 March 3, 1999
BGCT committee will defend
against 'slanderous attacks'
___By Mark Wingfield
___Managing Editor
___DALLAS--A special committee will be appointed to defend leaders of the Baptist General Convention of Texas against "slanderous attacks" by critics.
___A motion to create the special committee was presented to the BGCT Exec-utive Board Feb. 23 by Dan Curry, pastor of South Oaks Baptist Church in Arlington.
___Curry made the motion in an emotional speech during the time for miscellaneous business in the Executive Board's winter meeting. His motion was affirmed with only two votes in opposition.
___"I'm tired of the misleading and slanderous attacks on our leaders," Curry said. "I believe it's time to take a stand and defend our brothers and our state convention and say enough is enough."
___Although not identifying these critics, Curry cited what he called unfounded allegations about the beliefs of BGCT leaders on issues such as homosexuality and abortion.
___BGCT leaders have expressed concern in the past that their beliefs and convention actions have been misrepresented by people associated with Southern Baptists of Texas, a newly formed conservative state convention created to align more closely with the Southern Baptist Convention.
___A video containing allegations against BGCT leaders recently has been circulating across the state, presumably distributed by parties interested in pushing Texas Baptist churches into closer alignment with the SBC's new conservative leadership. Last fall, a document purporting to offer a comparison of the views of BGCT leaders and SBC leaders was circulated in some churches without explanation of its origin. Southern Baptists of Texas leaders publicly disavowed any role in distributing such a document.
___In other action, the BGCT Executive Board:
___ Approved re-allocation of $381,500 in unrestricted 1998 budget funds to a variety of projects, ranging from criminal justice ministries and Bible drills to church consultations and educational projects.
___ Approved spending up to $450,000 in endowment income to fund a media test project in Abilene/Sweet-water, Waco/Temple/Bryan and Tyler/Longview. The media campaign via radio and television spots is designed to raise positive awareness of the ministries performed by Texas Baptists.
___ Affirmed the State Missions Commission's appointment of Lynn Eckeberger as associate director of the commission and Jan Daehnert as coordinator of the commission's bivocational and smaller church development unit.
___ Adopted revised guidelines for the Baptist Student Ministry committee and the theological education committee that clarify how certain individuals serve on these committee by virtue of office held in affiliated organizations.
___ Approved an agreement allowing the Baptist Healthcare System in Orange and Beaumont to merge with Memorial Hermann Hospital System. Memorial Hermann has pledged to pump much-needed capital into the South Texas Baptist hospitals while retaining the hospitals' Baptist distinctives, chaplaincy programs and restrictive abortion policies.
___ Named seven individuals to fill unexpired terms on BGCT committees: Bobbye Hill of Duncanville to the Baptist distinctives committees; Carol Cleckner of Houston to the minister/church relations committee; Louis Cobbs of Tyler to the Administrative Committee; Harry Lucenay of Longview to the State Missions Commission; and Estell Owen of Plainview, Carol Holcomb of Fort Worth and Kyle Henderson of Athens to the Texas Baptist Historical Council.
___ Approved two individuals to fill unexpired terms on the board of BGCT agencies and institutions: Milton McGee of Henderson to Howard Payne University and Roy Marshall of Hewitt to Hillcrest Medical Center in Waco.
___ Heard the appointment of a six-person committee to study a pair of motions made during the BGCT's annual session in Houston last November. The motions called for a study of options by which smaller membership churches could gain increased messenger eligibility and the feasibility of using regional satellite locations for annual sessions. Members of the study committee are Ken James of Hillsboro, chairman; Dan Williams of San Angelo; Margarita Trevino of Keller; Bill Skaar of Livingston; Leroy Daniel of Wichita Falls; and John Thielepape of Arlington.
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