The National Baptist Convention Of America, Inc.

Worship in the National Baptist Convention of America is respect for the "worthship" or worthiness of God. Worship, private or public, which praises God and proclaims the gospel encompasses all the ministries of Christ's church in which Christians are all called to serve.

Worship is our response to the "worthship" or worthiness of God. This means that corporate worship, private worship, or any other environment in which God is praised and the gospel proclaimed cannot remain within the confines of specific worship settings. Given the nature of our world and the myriad problems which impact spiritual commitment and growth, the worship experience must have a ripple effect beyond the sanctuary walls to the people engaged in specific church ministries. For a long time, member churches of the National Baptist Convention of America, Inc., held to a worship style focusing on the pastor/preacher, who directed the worship and proclaimed the gospel of Jesus Christ to a waiting congregation. But now these churches have become acutely aware that preaching, singing, praying, and Bible reading alone in the public worship service do not provide the comprehensive ministry about which our Lord Jesus Christ spoke and which he enacted while he sojourned on this planet. Worship in National Baptist churches has always been related to a number of other concerns. First of all, worship in National Baptist churches has always tried to relate to the spiritual development of children and has always provided a significant niche for the participation of women. This is not to say that member churches have always developed specific ministries for children or have always confronted the challenges of women's issues. What has been described as spiritual formation has always been active and present in the member churches through church auxiliaries which function primarily for fellowship and growth. Evangelism, social action, education, and pastoral care are ministries which also have always received impetus from corporate worship. Women in Worship and Ministry Most Baptists have always looked with disfavor on ordained women serving in pastoral ministry. The National Baptist Convention of America has published no official stance relating to the ordination of women for pastoral ministry; however, it is tacitly understood that the Convention has not endorsed women for this form of ministry. On the other hand, because of the number of women members of the Convention who are pursuing full-time Christian vocations in accredited seminaries and divinity schools, there is constant pressure to reassess this position. More importantly, the Convention has endorsed female commissioned chaplains in the armed forces of the United States, some of whom have indicated that their long-term goal is the pastoral ministry. Women have always contributed to worship as Christian education directors, mission leaders, ushers, choir members, trustees, and children's department leaders. With participation in worship as a springboard, they have engaged in a broad outreach ministry to the physically ill, to homeless and displaced persons, to those needing family counseling, and to those affected by substance abuse. They have served as hospital volunteers and in other significant voluntary capacities in social and community agencies. Women members are also cognizant of their responsibility in matters of family life, pregnancy and abortion, discrimination in the workplace, sexual harassment, and other issues of public policy. Their thinking and actions have been shaped through in-service courses and institutes in the local churches, which have helped them to come to grips as Christians with these vital women's issues. Their outreach ministry and continued study have been impacted by their experience in worship of the God who inspires them to demonstrate practically and apply their faith. Worship and Evangelism Worship in the National Baptist tradition is the expression of gratitude to God through adoration and praise. The proclamation of the gospel is a central component of this worship. Thus, evangelism is closely aligned to worship. The proclamation of the Word challenges worshipers to accept the saving grace of God through the redemptive act of Christ. The National Baptist Convention of America is deeply committed to evangelism; its constitution and by-laws incorporate a functioning Evangelical Board with the overall responsibility for promoting the ministry of evangelism throughout the Convention and thereby implementing the Great Commission of our Lord (Matt. 28:19–20). The National Baptist Convention of America, Inc., meets three times annually. Each session includes evangelistic services. In addition, the Evangelical Board conducts an annual winter evangelism conference which focuses on methodology for Christian witness; courses are offered in such areas as reclamation of inactive members, evangelism and the incarcerated, street evangelism, and evangelism and the Bible. The Evangelical Board also conducts a tent revival in April. The goal of this revival is to reach those persons who have not accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, intensely counsel them upon their acceptance, and teach them what their decision requires. Worship and Social Action For National Baptists, the focus on social concerns emerged in the early 1960s. National Baptists testify that the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., pricked their spiritual consciences and caused them to embark upon social concerns and actions as an outcome of the worship experience. Dr. King was immersed in the Baptist worship tradition, a tradition which influenced the formation of his philosophy of nonviolence. As a result of King's impact, the National Baptist Convention of America established a Commission on Social Justice with the responsibility "?to plan and promote such programs as will provide Christian concern for the welfare of oppressed peoples.?" The Convention's mission statement includes a clause that affirms "?safeguarding the principles of religious liberty, social justice, and the equality of humankind as children of God.?" The movement for social justice in National Baptist churches was an outgrowth of worship stimulated by the proclamation of a gospel, that included within its scope both local community needs and global concerns. National Baptists have accepted the responsibility implicit in the gospel to address the critical social and ethical issues of contemporary society. Because of this commitment, some member churches have been accused of preaching a social gospel. They have responded by asking, "?How can the gospel of Jesus Christ, except for its divine dimension, be other than social??" Worship has moved from the pew and the sanctuary into the crucible of human experience. It has created through the proclamation of the Word a spiritual challenge to the social conscience. It has motivated worshipers to become concerned and involved in issues of racism, black economic strategies, problems of drug and alcohol abuse, unemployment, black-on-black crime, and other matters affecting the African-American community. Through worship, that Word is proclaimed; its purpose is, in the words of Christ himself, "?to preach good news to the poor, … to proclaim freedom for the prisoners, … to release the oppressed?" (Luke 4:11). However, the social action concerns of National Baptist churches are not limited to issues within the African-American community, even though the Convention is predominantly black. Low-income and senior citizens' housing, soup kitchens and "?meals on wheels,?" job training, literacy programs, teen-age pregnancy counseling, drug prevention seminars, and family counseling centers are concerns and focuses of the National Baptist Convention of America, which touch the lives of people of all backgrounds. Worship and Education Because the proclamation of the gospel has always been instructional, worship and education have always been integrated in National Baptist churches. While the image of black Baptists as emotional is a stereotype, they do react demonstrably to the work and direction of the Holy Spirit. To undergird this enthusiasm, National Baptists establish the proclamation of the Word in worship as an integral part of the teaching ministry of the churches. Two denominational agencies, the Educational Board and the Christian Education Board, assist education in the denomination. The Educational Board identifies young people in member churches whose goal is to pursue a college degree or graduate theological training in order to be able to serve in full-time Christian ministries. The Christian Education Board has the responsibility for developing curriculum materials and publications, used in every aspect of the church's teaching ministry, from mission studies to men's groups. In 1992, the first set of church study materials was published on the theme of "?reclaiming the black family.?" The integration of worship and education is clearly demonstrated in the Convention's annual session. In a study program implemented through the National Baptist Congress of Christian Workers, the Convention meets in plenary sessions for worship. Devotional messages, Bible studies, symposia, and lectures addressing contemporary issues relevant to the body of Christ are interspersed. Curricular offerings cross a broad range of topics which include teaching methodologies, biblical and doctrinal studies, marriage and family counseling, evangelism, spiritual discipline, and pastoral studies. Church school instruction at the local church level utilizes a curriculum designed specifically to apply to the needs of African Americans as a cultural group. A worship format is included in these materials as a prelude to actual study sessions. Many local churches offer discipleship training institutes set within a worship format. With the development of multiple-staff ministries, National Baptist churches have established children's churches. Their worship format follows that of adult worship, but the services are conducted at the children's level of comprehension. The inquiring minds of children require special preparation for the pastor who gives the message and for the children's church staff who must explore that message further and follow it up.