Southern Baptist Convention leaders are criticizing a change in the constitution of the breakaway Cooperative Baptist Fellowship that deletes a reference to Jesus Christ in a statement of the fellowship’s purpose.

The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is an alliance of 1,800 congregations that opposes conservative leadership of the Southern Baptist Convention.

The group’s constitution was amended during the fellowship’s 2005 General Assembly, which wrapped up July 1 in Grapevine.

Previously, the fellowship's stated purpose was to bring Baptists together "in order that the Gospel of Jesus Christ will be spread throughout the world in glad obedience to the Great Commission,” in reference to Jesus' call to win disciples.

The new language says the group’s purpose is "to serve Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission."

Fellowship officials defended the change.

"Jesus is present in all we think, do and say ... and anybody who reads that statement otherwise is not being fair to Him or us,” said Rev. Bob Setzer of Macon, Ga.

Click Here For Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Web Site

Click Here For Southern Baptist Convention Web Site

ORIGINAL CLAUSE
(Source: Cooperative Baptist Fellowship)

Article II. Purpose
The purpose of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (hereinafter,“the Fellowship”) is to bring together Baptists who desire to call out God’s gifts in each person in order that the Gospel of Jesus Christ will be spread throughout the world in glad obedience to the Great Commission. The Fellowship is committed to the preservation and propagation of individual and historic Baptist freedoms and distinctives, including the priesthood of all believers, the acceptance of the authority of the Bible without the aid of creeds, the autonomy of each church, and the separation of church and state in the interests of religious liberty.

AMENDED CLAUSE
(Source: Cooperative Baptist Fellowship)

Article II. Purpose
The purpose of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (hereinafter, “the Fellowship”) is to serve Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission. The Fellowship shall fulfill its purpose in keeping with its commitments to the historic Baptist principles of soul freedom, Bible freedom, church freedom, and religious freedom; to biblically-based global missions; to a resource model for serving churches; to justice and reconciliation; to lifelong learning and ministry; to trustworthiness; and to effectiveness.