(January 10, 2007)—Plans are in the works for a major meeting of Baptists distanced from conservatives in the Southern Baptist Convention.

The meeting, which 20,000 could attend, is the brainchild of Carter and former Baylor University Interim President William Underwood, the Associated Baptist Press reports.

Underwood, who temporarily succeeded Baylor President Robert Sloan, is now president of Mercer University in Macon, Ga.

Underwood, Carter and former President Bill Clinton joined the leaders of about 40 Baptist groups to make the announcement Tuesday at The Carter Center in Atlanta.

Carter predicted the Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant, which is tentatively set for Jan 30-Feb 1, 2008 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, will be “one of the most historic events, at least in the history of Baptists in this country, maybe Christianity.”

The event grew out of the North American Baptist Covenant, a document that was signed by Baptist leaders after a meeting at The Carter Center last April.

The group says the covenant, endorsed by a racially, geographically and theologically diverse assembly of Baptists, underscores the group's desire to speak and work together to create an authentic and genuine prophetic Baptist voice in North America.

The meeting is aimed at improving the public image of Baptists and broadening their agenda on social issues such as poverty, racial conflict and health care.

Representatives of the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in the country, were not invited to the Atlanta meeting, but Carter and Clinton said they are welcome to join.

The SBC has become the leading voice against gay marriage and abortion since coming under conservative control nearly 30 years ago.

Carter left the convention in 2000.

SBC Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission President Richard Land said Carter and Clinton are “unfairly characterizing" what the SBC stands for, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

Land told the paper most Southern Baptists voted against Clinton and Carter.

"I suspect that Mr. Carter and Mr. Clinton are upset about that," Land told the paper.

Underwood, however, countered that politics don’t figure into plans for the meeting.

"President Carter and President Clinton are not here in their capacity as statesmen, politicians or Democrats," he said.

"They are here in their capacity as Baptists."

Leaders of the Baptist General Convention of Texas are part of the effort to mold a new denominational alliance.

The Baptist General Convention of Texas has distanced itself from the Southern Baptist Convention.

Texas Convention President Steve Vernon says the new national alliance will broaden the voice of Baptists and be more inclusive of all strains of Baptists.

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