Dueling resolutions concerning the Southern Baptist Convention’s (SBC) stance on public education were discussed by the Resolutions Committee this week, determining whether to encourage Baptist parents to remove their children from “godless” public schools in favor of Christian education.
And despite wavering on the resolution’s validity, Alabama Baptist leaders questioned on the issue voiced collective support — some even adopting separate resolutions in their churches — for Christian teachers and administrators in public schools, regardless of the outcome.
A full report of the proposed resolutions dealing with public education will appear in the June 24 issue.
Joe Bob Mizzell, director of Christian ethics for Alabama Baptists, said he received phone calls and e-mails about the issue initially, but has not received much response lately. He said most responses have been in support of public education.
“Whatever is decided, we need to make sure we continue to support Christian teachers and families that are involved in our public school system,” said Joe Godfrey, president of the Alabama Baptist State Convention.
Barrett Duke, vice president for research for the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, said he doubts the vote will have major impact on the Baptist community’s choice in education regardless of what is decided.
“The resolution that was submitted does not reflect the position Southern Baptists have taken historically on the issue of public education, and I would be surprised if the convention were to change its position,” Duke said. “I don’t think that the convention’s response to the issue will have significant impact on the life of Southern Baptists, but I think it will promote discussion within Southern Baptist life about the merits of public education and the responsibility of parents to be engaged in their children’s education.
And that type of discussion, Duke said, would be a healthy thing.
Jim Jackson, secretary/treasurer of Alabama directors of missions, (DOMs) agreed saying parents should be encouraged instead to be actively involved in their children’s educations, whether public, private or at home.
“I understand that there can be problems in public schools — I had three children go through,” said Jackson, DOM of Elmore Association.
“But recently we have seen positive things in public schools because of Christian educators. I believe that anything we promote should be parents’ involvement.”
Pulling out of schools completely would be tragic, said Gerald Hallmark, pastor of First Baptist Church, Alexander City. “If we pull out, we’re going to lose our voice.”
Bill Rogers of Florence agreed, saying students should be equipped in church to have an influence on lost friends in school.
“Do we want a generation with no interface to the lost? We should rather be demanding a church education system which equips our kids to influence rather than be influenced,” Rogers said.
Jack Collins, president-elect of the Alabama DOMs, said he would not want to encourage the recommendation that all Baptist parents remove their children from public education.
“We have a good public school system in our county, and many here could not afford to do that,” said Collins, West Cullman Association DOM. “Each one of our Christian teachers is told that we are not against the public school system.”
John Killian, pastor of Maytown Baptist Church in Mulga, said his wife is one such public school teacher but “government-sponsored and mandated education does not and cannot teach God’s authoritative, absolute truth as the basis of all knowledge.
“I believe that God has used my wife there. I am glad for Christians who serve in the school system as a witness to the truth,” Killian said.
Ideological foundation
But every education system is based on some ideology, he added, and with the removal of the Christian ideology, secular ideology is found in its place.
“I want to undergird and encourage Christians who are ‘salt’ and ‘light’ in the arena of public education,” Killian said.
But, he added, if the resolution “encourages Baptists to re-examine their commitment to placing their children in an environment that teaches all knowledge from a secular perspective, then the introduction of this resolution would be positive.”
Patrick Davenport, a Dothan attorney and member of the Alabama Baptist Christian Life Commission, said the issue deserves consideration but should not require a resolution.
“Most Christian parents are torn between the public school that educated them and the seeming refuge of private or home schooling,” said Davenport, a member of Mount Gilead Baptist Church, Dothan.
“Only our responsiveness to the prompting of the Holy Spirit should guide this important decision, not a resolution.”
Share with others: