A Different Kind of Baptist - Calvary Baptist Church, Washington D.C.

December 27, 2009

Check out this fascinating article on Rev. Amy Butler and Calvary Baptist Church in Washington D.C.

Here’s a snippet:

Before Butler arrived, the congregation had established a vision statement, declaring itself a multiethnic, multiracial, intergenerational place of worship committed to good works at home and abroad.

In the end, Butler said, she just kept repeating that credo, posting it everywhere and having the members recite it at every service. Pretty soon, their actions became louder than words.

“I’m the pastor, I’m the leader. I’m the one who has to point and say, ‘This is what you can be if you want.’ And to Calvary Church’s credit, they have done it,” said Butler, who returns to that mission whenever the church faces a tough decision.

Along with the mission came a new motto: “A different kind of Baptist.”

“It doesn’t sound very spiritual, but you have to find your niche. What is the calling of your church?” Butler said. “There’s a certain group of people who hear ‘Baptist’ and run screaming because they’ve been really hurt. So maybe that’s our niche, proving Baptist doesn’t have to be what you think.”

With the motto as its rallying cry, Calvary Baptist reached out to people in the community who might not otherwise seek to join a church: young professionals and recent college graduates still struggling to find themselves; disillusioned older folks who may not have set foot in a church in decades; gays, lesbians and transgendered residents.

Read the entire article here.