The Convention

Will D. Campbell is an interesting figure in Baptist circles. I have read five of his books now, and he never ceases to amaze me with his simple, profound way of communicating. He is a remarkable storyteller. Aside from his writing he has a ministry to the hillbillies and rednecks of Tennessee where he lives. The Convention, a fictional book about the Southern Baptist Convention takes a provocative look at the power struggles within organized religion that often creeps in. The central character is Dorcas Rose McBride, a simple woman from Mississippi, who finds herself being elected as President of the convention. The twist is that she immediately resigns, while essentially referring to the convention as Babylon, void of the Yahweh. Campbell's simple story, simply told reminds the reader that the church is not about power, prestige, or position, but about living out the message of the gospel in one's immediate surroundings of life, family, and friends.