December 8, 1999
Texas Baptist Forum
Editorial rejected
___In the editorial "Here's what churches are rejecting" (Dec. 1), the claim is made that churches are pulling from the Baptist General Convention of Texas and transferring to the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention simply for the "satisfaction of venting anger over a doctrinal statement" through which they will be "forsaking a multitude of ministries."
___The charge that this is simply an emotional issue portrays an arrogance that while Baptists have freedom of conscience, they are too dumb to think through an issue. More of this arrogance is exhibited by the statement, "Churches that take such action exhibit tunnel vision." No, they exhibit greater vision toward what the BGCT is headed toward in its liberal theology.
E-mail the editor at marvknox@baptiststandard.com
___The statement, "They don't have to go off and join another convention to stand up for what they believe" is hypocrisy at best. If this is the case, then why does the BGCT continue to distance itself from the Southern Baptist Convention?
___A decision by a church to leave the BGCT is not to "turn their backs on countless non-controversial ministries" nor is it a change which amounts to "forsaking God-inspired, Christ-honoring, Spirit-led ministries." Surely there is more than one way to contribute to God-honoring ministries without funding the liberal takeover of the convention.
___Preach freedom of conscience. When you really believe it, let us know.
___ Denton Popelka
___ Temple
No better than SBC
___There are wonderful things about the BGCT. I can't understand why they won't cooperate more closely with the SBC.
___It seems Charles Wade and Clyde Glazener, among others, are as intransigent and narrow-minded as those at the SBC.
___I know Wade is a man of principle and courage. He has done great things in Arlington. But don't tell me the leadership in Texas is any better than that in the SBC. We're all frail creatures; we all make mistakes.
___Maybe it'll take a near-total schism to get the attention of leaders in Texas and the SBC, that many of us who are trying to live out our faith in the world day to day are sick of it. We want to be effective in Texas, America and the world.
___But the spirit of cooperation between the two entities is gasping its last gasp, and I'm afraid leaders on both sides are looking the other way.
___ Clark Dunlap
___ Fort Worth
Listen first
___As a member of First Baptist Church in Arlington, I know Charles Wade to be the most loving and biblical leader I have ever known personally. When I came to this church, I had never seen so many programs that ministered to so many people.
___If you are worried that Charles Wade does not believe the Bible totally, that can only be because you are listening to someone else and not him!
___ Lee Washburn
___ Arlington
Afraid, not proud
___I grew up proud of three things--to be saved, to be a Southern Baptist and to be a Texas Baptist.
___I have supported the BGCT all my life, and I lead the church I pastor to do the same. Now, rather than being proud, I am afraid.
___I attended the convention in El Paso and enjoyed the fellowship, inspiration and worship. But I was awed that we seem so ready to separate from the SBC.
___I am not afraid that my beliefs have changed, or that God's word is being corrupted, or that Texans are liberal or conservative. Instead, I am afraid that because a few pastors have decided to make everything political, the day is coming when I will have to choose between two really great things: Am I a Southern Baptist, or am I a Texas Baptist?
___Why must it be this way?
___Are the powers that be really concerned about me, my church and the mission field I am trying to reach for Christ?
___Or are they more interested in making mighty political statements?
___Let's give pastors like Bubba Stahl (who made the BGCT motion to pray for Southern Baptists of Texas) the reigns for awhile. At least he is praying to God and trying to find solutions.
___ Charles Whitmire
___ Bastrop
Height of idolatry
___It is interesting that those who took control of the SBC leadership positions by presenting themselves as champions of the Bible no longer trust the Bible.
___Instead, they draft a document, adding the word "graciously," which does not appear in Ephesians 5, and demand allegiance to a man-made document.
___This is the height of idolatry, putting man's opinion of Scripture on par with Scripture and demanding that the opinion be worshiped.
___Move over Catholic Church, here's the new SBC Church Dogma.
___The choice is clear--believe the Scriptures or believe man's opinion about the Scriptures. Either accept God's word or substitute man's word about God's word, which is the basis of the inerrancy argument.
___It has finally come full circle. It's the slippery slope of rationalism.
___Welcome to the new Catholicized SBC.
___ Phil Lineberger
___ Sugar Land
Love is the key
___A vote by "messengers" to a denominational convention cannot and will not change the Bible's inspired advice to husbands and wives.
___Both Southern Baptists and Texas Baptists have declared in their statements of faith that Scripture is "truth without any mixture of error."
___In Ephesians 5, husbands and wives are advised to submit themselves to each other. These verses contain valuable truth for marriage partners who love the Lord and love each other.
___Any husband who aims to love his wife as much as Jesus loved his church will have a wife who will gladly love and honor and follow him.
___ Paul and Joy Stephens
___ Elgin
Authoritarian move
___Paige Patterson's remarks on Calvinism (Nov. 24) sound more like the pronouncements of a denominational patriarch than a convention president.
___Calvinists must breathe easier knowing they won't be ex-communicated so long as they don't arrive at unacceptable conclusions, or at least keep silent about them.
___I am concerned with Patterson's inflammatory rhetoric and the implication that he speaks for all Baptists. He refers to the Baptist Faith & Message as the "SBC's agreed-upon statement of faith." It is, but it is not a creed. And if it is an agreed-upon statement of faith and cited as authoritative, why does it need revision? I fear it is to move from authoritative to authoritarian.
___ Charles Lavine
___ Fort Worth
Control & power
___In the same issue of the Baptist Standard (Nov. 24), I read that SBC President Paige Patterson says it is OK to accept "five-point Calvinists" (including those Christians who believe in predestination) into the SBC even though he is convinced that they lack scriptural justification for their belief. However, Southern Baptists of Texas President Stan Coffey mentions he cannot have fellowship with those Christians who differ with interpretations on women ordained as ministers and deacons.
___All the good people who would align themselves with a few dogmatic fundamentalist leaders are being told the entire issue is scriptural inerrancy. The issue is control and power. Follow the money. The love of it is the root of all evil.
___People are being deceived.
___ Jackie Moore
___ San Antonio
The real problem
___Many tremendously judgmental opinion pieces and articles are in the Nov. 24 paper. Strange--each is written by, or a report of, someone who considers himself or herself a born-again Christian and a Bible-believing Southern Baptist.
___Since all sides base their arguments on Scripture, it seems the only reason for differences of opinion on what Scripture teaches is that we all are using (or abusing) different principles of interpretation or ignoring them altogether.
___When I read about the suffering of persecuted Christians around the world, I want to scream to all Southern Baptists: "Stop! For God's sake, for Jesus' sake and for the world's sake, stop sniping at each other and unite to support our suffering brothers and sisters in their evangelistic efforts to reach their people with the only message of hope."
___ David W. King
___ Marshall
'Humble' means 'subm issive'
___Charles Wade is quoted (Dec 1) as saying the family amendment to the Baptist Faith & Message "says nothing about the husband's responsibility to follow the admonition ofEphesians 5 : 21 and submit to his wife." His statement is wrong.
___ For persons interested in knowing the complete story, I would recommend visiting the Southern Baptist Convention website--www.sbc.net--and reading the entire committee report. From the committee's commentary, I have taken the following extraction : "As the wife submits herself to her husband's leadership, the husband humbles himself to meet his wife's needs for love and nurture (Ephesians 5:25-29; 1 Peter 3:7)." By simply consulting Meriam-Webster's thesaurus we find that "humble" means "submissive."
___ Now, either Wade is uninformed or intentionally misleading, but regardless he is wrong and should issue a correction. In a time when the BGCT is claiming to be wrongly accused, the BGCT executive director should not be doing the same thing.
___ Mark D. Chadwick
___ Cleveland
'Us,' 'them' and followers of Jesus Christ
___ Last year, I wrote a letter to the Standard expressing my sorrow over comments made by those wanting to leave the Baptist General Convention of Texas. I must now write a
___ He continually refers to the Southern Baptist Convention as "them" and states that we don't need "them." I am a Southern Baptist that lives in Texas, does this mean that I can't be be considered a part of the BGCT?
___ Recently I had a co-worker say to me, "I know you are a Southern Baptist, what do you think of these General Baptists meeting in El Paso?"
___ The moderates have achieved something I never thought possible--the same level of arrogance that the fundamentalists have had for 20 years. Is this something to celebrate?
___ This past July, I was in Kosovo setting up food distribution centers as team leader for a group of Texas Baptist Men operating under the authority of the SBC International Mission Board. We did not identify ourselves as Texas Baptists or Southern Baptists; we identified ourselves as followers of Jesus Christ! That seemed to work just fine. Maybe we should apply that here.
___ A. G. Faulkner
___ Carrollton
Our roots are in the gospel
___ Thank God for Texas Baptists and men of integrity like Charles Wade. When it seems there are few who know and treasure our Baptist distinctives, Texas Baptists remind us that our roots are in the gospel rather than any creedal statement.
___ It seems that Missouri Baptists are turning their backs on our heritage and buying into
___ Texas was where I discovered Baptists, where I attended Southwestern Seminary, where I found my lovely wife. There will always be a special place in my heart for you all. Texas Baptists have stayed on target, while the SBC has been twisted into a shadow of its former integrity.
___ If Texas Baptists move to accept churches outside the geographical boundaries of that great state, please do not limit affiliation to those states that touch your borders. There are many others who will partner with Great Commission Christians, regardless of the geographical distance.
___ Michael Olmsted
___ Springfield, Mo.
Wives not slaves
___Your editorial on "fractured logic" (Nov. 24) comes from a heart alive with the love and wisdom of Jesus, I think.
___ Is it not the confliction among the corollaries we (include me in "we") draw and preach from chosen selections of the Bible that generates disagreement?
___ I do not recall hearing a sermon in which there were no corollaries included with the Scripture. Of course, they were understood to be a message from God and that word "corollary" was never used.
___ If the preachers of Ephesians 5:22-33 (wives and husbands) would reveal the obvious corollary to the Apostle Paul's instructions it might be this: When the wife perceives (she must be granted the freedom Jesus promised to believers) the husband as not living by his part in the yoking of two together, her submission requirement ends.
___ Paul directed slaves to obey masters. He did not call wives slaves.
___ Otis Patrick
___ Fort Worth
Marriage is a partnership
___ It's good to know there are Christians who will speak out for marriage as a partnership. I believe it was God's original plan.
___ When God created Eve, he used Adam's rib, a symbol of equality, love and protection.
___ It's difficult for people to change their minds about a dogma that's been around for centuries, but perhaps we've only just arrived at the point in our spiritual walk as Christians to be ready to accept that change. Christians who say that marriage is a partnership are those who truly understand what is meant in Ephesians 5:25, "Husbands love you wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her." That in itself is an act of submission, so if the Southern Baptist Convention needs to affirm for wives to submit to their husbands, then they also need to affirm for husbands to submit to their wives.
___ When both husbands and wives submit to each other, then marriage will work as God intended.
___ Dawanna Vera
___ Arlington
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