December 8, 1999
Conservatives gain control in Louisiana
___MONROE, La. (ABP)--Following two years of quiet convention meetings, Louisiana Baptists returned to fractious debate between conservatives and moderates, with conservatives winning key votes Nov. 15-16 in Monroe.
___Departing from a tradition of contested presidential elections, conservatives and moderates in the Louisiana Baptist Convention agreed to back consensus candidates in 1997 and 1998. This year, however, no such candidate emerged.
___Instead, Baton Rouge pastor Tommy French, backed by the conservative Louisiana Inerrancy Fellowship, defeated the moderate-backed candidate 904-847. A moderate group, Friends of Louisiana College, backed John Alley of Alexandria.
___Conservatives then succeeded in passing a resolution placing the state convention on record, for the first time, as affirming the Bible is literally true. The non-binding resolution affirmed the Baptist Faith & Message statement on Scripture and further described the Bible as the "inspired, infallible, inerrant and sufficient word of God."
___Earlier, the convention fell just short of casting a required two-thirds vote that would have added similar language to the convention's bylaws.
___The convention opened in dramatic fashion with its top paid executive decrying people on both sides for perpetuating division.
___"One small group of leaders on one extreme uses loyalty to Louisiana College as a rallying cry for their cause," said Louisiana Baptist Convention Executive Director Dean Doster. "If you don't vote for their candidate, then you don't support Louisiana College. Listen, we all know that is not true."
___"Another small group of leaders on the other extreme uses loyalty to the authority of the Bible as a rallying cry for their cause," he continued. "If you don't vote for their candidate, you don't believe the Bible. We all know that's not true."
___Doster said he believes 95 percent of Louisiana Baptists reject both extremes and want instead to "build trust."
___He asked the convention to defuse elections by removing appointive powers of the president. Messengers considered but defeated a motion asking a study of the concept of changing the Committee on Committees so it is elected by the convention instead of appointed by the president.
___Following Doster's report, about half the convention audience rose to applaud. Later discussions, meanwhile, made it clear that some took offense at characterizations used by the executive director.Contents/ Masthead / Why We're Here / Links / Archive / E-mail us/ SUBSCRIBE!