On May 25, George Floyd was killed in the street by a Minneapolis police officer. Since that tragic event, people across the ethnic spectrum have protested across the country, calling for an end to systemic racism and asserting that black lives matter. Iowa has seen its share of protests. Unfortunately, several of those events gave way to violence. On May 31, two people were shot to death during protests in Davenport. In Des Moines and Iowa City, there were multiple incidents of vandalism on public and private properties over the past few weeks. Regardless of one’s personal interpretation of any of these events, it is clear that racial justice is a concern for many Iowans.

This provides an opportunity for us as the Baptist Convention of Iowa to reaffirm some beliefs that are foundational to the reasons and the ways that we cooperate together as individual churches. BCI churches affirm the Baptist Faith & Message (2000) as the doctrinal statement that guides our work. First and foremost, that statement affirms a commitment to the Bible as “the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried.” It continues by articulating scriptural convictions about our essential understanding of the gospel, ecclesiology, missions, and other distinctives of Southern Baptist belief and practice.

There are three things that must be said in light of our commitments to Jesus and our affirmation of the Baptist Faith & Message.

1. We oppose the sin of racism.

The sacredness of human personality is evident in that God created man in His own image, and in that Christ died for man; therefore, every person of every race possesses full dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love. (Article III – Man)

We affirm the value and dignity of every single human being at all times and therefore denounce racism in thought, word, or deed as sin. The same convictions about the imago dei that guide our commitments to the unborn compel us to speak out about the oppression of any group based on race.

2. We must share the gospel with all peoples.

It is the duty of every child of God to seek constantly to win the lost to Christ by verbal witness undergirded by a Christian lifestyle, and by other methods in harmony with the gospel of Christ. (Article XI – Evangelism and Missions)

We affirm that our chief concern for every person is their relationship with Christ. Our faith requires us to advance the Kingdom of Jesus in many ways, but the primary advancement of the Kingdom is through gospel proclamation. Further, our lifestyle must demonstrate that the gospel is for every person, regardless of their race or creed.

3. We must work to right racial injustices in our world.

All Christians are under obligation to seek to make the will of Christ supreme in our own lives and in human society. Means and methods used for the improvement of society and the establishment of righteousness among men can be truly and permanently helpful only when they are rooted in the regeneration of the individual by the saving grace of God in Jesus Christ… Every Christian should seek to bring industry, government, and society as a whole under the sway of the principles of righteousness, truth, and brotherly love. (Article XV – The Christian and the Social Order)

We affirm that our faith in Jesus obligates us to seek righteousness in our own lives and in the world around us. We proclaim salvation in Jesus and we seek His justice in industry, government, and society through various means and methods consistent with Christ’s love. Our commitment to the sacred dignity of all persons, regardless of race, requires us to speak out for the oppressed and to seek the reform of unjust practices and institutions.

In summary, we are a family of churches who condemn racism, pursue justice, proclaim the gospel to all peoples, and speak prophetic truth to society. Each of our churches will pursue those ends as is best in their communities and under the Lordship of Christ. We offer charity and support to one another, even as God calls our individual churches to different strategies.

We confess that historically some in the Southern Baptist Convention have not been on the right side of racial justice, but we believe the best and greatest times are ahead of us in unity and mission. May God grant us grace to excel even more in these areas so that the gospel of Jesus may be unfettered and unhindered in Iowa and to the ends of the earth.