Vol. 16
No. 9
The Baptist Bishop
Confirmation
Convocation Chronicle
The “Good News” Newspaper
SEPTEMBER 2008
(THE BBCC CHRONICLE)
By Reverend Doctor Tom E. Diamond
Pastor, Abyssinia Missionary Baptist Church
Jacksonville, Florida
Our Local, State and National Conventions Are Not Yet Doing Much About
Losing Pastors and Churches to Other Denominations
Why should we lose Baptist pastors and long standing
churches in our denomination and conventions simply because
these pastors wanted to be confirmed as Bishops? Since our
conventions are doing little or nothing to combat this exodus, the Elders of our denomination and conventions must.
Therefore other Elders and I are calling hundreds of pastors
together to start a Baptist Bishop Confirmation Convocation for
pastors desiring the title of Bishop without leaving our denomination or conventions. It is our duty as Elders to do so.
Baptist Polity over Baptist Politics
Why would I be maligned for promoting pastors being confirmed as Bishops
when this is grounded in the Bible? When I campaigned to be confirmed as the president of the state congress and later as the president of the state convention, no one maligned me. We all participate in
confirming some pastors as presidents and moderators when there are no direct biblical grounds for such practices. Why
would we criticize an elder for trying to establish the confirmation of pastors as Baptist Bishops when it is a practice and principle laid down in the New Testament? While we may not diminish our practice of Baptist politics, we certainly should
increase our practice of Baptist polity above politics. (Please see 1Tim. 3:1ff and Article XIII of Baptist Doctrines.)
What Is Diamond’s Motive for Hosting This Convocation?
Our motives are limited to three things:
1. Confirming the unconfirmed title and authority God has named us - Bishop.
2. Giving Baptist pastors a viable alternative to pulling themselves and their churches out of our Baptist Denominations and
Conventions in order to be confirmed bishops.
3. Establishing an annual Bishops/Pastors Empowerment Conference hosted by Abyssinia Missionary Baptist Church.
see CONVOCATION CHRONICLE page 20