Would these be the same Baptists that rejected collecting the data in the first place?
(http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1A1-D917G9K00.html)
No? You can get back to me later, then. Go say a prayer to a dead woman.
Looks like you will have to get back to us instead, since your church is afraid to gather the data in the first place. Cowards.
Actually, the SBC resisted setting up a SBC database. Unlike the Catholic Church, each Baptist Congregation is fully independent.
From the SBC website:
“5. I believe our pastor (or my church) has acted inappropriately. What will the SBC do about it?
Actually, the Southern Baptist Convention is not in a position to take any disciplinary action regarding pastors or churches. Again, because of the autonomy of the local church, each SBC church is responsible before God to set its own policies regarding pastors or problems in the church. Such policies are entirely up to the individual congregation.
According to our constitution, if a church no longer makes a bona fide contribution to the Convention’s work, or if it acts to “affirm, approve, or endorse homosexual behavior,” it no longer complies with the Constitution of the Southern Baptist Convention and is not permitted to send messengers to the annual meeting. These, however, are the only explicitly stated instances in which the SBC has the prerogative to take action. Failure to remain in “friendly cooperation” would also disqualify a church from sending messengers, and is obviously more of a subjective test.
Most SBC churches would look to their own constitutions and bylaws for the answer to this question, often these documents address this very issue.
6. Why is the SBC so committed to the autonomy of the local church?
We recognize that in the New Testament there was no centralized ecclesiastical authority over the churches that forced the churches into any form of compliance. There was encouragement, exhortation, and admonition, but there was never enforcement. We strongly adhere to that principle. Jesus Christ is the head of the local church - we are not. Each church is responsible before God for the policies it sets and decisions it makes.”
Go fly to Tehran, get a private audience with Ahmedinajad, and insult his mother to his face.