What Can Baptists Do to Help Each Other?

By Jeff Straub

The psalmist, writing long before the beginning of the New Testament era, left us an important reminder: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”

Psalm 133:1 isn’t strictly a verse about the church, but surely—since the church is made up of “brethren,” members of God’s family—it applies to harmony in the local church. Harmony, however, does not mean unison. Church members don’t always have to sing the same part, but they should always be singing the same song in the same key. Similarly, harmony in the church may mean members have different ideas on how things ought to be done, but at the end of the day, they will agree on a direction in which the church ought to move. With the Bible as our guide and the Spirit through the Word as our teacher, we ought to be able to work together for the cause of Christ.

Unfortunately, not all members of a church are equally committed to its harmonious purpose. Tensions and tempers sometimes arise, threatening the church’s harmony. Despite church leaders’ best intentions, and perhaps because of their own internal disputes, the church’s ministry is debilitated by the strife. Efforts large and small from within the church can fail to reestablish the peace of the assembly.