October 30, 2000
Texas Baptist Forum
Honor Jesus
___I am thankful that Baptists make our individual and corporate voices heard through the convention process. The liberty we enjoy, however, comes at a great price.
___Our freedom in Christ cost God's son his life. An unimaginable number of Christians also have given their lives to, and for, the preservation of the gospel that unites all who claim Christ as Lord. Untold thousands have died to secure the freedom to assemble. Weexercise that privilege in America while the majority of the world's population cannot.
E-mail the editor at marvknox@baptiststandard.com
___There are great costs in establishing and maintaining the liberty to convene as Texas Baptists in Corpus Christi. While many will enjoy the privilege, let us not forget that all who attend were not required to pay the ultimate price for that privilege.
___We have an unprecedented opportunity in Baptist history for a worldwide witness as responsible stewards of the liberty entrusted to us. Let us not forget we are ministers of reconciliation. Let us not forget we are forgiven to forgive.
___May we, as Christians, realize we have much more in common than we do in difference. The world is watching to see if Baptists are following the Lord Jesus or each other. I pray we will honor him rather than harm his cause. ?
___ Neil Cardwell
___ Newark
Better offering
___"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation" (2 Corinthians 5:17-19).
___What a magnificent passage! But where in Southern Baptist life today does one look for leaders in the ministry of reconciliation to which God has called all in his family of grace? It seems recruiters are many, but reconcilers are few.
___And where are the churches demonstrating that in our commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord we have a common bond uniting us that transcends our differences?
___At a time when Arabs and Israelis are killing each other and bereaved family members are receiving the flag-draped caskets of Americans killed aboard the USS Cole, I want to ask our leaders: Have we nothing better to offer a fractured world than a battle over budgets in Corpus Christi?
___That it is taking place in the year 2000 is an added irony, for this is the climactic year of Bold Mission Thrust, the time when Southern Baptists pledged to make it possible for every person in the world to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.
___ Jack MacGorman
___ Fort Worth
Carnal weapons
___Texas Baptists seem to be using carnal "weapons of the world" (2 Corinthians 10:4) by agreeing to withhold funds to Southern Baptist Convention institutions and programs. Is it wise to break fellowship among Baptist brethren because of our disagreement with the 2000 version of the Baptist Faith & Message and insistence that employees, students, etc. sign agreeing to it?
___Is the Baptist Faith & Message evil? Do we now judge the SBC leadership as evil? Is it true the missionaries who have served with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship are not welcome to speak at some SBC churches? And are missionaries who have served with the SBC forbidden to speak at churches who do not adhere to the 2000 version of the Baptist Faith & Message?
___Texas Baptists should work with the SBC leadership to eliminate the requirement of unconditionally agreeing with the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message. If there is refusal to budge, we can continue to pray and use our spiritual weapons.
___ Carter Price
___ San Antonio
God's resources
___For the past several years, I have worked closely with Hispanic and Mexican Baptists, which has given me a unique perspective on how God may use the BGCT/SBC controversy to actually further his kingdom rather than tear it apart.
___If the BGCT funding recommendations are approved, years of praying for an adequate Hispanic seminary will be answered. Why is this critical to furthering Christ's kingdom? Hispanics and Mexican Baptists will play a key role in winning the world to Christ, and Texas Baptists will provide resources to help them do so.
___But what about the SBC seminary funding decreases? These seminaries have received decades of support, and Texas Baptists have been blessed to have helped them. As difficult as it may seem, it is now time to bless others. The redirection of funding will begin to provide what we have neglected for too long.
___"God's work, done God's way, will never lack God's resources." Let's remind ourselves that God has the resources to provide for the SBC in any areas Texas Baptists may feel led to decrease our support. I fear we are guilty at times of trusting the Cooperative Program more that we trust God.
___ Deborah Fikes
___ Midland
Exaggerated death
___Mark Twain once said reports of his death were greatly exaggerated. The same could be said about the claim that the SBC Cooperative Program is dead.
___SBC Cooperative Program receipts for September were $15,447,337.56, up 13.7 percent over the September receipts in 1999. That's death of the Cooperative Program? By the way, designated gifts to the SBC for September were up 30 percent over September last year.
___What's dead is some people's interest in cooperating with the SBC's worldwide mission program, taking the good news that there is salvation for all through (and only through) faith in Jesus Christ as Savior.
___ Royce Ballew
___ Tyler
May truth prevail
___I am one of thousands of Texas Baptists who received the 12-page slick publication from the SBC Executive Committee headlined "The Truth About the SBC & Texas," followed by SBC Life. I am outraged that the SBC is interfering with the business of an autonomous state convention; Cooperative Program dollars are being used to conduct this campaign, which includes a special website. Half-truths, distortions and scurrilous charges are wrapped in a package labeled "truth."
___These are Texas Baptist people and institutions that I know personally. They are not liberal; they are not anti-SBC. They are what Baptists have always been.
___Surely messengers to the convention in Corpus Christi know their neighbors and know the leaders of their institutions well enough to separate fact from fiction.
___May the truth prevail in Corpus Christi, and may we conduct our business in a spirit of love and harmony, seeking God's will, so that we can be a positive witness to the glory of God in this community where so many need to know Christ as personal Savior.
___ Ella Wall Prichard
___ Corpus Christi
ERLC support
___It was correctly reported that no one spoke in defense of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission at the BGCT Executive Board. I repeatedly raised my hand to speak on behalf of ERLC but was never recognized.
___As we consider defunding the ERLC, I hope three things will be considered.
___First, when the ERLC was formed, it was given the dual mission of arguing/lobbying First Amendment issues and ethical/moral issues. First Amendment issues are argued from a constitutional platform (non-sectarian). Ethical/moral issues are argued/lobbied from our Baptist viewpoint. Quite often, one political party or politician is more supportive of our moral position than the other; hence, a perception of political alignment.
___It also follows that in legislative initiatives with moral/ethical considerations, the ERLC will issue political statements. When the ERLC was formed, several of us on the Public Affairs Committee opposed a dual mission because we felt such would weaken its credibility and effectiveness. Our view did not prevail.
___Second, it has been publicly stated by our leadership that Richard Land's ethics were not learned from "Texas Baptists." This remark unfairly maligns him. I found him to be ethical. He has a bit of an ego, which stands him well alongside most Baptist preachers I know.
___Third, the position of the ERLC on moral and ethical issues that confront the community of faith is supported by the majority of Baptist families here in Texas--particularly those with children in the home.
___ J.I. Ginnings
___ Wichita Falls
Trying too hard to entertain
___Our churches are trying too hard to entertain.
___The thing that bothers me most is dropping the worship service on Sunday night in lieu of a fall festival.
___Halloween is Halloween, regardless of the name. Give me a break. Let the "world" entertain kids on Halloween.
___Robbie Beck
___Nacogdoches
Missions task not finished
___My husband and I are missionaries with the International Mission Board. We prepare Christians from the Philippines and other Asian countries to go as missionaries. They go to
___The new believers of the Philippines understand God's missionary heart as he says of Christ in Isaiah 49:6: "It is too small a thing that you should be my servant to … restore … Israel. I will also make you a light of the nations so that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth."
___The gospel has only powerfully impacted the Philippines in the past 50 years, but Philippine Christians believe it is too small a thing that the gospel should stop with them.
___Texas Baptists have the finest record for missionary sending and giving. By God's grace, Texans have continued to have God's heart for the nations. We have seen Christ's sacrifice as worthy of nothing less than bringing salvation to the whole world.
___However, the task is not finished. God has miraculously opened doors. People are responding at unprecedented rates.
___I pray Texas Baptists will not begin to focus only on local ministry and missions that we can see or control. I pray we will continue to work with the new sending fields such as the Philippines to see that salvation will reach to the end of the earth.
___Diana Clark
___Houston
Cut Executive Committee funds
___ In all my born days--and I have been born quite a while--I have never seen a greater violation of historic Baptist polity or unethical procedure as seen in Morris Chapman instructing Texas Baptists how to vote in our convention.
___The title of the publication sent out to thousands of us Baptist Texans is "The Truth About the SBC and Texas." The title indicates that some "untruths" have been told. Chapman did not indicate that any SBC employee had misrepresented the truth, so I guess he was implying that our BGCT leaders were guilty of untruth. How far from the truth!
___As of now, BGCT helps pay the salaries of the Executive Committee employees and the expenses of the committee. Thus the SBC committee was using some of the money we send to Nashville to attempt to run BGCT business and accuse our leaders of being less than truthful.
___I favor deleting the entire amount heretofore given to the Executive Committee of the SBC. At least then they will not be using our money to condemn us!
___James L. Cooper
___Plano
Church is weak and intimidated
___If anyone has any doubts about the liberal bias of the media, just listen to many of our talk shows, sitcoms and national newscasters.
___When the Southern Baptist Convention called for a boycott of Disney because of
___When Dr. Laura's show came on TV, the homosexual groups called for boycotts and violence if necessary because she called their lifestyle "deviant" and "not natural." No one dared call the homosexuals bigoted and narrow-minded.
___Few people have come to Dr. Laura's aid for promoting morals and a strong family. Why? Because Christianity in America has become weak and intimidated. The church in America is on the verge of being legislated out of business by liberal activist judges, while many sit idly by or do nothing except fight over a few statements in a document.
___The world goes to hell, and where are "Onward Christian Soldiers?"
___Nolan Corder
___ Rankin
Be witnesses 'unto the uttermost part of the world'
___I believe in missions! We served 22 years as SBC missionaries in Colombia, South America.
___Some talk about giving. Others give! Those who speak the loudest give the least. SBC presidents since the fundamentalist takeover are from churches that gave 1 percent to 4 percent (with two exceptions) through the Cooperative Program! I believe a church should
___I have visited personally with several of the former presidents and "the architect of the takeover." My purpose was to express a missionary's heart of concern about how the controversy and power struggle was in danger of destroying our Cooperative Program. I shared a form prepared by one of the most missions-minded churches in the SBC. It gave each member the option to give through the SBC, the CBF or other mission groups! When the "architect" saw it, he said, "Well, if they give less, we will give more!"
___Texas Baptists are at a dangerous fork in the road. Texas Southern Baptists want to "rule or ruin." Texas Baptists Committed focuses mainly on Texas.
___Let us remember our Lord's command, "You shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."
___ Marion Corley
___ Dallas
BGCT leaders don't understand Baptist polity
___The Baptist General Convention of Texas is recommending that funds be withheld from certain portions of the Cooperative program. No state convention has recommended anything like this in the history of the Cooperative Program.
___In "Baptist Polity As I See It," James L. Sullivan foretells the recent actions of the Baptist General Convention of Texas recommendation to divide up the Cooperative program: "To ask the privilege of withholding funds from certain causes supported through the Cooperative Program shows a basic misunderstanding of Baptist polity itself. Contributions are not for coercion or control. Trustees are for that. Contributions are for support." Sullivan's observations are most interesting these days. According to this line of reasoning, the "Texas Baptist Way" is not Baptist, and BGCT leadership does not understand Baptist polity.
___Randy Davenport
___Fort Worth
New BF&M needs a higher Christology
___On occasion, my pastor says something that sets my mind reeling. A recent example was the use of the "adulterous woman" (John 8:5) as a sermon illustration. It struck me that Jesus did not follow the commands of Leviticus 20:10 and Deuteronomy 22:22.
___Why not? The woman was guilty of adultery. Moses instructed that she be stoned? Did
___Prior to the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message, I could believe "the criterion by which the Bible is to be interpreted is Jesus Christ." In situations like the "adulterous woman," where Jesus and Moses seem to disagree, I affirmed Jesus as the full revelation of God.
___By what other criterion can these verses be interpreted? Why so few stonings today? Who set aside Leviticus 20:10 and Deuteronomy 22:22, Jesus or somebody else?
Jesus is the plumb line by which the straightness of Bible interpretation, and everything else, must be evaluated. The authors of the 2000 statement should have affirmed a higher Christology with all the eloquence they could muster.
___ Orlynn Evans
___ Nacogdoches
Why punish seminary students?
___Why am I a pawn in a multimillion-dollar fight?
___I am a Ph.D. candidate at Southwestern. I am receiving a degree that is not offered at
___There are many honorable Texas Baptist going to all six seminaries. We contribute to the work of the BGCT, we support Texas Baptist churches and we give faithfully as God has called us to do. And now because we do not go to a targeted school, our education expenses are about to go up if the messengers to the BGCT support the recommendation of the Seminary Study Committee.
___If this motion passes and funding decreases to the SBC seminaries, tuition will increase as a means to recoup the loss of funding. That makes me a pawn. I, like many other Texas Baptists, am following God's will. It concerns me that I am on the verge of being punished, not by the world, but by my brothers and sisters in Christ, for a decision to honor God's leadership. I wonder if any on the committee have thought of the repercussions this will cause many devoted Texas Baptist like myself.
___Kevin Forrester
___ Stephenville
Baptists don't need a CEO
___The CEO of the SBC Executive Committee blames Texas SBC critics for breaking up the convention. When 20th century church history is written, the central tragedy will be the
___The CEO is learning the hard way, "Don't mess with Texas." No CEO from Tennessee or from any other place, even Rome, is going to tell Texas Baptists how to live or how to give or to work and worship. Texans believe in religious freedom. Texas Baptists are a free people and intend to stay free from the CEO and the Executive Committee.
___ Where in the Scripture are the words "CEO" and "Executive Committee," telling Texas Baptists to follow them down this road to tragedy?
___I am an SBC Baptist, Baylor graduate and Southern Seminary graduate, ordained in l95l. Not before l980 had I heard of such nonsense.
___Texas Baptists and all other Baptists and Christians everywhere, it is time, past time, to beat our swords into plowshares and our spears into pruning hooks and carry out the Great commission of our Lord Jesus Christ, who taught us not to remove each other from the committee, but to remove the problem, not the people.
___ We don't need CEOs or executives. God gave us servants and good leaders to lead us out of this mess, for his mercy and grace and peace can save us.
___Larry Gilbert
___Pharr
Timing of Carter's announcement
___When Jimmy Carter said he can "no longer be associated" with the SBC, he explained: "This is strictly personal for me. I am not trying to speak for my church. … I'm not going
___If this is a personal issue, then why is he being so public about it? The timing of his public announcement seems to be strategically timed just prior to the BGCT's annual meeting to discuss reducing the funding to SBC seminaries. I may be wrong, but Mr. Carter's previous meeting with David Currie makes it hard to think otherwise.
___Jeff Hancock
___Mesquite
Convinced of Baptist democracy
___Praise the Lord for his loving kindness and tender mercy to me.
___Born into a Methodist home far removed from any congregation, we read the Bible daily in our "family altar." This practice caused us to look for Bible people, and we joined
___ I was convinced of democracy in school and as practiced in Baptist churches. I felt the "Boston Tea Party" folks were justified. Even so, I feel Texas Baptists are justified in protesting "taxation without representation" by supporting what we believe in--winning Texas and the whole world to Christ. Thank the Lord for the International Mission Board.
___Gene Kimler
___Forney
Change fiddlers
___There is an old adage that says: "He who pays the fiddler calls the tunes."
___Maybe it's time we chose another fiddler.
___G. Avery Lee
___New Orleans
Hobbs said creed would divide Baptists
___Hershel Hobbs' excellent study course book on the 1963 Baptist Faith & Message was the church training book I was "reared on" as a new Baptist. His words from chapter 1, "The Rock Whence We Are Hewn," are truly prophetic:
___"At times one hears the prediction that Southern Baptists are about to divide over their
___As one of the vast majority of "in-betweener" Baptists, I say, "Amen, Brother Hobbs!"
___Jim Lemons
___Fort Worth
Thanks tp Carter
___It is a sad day indeed for our Baptist denomination when a Christian statesman the
___This is a man that has brought warring factions together in the global arena but could not get the principals of SBC to see the creedal pitfalls in the revised Baptist Faith & Message.
___When Carter gives up on something, it is time to take notice.
___Thanks to President Carter for standing tall for the cause of Christ and our Baptist denomination.
___Syd McGraw
___Carthage
Wade out of control
___I just listened to the recording of Charles Wade's report at the Baptist Building staff prayer meeting June 21, and it sounds like we have a BGCT executive director out of
___ Never in my 23 years in the ministry as a Southern Baptist minister in Texas have I heard such bitterness and divisiveness from the executive director. Bill Pinson may have found himself in controversial waters a few times in his tenure, but never was he the one stirring it up.
___Charles Wade's message, wording and tone are a drastic departure from what Texas Baptists have a right to expect from the executive director. It seems he is on a personal crusade against the SBC, which will make it impossible for him to be a unifying force in our state. His emotion-charged use of the pronoun "they" reveals that he has forgotten that it is "us."
___Charles Wade is out of control and should repent or retire before more irreparable damage is done to the BGCT.
___ Barry Phillips
___Porter
Proposals will still fund missions
___ Despite the controversy surrounding the decision to redirect some Cooperative Program funds going to the SBC, it appears that the BGCT will fully fund the cooperative mission funds. Only less money will be going to SBC funds and SBC seminaries. I realize
___As a Texas Baptist, I have not benefited a whole lot from the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, and I surely haven't benefited from the Executive Committee.
___The three seminaries that will benefit from redirecting funds will benefit Texas Baptists more. I don't see the SBC clamoring to offer assistance for these seminaries.
___ I am for continuing full funding of the International Mission Board and North American Mission Board. These boards are the whole reason for the Cooperative Program and the reason why Texas Baptists joined the SBC in the first place.
___The SBC seems only concerned about Texas Baptists when purse strings are attached. What are they going to do? Send down enforcers to enforce "the contract" between BGCT and SBC.
___ Robert L. Rosier
___ Danbury
Remembering Bill Perdue
___ This is a tribute to my former pastor, Bill Perdue. He was my pastor in El Paso in the late 1970s and had been my camp pastor 20 years earlier. He remained my dear friend until his death a year ago.
___ His were the highest of Christian ideals and morals, and he loved our Lord with all his
___ Brother Bill baptized my oldest son when Brian was 9 years old. When we were in his congregation, he loved, guided, encouraged and cared for my sons, and they returned that love. They thought of him as a loving, caring grandfather. I think a child should be as comfortable talking to his pastor as he is talking to his beloved grandfather.
___ Brother Bill, as Paul the Apostle, fought the good fight, finished the race, kept the faith and has now received his crown of righteousness. I miss him terribly; at times the pain of his loss is almost unbearable.
___I regret that I did not get to tell him just one more time how much he meant to me, but I rejoice that I will join him in heaven.
___ Don't wait to tell your pastor that you love and appreciate him. Even though he knows it, he still needs to hear the words!
___LaVerne Sepulveda
___Arlington
Carter has always been liberal
___ How can anyone take seriously anything Jimmy Carter says? This is the same Jimmy
___ M. Tahaney
___ Port Arthur
Baptist Standard a propaganda rag
___ Some time ago, I wrote former Editor Toby Druin pointing out that the Baptist Standard had become nothing more than a "propaganda rag" for the Cooperative Baptist
___ In the process of pushing the vindictive CBF/TBC political agenda through the Baptist Standard, the cause of Christ and Christian virtue have become victims. Did the editor not read the Oct. 16 article by BGCT Executive Director Charles Wade? Among other virtues, he directs our attention to the truth.
___ And the truth is the position of the leaders of the BGCT as well as that of the Baptist Standard coincides with that of the CBF/TBC. Why not admit this, stop the criticism of the SBC, cease the character assassination of SBC leaders and publish the good things God is doing among Texas Baptists? Doing this would show integrity and be more consistent with Wade's theme, "We are loved."
___ Wade's article also suggests to me that I don't need the SBC, BGCT, CBF, TBC or the Baptist Standard to make my decisions. I don't.
___ Sherman Welch
___ Wichita Falls
God hears prayers without a PA system
___ God does not need a public-address system to hear prayers. He can hear a prayer for the safety of school football players even if you never audibly utter a sound! He can hear more than one prayer at a time too.
___ I can understand the need to express our concern for the players. Why not have a moment of silent prayer? Won't it serve the same purpose? I think maybe there is too much self-edification and self-proclamation in making such a to-do about letting someone pray aloud over a PA system.
___I am not in favor of allowing any of our rights being taken away from us. We do have a right to pray. But to make such a fuss over not being allowed to do it in a public place is only playing into our opponents' hands. They are receiving the much-sought-after publicity they would not have gotten otherwise.
___If we are so determined to pray over a PA system, then why not spend the same amount of energy organizing a revival and inviting the public to hear prayers to God over a PA system? This would allow a very public display of our beliefs and share the good news of Jesus Christ!
___Mike Wheeler
___Tyler
Golden Gate needs more, not less, funding
___ We are praying for those messengers who will be at the BGCT annual meeting as well as for all the churches. We have been concerned about the situation in the SBC since we
___Those who are blessed to be part of the BGCT have been very helpful to many of our SBC churches which are not in the " Bible belt." Our Northwest Baptist Convention has had a "partnership" with your BGCT for several years. For this we praise God and thank all who have helped in any way.
___ There is one concern we have about your changing the giving to all the SBC seminaries. Golden Gate Seminary is in great need of more support, not less. Bill Crews came from Texas to be pastor of our church in Des Moines, Wash. in 1967. God has used him in a wonderful way to minister to our churches and pastors west of Texas.
___ When he became president of GGBTS, he requested that the SBC change the way funds are shared with the seminaries. Many of those whom God calls to serve him cannot move to Texas to attend either college or seminary. They are already "on the mission field." We pray that God will enlarge your vision to continue to support all of his work done through those who are part of our SBC ministry in the "western states."
___ Bob and Kay Wood
___ Des Moines, Wash.
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