Shelby Baptist Association recently took its stand against a proposal that the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) sever all ties with the Baptist World Alliance.
The stand is a resolution the executive committee of Shelby Association unanimously passed at its January meeting, according to Allan Murphy, who initiated it. The resolution asks the SBC Executive Committee to reject the SBC study commission’s proposal to leave the BWA and stop SBC funding to BWA.
The resolution also asks that the SBC’s level of funding to BWA be restored to its higher level that existed prior to its being cut in 2003.
The plan for withdrawal, if approved by the SBC Executive Committee, which was scheduled to decide on the issue Feb. 16–17, would be voted on by messengers at the SBC annual convention in June.
If the measure passes, all SBC funding of BWA — until recently, $450,000 a year — will end Oct. 1.
Murphy, pastor of North Shelby Baptist Church, said besides Shelby Association executive committee passing the resolution, the Shelby ministers’ fellowship and his church, North Shelby, have also passed it.
“Our family served as missionaries for eight years with the International Mission Board and we appreciate the Baptists of the world,” Murphy said.
“It’s very difficult to think that we [SBC] want to leave the fellowship of the Baptist family of the world — that we would willingly decide not to support our brothers and sisters for what seems to be the fact that we got our feelings hurt. There is no doctrinal deviation, no moral deviation and no ethical impropriety,” he said.
Signed, sealed and delivered
A cover letter, signed by Shelby Association moderator Timothy Cox, pastor of Liberty Baptist Church, Chelsea, and Murphy accompanied the resolution.
The letter and resolution were mailed to Morris Chapman, president and chief executive officer of the SBC Executive Committee; Jack Graham, SBC president and pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas; and the five members of the SBC Executive Committee who are from Alabama.
According to John Revell, spokesperson for the SBC Executive Committee, the Shelby resolution was to have been distributed during the Feb. 16–17 meeting.
Revell said Feb. 13, “It was received and will be included in a packet that every Executive Committee member will receive for the meeting.”
Revell also said he was made aware of only one other resolution submitted and that one was from Parkview Baptist Church, Gainesville, Fla.
Along with the church submitting a resolution, church member Bob Casey traveled to the SBC Executive Committee headquarters with his church’s plea. Launching a weeklong fast and prayer-walk in Nashville, Casey hoped to influence the Executive Committee to reject the proposal. He wanted to address the Executive Committee, but as of press time Feb. 13, his request had not been granted.
Casey said he was assured by SBC officials that his resolution would be placed in the hands of SBC Executive Committee chairman Gary Smith.
Revell said resolutions being sent to the SBC Executive Committee would have to end up in the hands of Smith to be introduced into the meeting. (ABP contributed)
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