October 23, 2000
___A BGCT Seminary Study Committee report recommends capping 2001 Texas Baptist contributions to the six SBC seminaries at $1 million, down from the current $5.3 million. The balance would be allocated to three BGCT-affiliated schools--Logsdon School of Theology at Hardin-Simmons University, Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University and Hispanic Baptist Theological School. ___A proposal from the BGCT Administrative Committee similarly recommends providing $10,000 to the SBC Executive Committee, down from $706,000, and eliminating the $364,582 allocation for the SBC Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. ___Southwestern Seminary would get the largest share of the $1 million earmarked for SBC seminaries, since the money would be distributed according to the numbers of Texas students at the six schools. Southwestern trains 1,368 of the 1,600 Texans enrolled in the schools. Still, Southwestern's Texas funding could be reduced from $1.5 million to about $875,000. ___The budget proposal is the most dramatic event that characterizes strained relationships between the BGCT and the SBC. The state convention consistently has resisted the increasingly conservative direction taken by the national convention. ___The seminary trustees' resolution notes 44 percent of Southwestern's student body comes from Texas. But in supporting the entire student body, including 225 international students, Texas Baptists have been "blessed to be able to participate in preparing students for service around the world," the resolution states. ___Participation in funding such a joint venture reflects "the genius of the Cooperative Program of the SBC," the convention's unified budget, the resolution claims. ___The resolution expresses gratitude to Texas Baptists "for their long and loyal support of the SBC Cooperative Program and the SBC seminaries to touch the world and impact eternity." ___The trustees urge Texas Baptists to reject the BGCT funding recommendation and "to the contrary, instruct BGCT leadership to restore the historic pattern of Cooperative Program funding followed until recent years." ___The board also called on Texas Baptists "to consider the urgency of the situation, recognize the disadvantages of the proposed funding plan and make it clear that Texas Baptist churches want to retain the privilege of investing in the training for ministry of students from across Texas, the United States and around the world." ___In other action, Southwestern trustees joined seminary faculty in signing their names to affirm the 2000 version of the Baptist Faith & Message Statement. ___Messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention last summer approved a significantly revised version of the convention's confession of faith. ___That action heightened tensions between the SBC and the BGCT. Texas leaders took exception to the revised Baptist Faith & Message's removal of references to Jesus as the criterion by which Scripture is to be interpreted and an addition that declared the document to be an instrument of doctrinal accountability. ___The SBC action marked just the second major revision and the third revision overall of the Baptist Faith & Message, first adopted by the SBC in 1925. ___Subsequently, the trustee boards of the SBC's 12 institutions, including Southwestern Seminary, received a referred motion from the convention concerning whether to require employees to sign the new Baptist Faith & Message. ___Southwestern's bylaws already require faculty to sign the Baptist Faith & Message "as amended from time to time," seminary President Ken Hemphill said in an interview last week. ___When the Baptist Faith & Message last was amended in 1998, two faculty members resigned rather than sign the new article on the family. But Hemphill has said he does not anticipate losing any faculty over the 2000 revisions. Last week, he said the current faculty signing is "in process" with the seminary's deans and is expected to be completed soon. ___Seminary trustees completed their signing process in a matter of minutes. As the roll was called during the trustees' first general session, they rose individually and walked to a table where copies of the document awaited them. All trustees present signed the statement. ___"We've signed this in good faith and good conscience before the Lord," said trustee Chairman Miles Seaborn, retired pastor of Birchman Baptist Church in Fort Worth. ___In other action, the board: ___ Affirmed a 200-page master plan for seminary buildings and facilities in the coming years. ___The plan is designed to help administrators and trustees set priorities for campus improvements, said Hubert Martin, the seminary's vice president for financial affairs. ___The master plan cites projects totaling about $40 million. It includes such projects as fencing around the campus perimeter, two new small dorms, renovations to existing buildings, "student village" housing, outdoor lighting, faculty housing, a water tower to support campus irrigation from seminary-owned wells, improvements for handicap accessibility, deferred maintenance and campus infrastructure. ___ Approved a newly revised set of grievance procedures for the seminary. ___Up to now, grievance policies have been "scattered among three or four documents," Hemphill noted. "We wanted to make sure they were consistent from school to school throughout the seminary." ___The procedures primarily were developed by seminary administrators, with input from the board, reported Michael Dean, chairman of the ad hoc committee that presented the new procedures and pastor of Travis Avenue Baptist Church in Fort Worth. ___The procedures provide a double effect, he said. "It is helping the trustees facilitate all the schools to be on the same page" regarding grievances, he explained. "And the last part is informative for the trustees to be consistent in our response." ___In general, the procedures direct trustees to refer any grievances they receive back to administrators, Dean said, adding the incidence of grievances at the seminary is quite rare, especially for a school with thousands of students and hundreds of faculty and staff. ___ Passed a resolution of appreciation for Lawrence Klempnauer, the seminary's vice president for student services, who will retire Dec. 31 after 20 years in pioneering ministry to students. ___ Approved the seminary's proposal to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to offer a baccalaureate degree in ministry for students age 25 and older. ___Scotty Gray, vice president for academic affairs, explained the seminary is proposing the age 25 limit for two reasons. "First, we feel younger students would benefit by going to a liberal arts college for a baccalaureate degree," he said. "And second, we are not wanting to compete with Baptist colleges and universities for traditional students. This would be for older students with families" who need to receive ministerial training. ___ Affirmed offering master's-level and doctoral courses at an extension center in Hawaii. A council comprised of the six SBC seminary presidents recently determined Southwestern should be given the responsibility for offering regional theological education to Hawaii. ___ Heard a report that the last three years have comprised three of the seminary's best four years in fund-raising efforts. Jack Terry, vice president for institutional advancement, said the seminary should receive more than $7 million in gifts this year. ___The record receipts demonstrate "overwhelming support for Southwestern Seminary in Texas," Dean said. ___ The Baptist Standard
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