November 6, 2000
New Mexico convention sets guidelines
___By John Loudat
___Baptist New Mexican
___GALLUP, N.M. (ABP)--Churches won't necessarily need to agree with the Southern Baptist Convention on what the Bible means to remain in fellowship with the Baptist Convention of New Mexico, but they must support the national denomination financially.
___New Mexico Baptists meeting in annual session Oct. 23-25 in Gallup approved a bylaw change making fidelity to the Bible and support for the SBC's Cooperative Program unified budget the criteria for membership in the state group.
___The change, recommended by the state convention's executive board, passed overwhelmingly but not without considerable discussion and failed parliamentary attempts to amend and table the motion.
___The bylaw change came in response to a motion last year directing a study of making the Baptist Faith & Message the doctrinal criteria for seating messengers from churches at the state convention.
___Opponents, however, said controversial changes to the faith statement would disqualify some churches that otherwise have no problems with the state convention.
___The new policy states that churches "shall be considered in friendly cooperation who are sympathetic with the purpose and work of this convention, having demonstrated cooperation by contributing a minimum of $250 to the Cooperative Program through the BCNM during the fiscal year preceding the annual or special meeting of the convention. The faith and practices of each cooperating church, in the opinion of the convention in session, shall not be in conflict with Scripture."
___Unlike in the Baptist General Convention of Texas, where churches are offered several giving choices under the Cooperative Program label, a portion of all Cooperative Program dollars given in New Mexico are forwarded to the SBC.
___Tom Dowler of Los Alamos proposed an amendment that the financial requirement be changed to read that the church be a "bona fide contributor to the work of the Baptist Convention of New Mexico." Such a change would leave room for churches that contribute to the New Mexico convention but not to the SBC, he said.
___Roswell pastor Don Hayhurst, who served on the credentials study committee, responded that churches eligible to seat messengers could be dually aligned with the SBC and another national body. The committee's intent was to "take the middle ground" and promote "harmony," he said.
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