I sincerely appreciate your editorial “IMB Public Relations Fails to Serve Southern Baptists” in The Alabama Baptist Feb. 2. I commend you for giving the definitions of “a public relations press release” and “a news story.” I am grateful to you for presenting unbiased and candid information in our state Baptist newspaper. I value your insight. I concur with your statement, “In this writer’s judgment, the IMB needs to move quickly to providing more news and less public relations.” A state Baptist newspaper should always present a fair and balanced news story.
Pastors and the people sitting in the pews need to be trusted with information that accurately reflects what is happening in the meetings of our Southern Baptist entities. When people perceive they are not being told the truth, they tend to jump to false conclusions. God’s work is best served when we are given both sides of an issue and allowed to seek God’s guidance and reach our own conclusions. Attempts should never be made to manipulate Baptists. We cannot properly prayerfully or financially support God’s work through our convention if we do not have the facts.
We do need to be able to trust and support our entities, but the trust must be mutual. A tremendous responsibility goes with that trust. Persons appointed or elected to the positions of leadership have an undeniable obligation to the people who they represent in those entities.
Public relations press releases undermines the trust and the very foundation on which our convention was founded.
Dr. Terry, please continue to print the news stories.
Wayne Scott
Trussville, Ala.
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