Seminary Funding

I read with interest the articles in both The Alabama Baptist and the Mobile Register regarding the proposed funding cuts to certain seminaries by the Baptist General Convention of Texas (BGCT). This brought back memories of another funding cut to a Baptist seminary. The Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) voted several years ago to defund completely the European Baptist Seminary.

This was in spite of the pledge to support the seminary monetarily for several more years. If my memory serves me correctly, this occurred just as the Iron Curtain fell and Eastern Europe opened up to the gospel message. Now that the shoe is on the other foot, the Executive Committee is crying foul, no fair!

I even read between the lines a call to again bus people to the meeting to control the outcome of the vote.

The reasons for the defunding call is the same. Control or lack of control over who is allowed to teach, what they can teach and how they can teach. The current Executive Committee would do well to learn from walking in another man’s moccasins.

The underlying hostility William Crews (president of Golden Gate Seminary in Mill Valley, Calif.) refers to has been well-earned over a period of time.

It is not directed at faithful young ministers, but rather at hostile committee members who can only love the neighbor who is exactly like themselves.

I pray for the return to the roots and the reason for the SBC — to work together to tell the world about Jesus Christ. We did that for a long time by working together and loving, feeding, healing and training people and I believe that we still could.

C.E. McFatter

Semmes, Ala.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The decision to defund the European Baptist Seminary was made by the trustees of the International Mission Board, not the SBC Executive Committee.