Faith statement

The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) leadership is doing a great disservice and creating unnecessary controversy in the SBC, the North American Mission Board and the International Mission Board with the requirement of all missionaries signing on the revised Baptist Faith and Message (2002). Most of these missionaries may concur with the spirit of the Baptist leaders that we need to become a creedal denomination.

As a former Southern Baptist missionary of 21 years, I know most of the missionaries are sound doctrinally and strong supporters of the SBC. As an Alabama Baptist pastor, I resent and oppose the trend of the current SBC leadership. I also know this letter will virtually blackball me by some Alabama and SBC pastors and laymen.

I believe the current trend in the SBC Faith and Message (2000) has taken eyes and hearts off of missions and evangelism. Any increase in the mission boards’ appointments is unrelated to the “creed breed” of the SBC. It is the result of devoted women promoting missions throughout convention churches. (Men are now more concerned with constructing buildings than promoting missions through education of men and boys in missions.)

Other mission boards and agencies are now appointing many fine young people who grew up in SBC churches because they are fed up with the politics of the SBC.

I pray that SBC leaders will be more concerned about evangelism and missions rather than the umbilical and revised versions of the priesthood of believers, women preachers and submission of wives. I believe in the biblical interpretations of these three doctrines, but not the Baptist Faith and Message’s (2002) version.

James C. Walker
Tuscaloosa, Ala.