Recently, someone asked me how I would define “church”. My answer went something like this: “it’s a group of people who have had an experience of a presence, a something beyond us, and who meet together to try to understand that experience”. Of course, there is much more that I could add and perhaps should add. And yet, on one level, that is enough. It goes to the heart of the matter. It recognises that each one of us experiences that presence differently and how we seek to understand and interpret that experience, and how we respond to it, differs enormously. And, I’d like to think, that’s what a church like North Adelaide Baptist has to offer.

Historically, the Baptist tradition has always disavowed creeds and creedal statements. In other words, Baptists have been accepting of a wide diversity of belief and have not wanted to dictate what anyone should or shouldn’t believe. Unfortunately, that’s often not what comes across –– certainly not in recent times. But, in my (short) experience, it is true of North Adelaide Baptist Church. More than that, the Baptists formed part of the “Non-conformist” tradition –– a movement in English history also known as “Dissenters”. In other words, the Baptists trace their origins to people who didn’t tow the party line, who didn’t do what everyone else did because it was expedient or popular, and who didn’t believe in mandating what people ought to believe or how they ought to worship. I’d like to think North Adelaide Baptist Church stands strongly in that tradition.

Here you will find quite a cross-section of people, with quite a diversity of belief. It’s a church with a strong tradition of informed and intelligent preaching. I’d like to think it engages with significant contemporary issues and concerns. You certainly won’t be asked to leave your brain at the door. You may or may not agree with what’s said. But that’s okay. There’s plenty of opportunity to discuss it further. It’s a place where you’re free to explore your experience of the divine presence without having to subscribe to a particular set of beliefs. At the same time, it’s a community that has a strong history of fine organ and choral music –– recognising that our experience of “the other in our midst” isn’t just verbal. There are other ways to experience and comprehend that presence. To that end, we’re also hoping to explore an increased emphasis on the visual and performing arts, recognising that they too can be media for the divine.

So, if you’re looking for a place to explore your experience of the divine presence, come join us. I’d hope you’d discover that North Adelaide Baptist Church’s acronym could also stand for Not-your Average Baptist Church.

Craig de Vos

Minister
North Adelaide Baptist Church