November 24, 1999
First Baptist Church of Dallas
votes to dually align with new convention
___By Mark Wingfield
___Managing Editor
___DALLAS--First Baptist Church of Dallas voted in a congregational business meeting Nov. 17 to "loosen" its ties with the Baptist General Convention of Texas and dually align with the new Southern Baptists of Texas Convention.
___The new convention was formed last year by conservatives who could not persuade the BGCT to walk in closer alignment with the more conservative direction the national Southern Baptist Convention has taken since 1979.
___Although the historic downtown Dallas congregation will retain its affiliation with the BGCT and contribute $24,000 next year through the BGCT's Cooperative Program, the church has not ruled out leaving the BGCT entirely, Pastor Mac Brunson said in an interview published in Baptist Press Nov. 18.
___"I think that's something the church will revisit in the next year," he said.
___Brunson and Pastor Emeritus W.A. Criswell also issued a joint statement saying: "It is apparent the BGCT, under the elected leadership at its own admission, is moving away from its historic relationship, commitment and cooperation with the Southern Baptist Convention. ... With absolutely no malice or criticism of our brothers and sisters in the BGCT, but with sad heads, we loosen our ties, but with great anticipation that God is about to do something new."
___The vote, which was described as nearly unanimous among the 300 people present for the church business meeting, came after Brunson presented an 18-page report prepared by a six-member deacon committee chaired by layman Jim Bolton.
___According to Baptist Press, that report draws numerous links between BGCT leadership and the moderate organizations Texas Baptists Committed and Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. From there, it draws links to other individuals deemed to hold "liberal" positions on a variety of social and political issues.
___Much of the documentation cited in the Baptist Press report is identical to information distributed across the state by layman Bill Streich of Wichita Falls through an organization called Texas Baptist Laymen's Association. Streich draws heavily on the work of Roger Moran of Missouri, who is associated with a group called Missouri Baptist Laymen's Association.
___The BGCT's committee on Baptist integrity has labeled Moran's and Streich's linking of BGCT leaders to support for abortion, homosexuality and other left-leaning issues as unfounded innuendo similar to restroom graffiti and guilt by association.
___"The way the committee approached this, we were just gatherers of facts and information," said Bolton, chairman of First Baptist's deacon committee. "We don't take any delight in the conclusions we came to, but truth is truth and you just have to look at it."
___Bolton said both he and the deacon committee were "surprised" at their findings. "The average Southern Baptist in Texas has no idea of the interlocking relationships between the elected leadership of the BGCT and these other organizations," he said.
___Concern about the direction of the BGCT was heightened earlier this month when messengers to the BGCT annual session in El Paso overwhelmingly affirmed the 1963 Baptist Faith & Message doctrinal statement without the controversial 1998 addition on family, Brunson explained.
___"The BGCT's action to reject the 1998 amendment to the Baptist Faith & Message on the family speaks volumes to lots of people," Brunson said. "I've been preaching in Tennessee, Georgia and Florida, and people are finding it hard to believe. I think it's going to have greater repercussions than they ever thought."
___People are beginning to see that the BGCT has become "more interested in trying to appease the culture than they are in being biblical," he said. "I think people see that for what it is."
___According to the action taken in the First Baptist business session, First Baptist Church will continue to send $24,000 in Cooperative Program gifts to the BGCT. Whether that amount will be given exclusively to the BGCT or will be split with the SBC was not immediately clear.
___For 1998, BGCT records show First Baptist gave the BGCT $18,415 for Texas causes and $252,143 for national causes apart from designated gifts and special offerings.
___In addition to the $24,000 to be sent to the BGCT in the next year, all other Cooperative Program gifts will be sent through SBTC, with instructions for the new convention to retain $24,000 for its use. An additional $24,000 previously sent through the BGCT with designations for Criswell College and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary will be sent directly to those institutions.
___BGCT leaders expressed disappointment with the First Baptist vote and said they hope the congregation will invite BGCT representative to address specific concerns they may have.
___"We hope that when they revisit this a year from now, we will have an opportunity to speak to their deacons and the church about the work and ministry of the Baptist General Convention of Texas," said Charles Wade, BGCT xecutive-director elect. "They have been supporters of all that's been good in Texas Baptist life in the beginning, and I am disappointed that they felt this was a necessary action, especially when it seems to me they have acted on information that is not totally accurate."
___Wade said he plans to write a formal statement explaining to Texas Baptists his understanding of what transpired at the BGCT's El Paso annual session. The action on the Baptist Faith & Message, he said, has been misrepresented by some parties as being unbiblical when it actually is a biblical position, he said.
___"A Baptist church is free to do as it chooses in regard to relationship, but I would hope a relationship as long-standing and deep as that between First Baptist Church and the BGCT would be given opportunity for further prayerful discussion with those who will be leading the BGCT in the years ahead," said Bill Pinson, outgoing BGCT executive director.
___Pinson said the Bible instructs Christians who have disagreements to talk directly with one another. BGCT leaders are open for such discussions with leaders of First Baptist or any other church, he said.
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