November 24, 1999

New Texas convention
touts its doctrinal purity
___By Mark Wingfield
___Managing Editor
___DALLAS--The new Southern Baptists of Texas Convention continued to define itself in opposition to the Baptist General Convention of Texas and as a bastion of doctrinal purity during its second annual convention Nov. 17.
___The conservative breakaway group from the BGCT held its constitutional convention last November in Houston. The group was formed, its leaders have said, to create a state convention that will walk in closer step with the Southern Baptist Convention and take a more conservative stance on political and theological issues.
___That distinction was highlighted both in speeches made and resolutions passed during the daylong meeting at Criswell College in Dallas, with about 500 registered messengers in attendance.
___The most specific rejoinder to the BGCT came in the form of a resolution affirming the SBC's 1998 addition of an article on family to the denomination's Baptist Faith & Message doctrinal statement. Just one week before, messengers to the BGCT annual session overwhelmingly voted to endorse the 1963 doctrinal statement without the 1998 addition.
___The SBC's added article on family has drawn national attention because it says, in part, that husbands should be the heads of their families and wives should submit to the leadership of their husbands.
___The SBTC resolution calls the amended Baptist Faith & Message "theologically sound, doctrinally correct and biblically correct in its instruction."
___SBTC speakers made occasional comments about the BGCT's action in general and specifically about the statement by BGCT President Clyde Glazener that the SBC's article on family is "Neanderthal."
___While commending the value of the Scofield Bible, John Brady of Woodforest Baptist Church in Houston praised the new convention for its stand for the authority of Scripture. "I know somebody called us Neanderthals recently, but that's OK," he declared.
___Jim Richards, the convention's executive director, took up the issue during his report, noting the SBTC differs from most all state Baptist conventions in that it requires member churches to pledge adherence to the Baptist Faith & Message as amended in 1998 and another doctrinal statement as well.
___"Some are saying passages such as Ephesians 5 are not valid today," Richards explained. "The issue is not about wives submitting to their husbands but about the authority of Scripture. ... The word of God is absolute truth."
___Richard Land, executive director of the SBC's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, drew repeated applause during his report, in which he declared the BGCT to have abdicated its Baptist heritage.
___"As a sixth-generation Texan, ... it is great to be with the real Texas Baptists," he said to applause. And as a member of the drafting committee of the SBC's article on family, "I appreciate your affirmation of the Apostle Paul and disavowal of those who reject" the SBC's statement, he added.
___"There are those in Texas who have drawn a target on the agencies and persons of your Southern Baptist Convention," Land asserted. "I want you to know, ... we wear that target as a badge of honor."
___Throughout the convention, speakers praised the new convention for its doctrinal purity.
___"I cannot have fellowship with those who do not believe the Bible is the inerrant word of God, ... who believe in culture over conviction, ... who believe it's all right to murder babies in the womb, ... who believe it's OK to ordain women as ministers and deacons," declared President Stan Coffey, pastor of San Jacinto Baptist Church in Amarillo.
___The SBTC is "built on the right foundation" because "we believe the Bible," Coffey said.
___"Our desire ... is to stand for the authority of Scripture," said Barry Creamer, pastor of Woodland West Baptist Church in Arlington and chairman of the convention's education and church programs committee. "May it never be said that we stand in the public spotlight ... and say we don't believe the Scriptures speak authoritatively to our culture."
___Richard Wells, president of Criswell College, lauded the new convention as a "manifestation of rightness."
___Other resolutions adopted by SBTC messengers reflected the group's agreement on conservative positions: opposition to abortion and euthanasia, encouragement to elect "honorable and moral individuals" to government office, support for student prayers at school sporting events, support for the SBC Cooperative Program and support for posting the Ten Commandments in public buildings.
___The Ten Commandments resolution drew the most debate, with two deletions agreed to before final passage. A line that declared "many of the founding fathers hold these commandments to be the foundation of civil law" was amended to delete the words "many of." And a line that encouraged "lawful display of the Ten Commandments in schools, courthouses, libraries, universities, statehouses and other places of public assembly" was amended to delete the word "lawful."
___Messengers heard from a variety of speakers, including representatives of nine SBC agencies and institutions.
___The convention sermon was given by Claude Thomas, pastor of First Baptist Church of Euless.
___Guest speaker for the convention was evangelist Bailey Smith, who declared America today is the "Barabbas generation," exactly like the culture that chose the criminal Barabbas over Jesus.
___America today lives with a generation of "sorry politicians," satanic power, senseless people and "spineless preachers," he declared.
___Smith railed against President Bill Clinton and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich both, although devoting a significant portion of his message to lamenting Clinton's confessed sexual relationship with a White House intern.
___"We have a Baptist in the White House," he said. "Maybe one day we'll have a Christian."
___He chastised Gingrich, also a Baptist, for not taking a strong enough stand against Clinton. Gingrich "couldn't say anything because he was involved in a six-year affair" himself, Smith said.
___Satanic power is evidenced in America today in the entertainment industry, "man-made religions" and the women's movement, Smith said.
___"The entertainment industry is a work of Satan," he said.
___Likewise the feminist movement, he added. The reason some feminists have given for their activism is that they don't want any man taking advantage of them, he reported. Then he added most feminists shouldn't be afraid of any man wanting to take advantage of them. "Have you seen some of these women?" he asked.
___As an example of a "man-made religion," Smith cited "Islamic fundamentalism." He admitted he is a Christian fundamentalist but drew a distinction between Christian and Islamic fundamentalists: "A fundamentalist Muslim will kill you, but a fundamentalist Christian will pray for you."
___America is home to a "senseless generation" today, Smith said. America today is "trailer-park trash" and "the moron majority," he added.
___This problem is compounded by "spineless preachers," he suggested. "If every preacher in America preached like John Hagee or Jerry Falwell, we might accomplish something."
___Also during the convention, messengers:
___ Re-elected Coffey president; elected as first vice president Steve Cochran, pastor of Macedonia Baptist Church in Longview, and as second vice president David Rangel, minister of missions at Primera Iglesia Bautista in Grapevine. Gerald Smith of MacArthur Boulevard Baptist Church in Irving was elected recording secretary in the only contested race, against incumbent Don Workman of Southcrest Baptist Church in Lubbock.
___ Heard that their previous publication called the Plumbline has been replaced by a new publication called the Southern Baptist Texan. Interim Editor Ronnie Yarber explained the Plumbline had been a newspaper of protest against the BGCT but the new publication would report positively on the work of the SBC and SBTC. The publicaton is sent free to18,000 people, he said.
___ Voted to hold next year's convention at Castle Hills First Baptist Church of San Antonio, with George Harris, that church's pastor, bringing the convention sermon.
___ Heard a report on the convention's initial efforts to influence legislation in Austin through its Texas ethics and religious liberty committee, chaired by Don Workman. "We let your legislators know there are Southern Baptists in Texas who believe Scripture should be legislated," he reported.
___ Elected a slate of nominees to serve on convention committees, including two associational directors of missions. Mike Smith of Dogwood Trails Baptist Area was named chairman of the committee on nominations, and Jerry Christopher of Fannin Baptist Association was named to the education and church programs committee.
___ Heard an appeal from Bubba Stahl, pastor of First Baptist Church of Boerne, to pray for the BGCT. Stahl, who identified himself as a visitor and not a messenger, reported on a motion he made during the previous week's BGCT annual session calling for the BGCT to pray for the new convention and how the convention had joined him in such a prayer. He then asked if someone who was a messenger would make a motion calling the SBTC to pray for the BGCT. After several moments of silence during which no one offered such a motion, Coffey offered to lead the assembly in a prayer for the BGCT.
___With additional reporting by Editor Marv Knox

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