Texas directors of associational missions pleaded with all 12 heads of the Southern Baptist Convention’s (SBC) agencies Sept. 21 to do something — anything — to bridge the chasm they said is developing between the SBC and the Baptist General Convention of Texas (BGCT).
In reply, the SBC leaders affirmed the autonomy of the local association and encouraged the directors of missions to help tell the local churches about the good things happening in the SBC. But they offered no plan to rebuild damaged relations between the SBC and GBCT other than a written resolution pledging their willingness to cooperate with Texas churches.
The statement said: “We, the presidents of the entities of the Southern Baptist Convention, celebrate our partnership with Baptist churches in Texas and we affirm our eagerness to work with all Texas Baptists through our historic partnership.” The two-hour meeting at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, was called by Morris Chapman, president of the SBC Executive Committee. No leaders of the BGCT were informed of the session or invited to attend.
Question and answer
About 35 of the 77 directors of missions and interim directors invited participated in the discussion, most of which was a question-and-answer time moderated by Chapman.
Chuck Kelley, president of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, said it is not the SBC that has caused the division but the BGCT leadership. “The Southern Baptist Convention and its entities did not come to the BGCT and say, ‘Let’s have a showdown,’” he said. Instead, Kelley insisted, “the BGCT is the one” that chose to make the revised Baptist Faith and Message an issue of division.
Several BGCT leaders, and the Seminary Study Committee that recently recommended major changes in funding for the six SBC seminaries, repeatedly have pointed out that the revised Baptist Faith and Message contains elements profoundly disagreeable to some Baptists. Further, they have objected to a statement in the preamble to the faith statement that identifies it as “an instrument of doctrinal accountability.” These changes make the new Baptist Faith and Message a creed rather than a statement of faith, Texans and others have charged.
Paige Patterson, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C., and immediate past president of the SBC, agreed with Kelley. “At no point has any Southern Baptist leader to my knowledge said we would not play ball with someone” who affirmed an earlier version of the Baptist Faith and Message, but not the 2000 version, Patterson said.
“The problem is the other way,” he said, suggesting that BGCT leaders will not “play ball” with those who affirm the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message.
Still, the SBC has every right to require its seminary professors and agency employees to affirm the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message rather than any earlier version, Patterson added.
Paul Saylors of Smith Baptist asked the SBC leaders why few or no individuals who are sympathetic to the BGCT are serving on boards and agencies of the SBC.
Chapman said any answer he could give to that question would be “insufficient.” Those decisions are made by the convention’s committee on nominations, he said.
Several directors of missions said the reason cooperation between the BGCT and the SBC has broken down is because there is a lack of trust.
Some level of trust could be regained if SBC leadership would allow greater latitude on the Baptist Faith and Message, said Warren Hart of Red River Valley Association.
Go ahead and fight, said Larry Johnson of Ellis Baptist Association, but the result will be declining interest among churches and pastors.
“My younger pastors are mad, but they’re mad at everybody,” he said. “We’re getting ready to see churches make some severe changes to the way they do business (that) may not include the SBC, BGCT, or SBTC.
“If we stay fighting, they may cut us off,” he concluded. “It may be Habitat for Humanity getting some of the money. It may be Campus Crusade. If we can’t get it together, you can write it off.” (Baptist Standard)
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