August 28, 2000

Texas Baptist Forum
Fight gambling
___As chairman of Texans Against Gambling Educational Foundation, I'd like to commend Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Director Charles Wade's recent column encouraging Texans to reconsider our state's reliance on lottery as a method of financing Texas government (July 31).

E-mail the editor at marvknox@baptiststandard.com

___His column underscored a point made by casino owner Steve Wynn on a recent History Channel special, "Gambling in America." According to Wynn, the watershed event leading to the explosive growth of the gambling industry in the United States was the approval of state lotteries. More than any other factor, it was the lottery that opened the floodgates for public approval of other forms of gambling.
___The BGCT is our organization's largest donor and most ardent supporter. We are grateful for the prayers, encouragement, leadership and support
Texas Baptists provide in the fight against gambling.
___Standing for morality can be a long, lonely, discouraging fight. I shudder to think of what Texas would be today if the BGCT-- and particularly the Christian Life Commission--were not shouldering that burden.
___Many thousands of Texans of all faiths look with gratitude to the BGCT for your exemplary leadership on moral issues. I count myself among their number.
___ Rodger C. Weems, Minister
___ Graham St. Church of Christ
___ Stephenville

Too great a price
___Thank you for the article on Shelda Hoffman's conference on "Understanding the Challenge of Awana" (Aug. 14).
___As a 50-year veteran of ministry in Southern Baptist Convention churches and agencies and as the recipient of excellent missions education through RAs, I have great concern about the decline of missions education in our SBC churches. I am especially concerned that Awana has potential for draining time and leadership resources that otherwise might be dedicated to missions education for preschoolers and children.
___Hoffman's questions related to a philosophy of education for children's programs are right on target. Her suggestion that churches think seriously about how much they want to emphasize the use of extrinsic rewards is urgent.
___Substituting Awana for missions education is too great a price to pay. Finding ways to incorporate missions activities into already established Awana programs is a worthy challenge.
___ C. Ferris Jordan
___ Baton Rouge, La.

'Anti-SBC' spirit
___I read with interest the statement by Morris Chapman that he felt there was an "anti-SBC" spirit in Texas (Aug. 7).
___He should know well about that "anti-SBC" spirit in Texas, since he helped to create it 20 years ago. He and his friends undermined the trust our churches had in a very vibrant and effective SBC and her leaders. Through innuendoes, half-truths and lies, the cooperative spirit of the SBC and her Cooperative Program was destroyed.
___These "anti-SBC" people cast aspersions on the leaders of that time and offered themselves as the answer to the problem. Now they are seeking to force the voluntary cooperation they themselves worked to destroy 20 years ago.
___He, of all people, should know that Baptist polity works from the ground up, not the top down.
___The power of the SBC resides in the churches, not in the Executive Committee or its executive secretary/treasurer. And the power of the churches comes from the people in the pews. Baptist folks have never looked kindly on a Baptist Vatican issuing orders to the churches and their pastors.
___To threaten the Baptists in Texas by saying that the Executive Committee in Nashville is going to find a way to come into Texas to collect money for the Cooperative Program violates the voluntary principle that stands firmly at the heart of Baptist life and relationships. Morris Chapman should be ruled out of order for inserting himself into BGCT affairs.
___ Phil Lineberger
___ Sugar Land

Us vs. them
___I beg to differ with Bryce Green's letter (Aug. 7) accusing moderates of "whining" and "moaning," as well as being "anti-creedal," "boring," "tired," and, of course, "duplicitous."
___One can see by these derogatory terms used against fellow believers that Green is not interested in solving this monumental problem in a productive way. He is only interested in playing the "us vs. them" game for all it's worth.
___The disturbing thing about his letter, though, is his use of a subtle logic trick.
___He says moderates are hypocrites because they preach the priesthood of the believer but then reject that doctrine for the other "12,000 competent Baptist souls" who voted for the new Baptist Faith & Message. First, since when does might make right? Sheer numbers mean nothing.
___Such logical fallacies aside, his argument misses a crucial point. Since when is "priesthood of the believer" the equivalent to "freedom to have an opinion"? Moderates are not trying to strip others of their right to any "priesthood of the believer." In fact, this doctrine refers only to how we approach God, and not how we approach or amend a denominational confessional. That is to say, unless we are worshipping the denominational confessional instead of God.
___ James Moore
___ Houston

Double reply
___I am a former Texas Baptist pastor who married a native Texan and has three native Texans as children. Also, I am a former Home Mission Board field staffer. I am neither a fan nor an outright critic of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship or either side of the political persuasion.
___In regard to Bill English's statements (Aug. 14), it might be a good idea for someone to tell him that he should not believe everything he reads. A little investigation might cause him to discover that Paul Pressler may not have all of his facts in order.
___And in regard to the threat from Prestonwood Baptist Church (Aug. 7), I am aware that a church gives more than money in its association in a state convention, but if all Prestonwood gives to the Cooperative Program through the BGCT is $6,000, then I would invite them to hit the road.
___I have the privilege of pastoring a wonderful church in the north Atlanta metro area, and annually we nearly give that much, and we are much smaller than Prestonwood.
___ Michael H. Reynolds
___ Lawrenceville, Ga.

Great return
___Surely I misread the article that Prestonwood Baptist Church is considering leaving the BGCT (Aug. 7).
___Where else could they get seven members on boards and agencies for only $6,000? It sounds like a great return on very little investment.
___ Mike Milburn
___ Burleson

Church Alzheimer's
___Alzheimer's disease is a form of senile dementia--memory loss. Have we developed church Alzheimer's? We have gone from most churches growing to most churches plateaued or declining.
___Have we forgotten the purpose of the New Testament church? Jesus gave us an example of Christian lifestyle and leadership with the pastor as a servant-leader involving other ministers and the laity in seeking God's guidance for the church. Many pastors have drifted to the CEO--boss-- leadership, ignoring the style of Jesus.
___We have drifted from the church functioning as a year-round ministry to paralleling the school system. Children are available for mission studies, music activities and Bible study in the summertime. We close the doors at every holiday and cancel services. Is this what Jesus would do?
___We entertained our youth instead of discipling them. We forgot the "Five F's" of the Sunday School: Find 'em (survey), Fetch 'em (visitation), Feed 'em (enroll in Bible study), Fold 'em (lead to Christ) and Fleece 'em (stewardship of life and tithe).
___We quit the weekly discipleship ministry, and churches need good Christian leaders. We have thrust out the Woman's Missionary Union and Brotherhood ministries. We have made committees into boards.
___I have used "we" because we all are in this situation together. There should be no finger-pointing. We need to regain our focus of growing Bible-believing churches.
___ James A. Griffin
___ Kilgore

Prestonwood giving record shocking
___ I'm shocked! Prestonwood Baptist Church has more than 10,000 people attending each week, takes in multiple millions of dollars a year and gives $6,000 to the BGCT Cooperative Program.
___ Paige Patterson recently praised those churches that have left the SBC for their integrity in leaving an organization that they can no longer support. Prestonwood should show the same kind of integrity. Instead of threatening the BGCT, they should exercise the same level of integrity and leave.
___ The BGCT should have the integrity to thank them for their support in the past and wish them well in the future.
___ Maybe some other SBC leaders could learn from this example.
___ R. Lee Saunders
___ Sugar Land

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