VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 4/16/12)—Originally published in 1962, A Baptist Manual of Polity and Practice by Norman H. Maring and Winthrop S. Hudson was written to bring together traditional Baptist positions and practices and the modifications adopted over the years. The first revised edition, published in 1991, maintained this objective and with contemporary and inclusive language added new insights and new understandings. With this second revised edition, editor David Gregg provides an update that is both timely and critical.
In this 50th anniversary edition of A Baptist Manual of Polity and Practice, Gregg freshens the book’s general style and tone, and addresses key issues including:
• Profound shifts in Baptist polity that have occurred since 1991
• New challenges, especially that of an increasingly fragmentary and secular culture
• The trend toward a looser and more locally focused form of ministry
As noted by A. Roy Medley, general secretary of American Baptist Churches USA, this new volume “will be a valuable tool for helping those new to Baptist life, and specifically, to American Baptist life, to understand the values, the theological norms, and the historical antecedents that have shaped how we understand and live church.”
About the Editor: David Gregg, MDiv, MA, served for nearly a decade as minister of congregational life at Lake Street Church of Evanston, Illinois, before returning to the University of Chicago’s Divinity School for doctoral studies. He remains closely connected to and concerned with local church ministry and serves as a frequent guest preacher and consultant. A member of Grace Baptist Church, Chicago, Gregg serves on the executive cabinet of the American Baptist Churches of Metro Chicago.
About the Publisher: Founded in 1824, Judson Press—a publishing ministry of the American Baptist Home Mission Societies, American Baptist Churches USA—produces Christ-centered leadership resources for the transformation of persons, congregations, communities, and cultures. Judson Press books can be ordered by calling 800-458-3766 or visiting www.judsonpress.com.
American Baptist Churches USA is one of the most diverse Christian denominations today, with 5,500 local congregations comprised of 1.3 million members, across the United States and Puerto Rico, all engaged in God’s mission around the world.