Former SBC President Jack Graham was greeted by students wearing “I Love CP” T-shirts and an open letter voicing concern about his Texas megachurch’s decision to temporarily withhold funding for the denomination when he spoke in chapel March 7 at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.
Scheduled months ago, Graham’s visit came two weeks after reports that Prestonwood Baptist Church, Plano, Texas, was holding $1 million in funding for CP in escrow because of “various significant positions” taken by the leadership of the SBC Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission.
In response to the concern raised by Graham and others the SBC Executive Committee launched a study into “the current reality in Southern Baptist life” of churches withholding or discontinuing support of the unified budget plan that has driven funding for state and national denominational bodies since its creation in 1925.
The student letter said registering protest by withholding funds sends a message that “money talks” and diminishes the voice of smaller churches unable to pony up amounts comparable to a 40,000-member multisite church like Prestonwood Baptist.
“These actions set a precedent that puts the Cooperative Program at risk,” the students said. “If such a method of escrowing money proves popular, a dangerous precedent will have been set for our denomination.
“Megachurches may withdraw their funds from CP when they become disgruntled with the convention, spurring smaller churches to follow suit,” the letter continued. “Amidst such a climate, more missionaries may have to return home, church plants could close their doors and young pastors may have to seek their theological training elsewhere, or even withdraw from classes.” (BNG)
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