MESSENGERS prepare to cast ballots on one of the matters before the Baptist General Convention of Texas annual session.

Quest for reconciliation dominates miscellaneous business
___By Dan Martin
___Texas Baptist Communications
___CORPUS CHRISTI--During times of miscellaneous business, messengers to the Baptist General Convention of Texas annual session expressed continuing frustration over the inability to bring about reconciliation between the BGCT and the Southern Baptist Convention.
___A business session conducted the morning of Oct. 31 was characterized by lengthy wrangling over two motions related to ways to seek "unity and restoration of Christian love and trust between all parties."
___Two motions regarding reconciliation were among nine introduced the previous night, and another was brought to the floor for discussion during the miscellaneous business

ALAN LANE speaking for his motion on satellite convention sites.

session that morning.
___James Heffington Jr., a messenger from West Oaks Baptist Church of Bryan, proposed that leaders of the BGCT and SBC assemble for three days of fasting and prayer prior to the 2001 annual meeting of the SBC.
___Dave McFadden, pastor of First Baptist Church of Kerrville, wanted to create a mediation task force to employ a professional, non-Baptist Christian counselor to facilitate reconciliation between the parties.
___Heffington and McFadden each spoke to the content of their motions, but most of the discussion regarded whether to refer the suggestions to the BGCT Executive Board as suggested by the committee on order of business.
___Robert Prince, pastor of First Baptist Church of Vernon and chairman of the committee on order of business, moved that both motions be referred, explaining that the BGCT could speak only for itself and not for the SBC and that each motion created other difficulties that could not easily be worked out on the convention floor.
___Those strongly supporting the reconciliation motions opposed referring the matter to the BGCT Executive Board.
___"I think we should adopt this motion. I think this convention should vote," said Lewis Price of Mims Baptist Church of Conroe.
___"Motions to refer are just a ... delaying tactic," said David Rogers of First Baptist Church of Zapata. "Whether the SBC wants to cooperate or not, we ought to make the statement that we (the BGCT) favor reconciliation."
___Heffington's motion called for three days of fasting and prayer "in a common meeting between the executive boards, presidents and any other members of both the BGCT and the SBC."
___"I have seen peace committees, but no prayer committee," Heffington said. "God can do this. ... It is not too late to bring us together."
___Prince responded that both he and other members of the committee on order of business are interested in the restoration of unity, Christian love and trust. But the Executive Board, not the floor of the convention, is the place to "formulate a way to bring about dialogue with the SBC," he said.
___James Covey of Westwood Baptist Church in Tyler urged messengers to defeat the motion to refer and to "make a unilateral commitment to a time of prayer and fasting, no matter what the SBC does."
___Kenneth Taylor of First Baptist Church of Corpus Christi favored the motion to refer, noting that "prayer is a matter between the individual and God. We can encourage them to pray, but we cannot force or tell them to pray."
___The motion to refer Heffington's suggestion passed on a show of hands with only a scattering of opposition.
___McFadden's motion called for creation of a seven-person mediation task force, composed only of those who are "members of the 63 percent of Texas Baptist churches which have not given to the Cooperative Program with any special designation during the year 2000."
___Those who have chosen to continue to give according to a long-standing formula that divides funds between the SBC and BGCT have "been accused of hiding our heads in the sand," McFadden noted. "That is not true. We have chosen to trust our leaders."
___But since leaders of neither the BGCT nor the SBC have been able to reconcile, it's time to move to the next biblically prescribed stage of conflict resolution, he said. His motion called for employment of a professional mediator.
___"I challenge Texas Baptists to lead the way in making every effort" at reconciliation, he said.
___In moving to refer the motion to the BGCT Executive Board, Prince explained that the SBC in June rejected a similar motion to creation a reconciliation committee. SBC Executive Committee President Morris Chapman spoke strongly against the need for such an effort, Prince said.
___Bob Campbell, pastor of Westbury Baptist Church in Houston, spoke against McFadden's motion, saying it would restrict membership on the reconciliation task force to those who had given undesignated to the SBC. That is not proper, he said, because all Texas Baptists should be represented on such a committee.
___Ella Pritchard, a messenger from First Baptist Church of Corpus Christi, favored referral, saying Texas Baptists "have sought reconciliation for 21 years" and have been rebuffed by SBC leaders.
___"SBC leadership acted in bad faith by using Cooperative Program dollars to come to Texas and attempt to influence churches to vote," she said, referencing meetings and mailings coordinated by the SBC prior to the BGCT annual session. "They acted in bad faith when they broke a confidence" with BGCT Executive Director Charles Wade about a private meeting between the two groups, she added.

CARY CAIM, a student at the University of Texas at Arlington, speaks on behalf of Baptist Student Ministries during a reporting time at the convention. Waiting behind her is Kyle Preston of Texas Tech University. (BGCT photo)

___After Pritchard called for the question, the motion to refer was approved by a show of hands.
___Messengers were more closely divided on a motion by Alan Lane, pastor of Fort Graham Baptist Church of Whitney. He called for appointment of a committee to study holding the annual session at multiple locations each year. Lane has made similar motions in previous years.
___His intent, he said, is to increase participation.
___The committee on order of business moved to refer the matter to the BGCT Executive Board.
___Bobby Broyles, pastor of First Baptist Church of Earth, supported the referral, noting that while the folks of Earth "would like to host everyone at the local Dairy Queen," efforts to expand the number of locations have been found to be unfeasible.
___President Clyde Glazener ruled the vote on referral was very close, and he called for a ballot vote. It resulted in 1,633 votes to refer and 1,561 opposed.
___Messengers adopted four other motions:
___ Jack Goodman of First Baptist Church of Austin asked that the Executive Board be authorized to evaluate any petition for funding from organizations representing Christian mission or outreach activities where funding has been terminated by the SBC. He said he was motivated to make the motion because of the termination of a student minister in New Hampshire.
___ Bill Fowler of First Baptist Church of Pleasanton asked that the BGCT avoid meeting on Halloween because of "unique opportunities for witness and ministry."
___Prince said the convention already has signed contracts for a convention across Halloween in 2006, and that planners already must try to avoid having a meeting on election day.
___Despite a close vote, Glazener ruled that the motion passed.
___ Jim Lafferty of Battetown Baptist Church of Cameron asked the BGCT to send tape and printed versions of Wade's report to the convention to every church in the state.
___ John Ely of West Oaks Baptist Church of Bryan asked that the convention set aside a time at the 2001 annual session for prayer for the salvation of non-Christians and for revival.
___Another motion was referred to the Executive Board. Bob Fowler of South Main Baptist Church of Houston asked that the Executive Board study the possibility of participating with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Church Benefits Board or any other appropriate organization in providing retirement and/or financial security plans. His intent is not to change or end the BGCT's relationship with the SBC Annuity Board, he said, but to offer multiple choices to Texas churches.
___Also referred to the Executive Board as a motion by Bill Wright of First Baptist Church of Plains, asking the BGCT to study helping churches "in acquiring adequate health insurance for their staff."
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