Last night I founded a new, informal baptist, association – the Caffeinated Association of Irregular Baptists.  I’ve had some comments about it, so I’ve put together this iFAQ (imagined Frequently Asked Questions).

How did you come to the idea of starting CAIrB?

Simply put, I was having a conversation with a friend and made a joke referencing our “Coffice Hours.”  My mind wandered to the title and thus the association was born.  This just goes to show that it’s best to keep my mind occupied.

Why do we need another Baptist association?

I don’t know if we need one.  I figure, however, that a group of people who get a lot of work done while sitting around enjoying each other’s company is as good a basis for an association as any.  It’s probably got more to commend to it than an association made up geographical groupings of institutions (which have no actual relationships with one another).

Why “Caffeinated?”

Caffeinated is a reference to the sense of fulfillment we have when we gather with our friends to do some work, chat, and make bad jokes. Most of us drink coffee while so engaged, but some people think soda is the way to go in the morning and we wanted to make room for them.

What do I have to do to join the CAIrB?

I haven’t really put much thought into it.  Perhaps we’ll come up with a special pledge to eschew stuffy offices for the wide-open spaces of uncomfortable chairs and good coffee.  The name does has the word “Baptist,” so I guess you should at least be comfortable hanging out with Baptists.

What’s with “irregular?” Do you guys have something against pooping?

As the Baptist tradition was forming there were two groups into which early Baptists tended to fall.  There were the “particular” Baptists (who believed in pre-destination) and the “general” Baptists (who didn’t).  I really couldn’t care less for the on-going argument about who God is going to save – so I made up a new category.  Bodily functions were not in mind at the time – but if that’s the meaning you want to give to it… it’s a free(ish) country.

What does CAIrB do?

I don’t know if CAIrB actually exists, but if it does the only thing we “do” is be friends to each other.  That’s pretty much it.