same theological orientation — have long not been fulfilled, and that there is no functioning mechanism, and above all no willingness, to return to these goals, we have decided, after long years of mutual disagreement, no longer to strive for this common foundation. We regard the current state of the BJB as unresolvable. We have therefore decided to take, within our own congregations, the steps leading to withdrawal from the union of congregations gathered together in the Baptist Union (Bratrská jednota baptistů, BJB). We do so with the deepest regret, but in essence we have no choice. Our conscience is captive to the Word of God, and it therefore no longer allows us to continue in this relationship. We understand that there are still godly Christians within the BJB who would want to fight for the renewal of the Union. We, too, once shared the same enthusiasm. But we have come to the same conclusion as Charles Spurgeon, that „the holy duty of a true believer toward people who claim to be Christians but deny the Lord’s Word and reject the fundamentals of the gospel, is to come out from among them. If someone says that efforts should be made to bring about change, we agree; but when it becomes evident that these efforts will accomplish nothing, what is the point? If a community permits error, if it welcomes and supports it, this shows a determination not to change the foundation, and then no internal change is possible that could fundamentally help. The presence of an evangelical party can only suppress and perhaps temporarily conceal the evil; but this compromise is itself a sin, and so no lasting good result can be achieved. To remain in a community that tries to accommodate every conviction in the hope that things will be resolved is the same as if Abraham had remained in Ur, or in Haran, hoping that the household from which he was called would be converted.“
We are not closing ourselves off; rather, we remain open and desire to cooperate with all who uphold the authority, inspiration, and infallibility of Scripture, and who regard the Word of God as the sole guide for faith and practical life. We continue to recognize unity with everyone who lives and preaches salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, and in Christ alone.
With sorrow, yet also in full awareness of our submission to the Lord of the Church,
BJB congregations in Jablonec nad Nisou, Kroměříž, Kuřim, Lovosice, and the mission station in Jílové u Děčína.