Blast from the past: 1982 baptist church’s ‘code of conduct’ contract

Source …. 2nd article linked in filings post:

Phillips Drive Baptist Church in Forest Park was formerly an Independent Baptist Church but is now New Covenant Baptist Church and under the watchcare of South Metro Baptist Association. In November the reorganized NCBC will likely be voted into full membership in the association as a Southern Baptist church.

Eddie Goodall was called to be the associate pastor of New Covenant eight years ago. He has an Independent Baptist background. Goodall is a graduate of Hyles-Anderson College in Hammond, Ind. He was called to preach while in college and later pastored High Point Independent Baptist Church in Germany. He also started a church in the Chicago area – Old Landmark Baptist Church.

…

The church was an Anglo church when Goodall arrived on the scene, but like Second Baptist, the church was not reaching the people in their immediate community. On a typical Sunday no more than forty people would show up for church. Realizing that impacting the neighborhood was a priority the church decided to call Goodall to be the pastor five years ago. Subsequently, most of the Anglos have left New Covenant, but the church has begun to grow once again.

“We have about 70 in attendance each week now, and our oldest member is Annie Bonds, an Anglo, who recently said to me, ‘God must have wanted to you to be our pastor, because you are still here,’” Goodall stated.

New Covenant has a school (K5-12) with about 35 students and although the church is without debt, the school recently secured a loan for $100,000.
“Our biggest challenges are to maintain the property and keep solvent financially,” Goodall remarked. “Fellow Georgia Baptists can help us by sending work teams to our church campus to do electrical work, carpentry, pave walkways, build retainer walls, etc. But we also need help with block parties and evangelism events.

Full image of the contract

Knowing the story of Tom Smith, it is more than a little ironic to see his name on a document promising good and godly behavior. Ugh.

Was this common back in 1982?

Tell me it is not common in 2012!

[Jim]

Was this common back in 1982?

Tell me it is not common in 2012!

I’m thinking it was fairly common. I remember being advised to produce such a “workers covenant” back in the day. Haven’t heard much of this kind of emphasis in recent years, though.