Sixteen years before the start of the Civil War, Baptists split over the issue of slavery: Southern Baptists supported it, Northern Baptists opposed it.

Now, more than 160 years later, an effort is afoot to reunite some black and white Baptist denominations. The effort would forge a loose coalition to address social issues such as poverty, the environment and AIDS.

But the reunion won't include the Southern Baptist Convention, the nation's largest Protestant denomination, which in 1995 apologized to African-Americans for supporting slavery. Nor will the new coalition function as a denomination. In an age of declining denominational loyalty, organizers are not proposing what some believe to be an outdated model for church structure.

The new effort, recently announced by former presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, is being called a "New Baptist Covenant." It is intended to serve as a counterweight to the Southern Baptist Convention, which has dominated the national scene for 30 years.

At least two North Carolinians are involved in planning the coalition's first gathering, scheduled for January 2008.

"I was impressed with how much energy there was on this," said Bill Leonard, dean of the Wake Forest University Divinity School and a participant in last month's summit in Atlanta. "It was not 'Oh, Carter called this. Let's be polite.' "

If successful, the coalition will unite four historic black Baptist denominations with numerous moderate and liberal white Baptist denominations in the United States and abroad.

The coalition is the brainchild of Carter, a lifelong Baptist who broke with the Southern Baptist Convention several years ago. Clinton, who is also a Baptist but worshiped in a Methodist church while in the White House, described himself as a "cheerleader" for the effort.

The Southern Baptist Convention, with 16 million members, has cast a skeptical eye on the enterprise.

"I will be very surprised if this gets any traction and goes anywhere," said Daniel Akin, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, one of six Southern Baptist seminaries.

But many other more moderate and liberal voices at Triangle area churches said they welcome an opportunity to offer a social justice message to counter what many perceive as a harsh and judgmental Southern Baptist tone.

Since the 1980s, Southern Baptists have taken increasingly conservative theological and political views, insisting that the Bible must be read literally, declaring that only men can serve as pastors and establishing close ties to the Republican Party.

"You might say it's about time," the Rev. Dumas Harshaw said of the Carter initiative. Harshaw is pastor of First Baptist Church on Wilmington Street in Raleigh, a mostly black congregation.

"It will be a profound statement of unity and strengthen Christian witness in the land."

It is not entirely clear what the new coalition will do. There is talk of raising social issues, developing educational resources, even engaging in evangelism. But organizers are clear that they will not form a denomination.

"We're not eager to sign a statement of faith," said James Dunn, professor at Wake Forest University Divinity School and one of the coalition's foot soldiers. "We don't believe in enforcement or uniformity. It's more a loose-knit network focusing on a shared agenda of social justice and peace."

That model is increasingly popular. Over the past 50 years, denominational loyalty has declined as Christians shop for the church with the best day care program or the most contemporary music. Many are less concerned with theological agendas and instead seek a sense of community.

Congregations, too, have moved away from working exclusively with their own denomination. Baptist Grove, a predominantly black congregation in Raleigh, sponsors a Vacation Bible School program with a mostly white Presbyterian congregation nearby. Across the region, evangelical churches partner with mainline churches to build Habitat for Humanity homes.

The criteria for cooperation have changed, said the Rev. Daniel Day, pastor of First Baptist Church on Salisbury Street in Raleigh. The question now is, "Who's doing good work right under our nose?" he said.

But the new Baptist coalition will be challenged to keep everyone on board. While white and black Baptist churches share many social concerns, when it comes to sexuality, African-American congregations take a far more conservative stand than their white counterparts. Furthermore, Southern Baptists are now trying to prove themselves on issues such as poverty and AIDS.

Organizers acknowledge that creating a new coalition is a tall order in a time of shifting allegiances. It will require work, money and leadership.

"It has great potential," Dunn said. "And there are very real and serious challenges."