November 6, 2000

Southern Seminary plans budget cut, decries Texas plan
___By David Winfrey
___Kentucky Western Recorder
___LOUISVILLE, Ky. (ABP)--Southern Baptist Theological Seminary will postpone a $5.7 million construction-and-renovation project for conference facilities in light of an expected cut in income from Texas Baptists.
___Southern officials broke ground in April for the Rice/ Judson Conference Center, a component of the seminary's $70 million campus master plan adopted by trustees last year.
___President Al Mohler told trustees the postponement was necessary in order to focus resources on personnel and programming in light of the Baptist General Convention of Texas' proposal to cut funds to the six Southern Baptist Convention seminaries.
___Other aspects of the master plan are continuing, he added, including the construction of new residence halls.
___In his report to the trustees, Mohler criticized the Texas plan while predicting that Texas Baptists ultimately will support Southern and the other SBC seminaries.
___Trustees responded at the end of their two-day meeting, Oct. 9-10, with a resolution backing Southern Seminary and calling on Baptist churches to continue financially supporting the six Southern Baptist seminaries.
___"They're going to take the money that had gone to the six Southern Baptist seminaries and they're going to invest it in two Texas Baptist schools--what they call seminaries--and also to the Hispanic school there," Mohler said of the BGCT plan.
___"The direct accusation made against us by the BGCT committee and the leaders who adopted this is that we are too serious when it comes to our confession of faith, that we are too defined when it comes to what we believe and what we expect of those who will teach, that we are out of step and out of date when it comes to those convictions we believe are rooted in Scripture," Mohler said.
___The trustees' resolution affirms that the seminary's direction "is soundly biblical and in line with historic Southern Baptist theology and practice." It also urges Texas Baptists "to continue supporting our SBC seminaries and the Cooperative Program for the glory of God."
___Mohler predicted messengers to the BGCT annual session would adopt the changes and that those changes would have a significant short-term impact. A withdrawal of $1 million represents about 6 percent of Southern's operating budget, he said.
___But Mohler further predicted that individual Texas churches will step up to support all six seminaries. "I'm confident that where the Lord gives the vision, the Lord will provide the resources," he said.
___"I believe as the dust settles and as the issues are clarified, Texas Baptists want to stand with the gospel. They want to stand with the truth," he added. "I believe not only will we receive their students, but we will receive their financial support."
___Also during the fall meeting, trustees passed a resolution endorsing the revised Baptist Faith & Message. Adoption of this revised faith statement and its use as an "instrument of doctrinal accountablity" in the SBC seminaries is a major cause of concern cited in the BGCT Seminary Study Committee report.
___Seminary trustees also approved the hiring of Ruth Wong as temporary non-Baptist personnel for the seminary's School of Church Music and Worship. Wong previously was interim director of music ministries at Foothills Presbyterian Church in San Jose, Calif.

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