September 18, 2000

Committee recommends open
arms to dually aligned churches
___By Marv Knox
___Editor
___The Baptist General Convention of Texas should keep its arms open wide to churches that also align with the competing Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, according to a recommendation from a study committee.
___The committee recommended inclusiveness in its report, which it presented to the BGCT Administrative Committee Sept. 7. Messengers to the BGCT annual session in Corpus Christi will consider the report Oct. 30-31.
___The BGCT has had to consider its relationship to dually aligned churches because of

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the 1998 formation of Southern Baptists of Texas. The new convention was created by churches frustrated because the BGCT has declined to follow the rightward path of the Southern Baptist Convention.
___The study initially was requested by the BGCT Church Starting Center, reported Dick Maples, the convention's executive associate. He presented the report on behalf of the study committee's chairman, Darold Morgan of Richardson.
___The Church Starting Center coordinates the BGCT's funding support for new churches, working with the sponsoring church or churches, as well as the local association of churches. Church starting consultants requested guidance in determining the BGCT's fair share of support when a church that is dually aligned with the BGCT and Southern Baptists of Texas sponsors a new congregation.
___"The committee determined there was more to this motion than just the Church Starting Center," Maples said.
___Officials with the Baptist General Association of Virginia, which also has been split by formation of a new convention, advised the Texans, "it's best to keep an open door" to departed or dually aligned churches, Maples added. "Time passes, and changes in pastoral leadership take place, and churches often want to come back" to the convention that helped birth them, he reported.
___In addition, some questions of dual alignment have nothing to do with politics and competing conventions, he said. For example, some African-American and ethnic congregations align with both the BGCT and an ethnic convention.
___These factors prompted the committee to recommend inclusiveness, Maples said.
___"The BGCT should strive to remain as inclusive as possible," the committee's report states. "Specifically, it is recommended that the BGCT continue to serve all churches that cooperate with it; ... the convention should provide services to all churches that are committed to the purposes of the BGCT and support it financially.
___The committee suggested six guidelines for relationships with dually aligned churches:
___ "Members of dually aligned churches (should) be invited to serve on BGCT boards, commissions and committees if the individuals have demonstrated personal commitment to the work of the BGCT and the churches in which they hold membership are cooperating with the BGCT."
___ The Church Starting Center's policy should guide participation with dually aligned churches that wish to partner with the BGCT in starting churches.
___That policy requires that each mission church started with the BGCT's help confirm it is a Baptist church that cooperates with the BGCT and pledge that it will contribute to the state convention's Cooperative Program budget and to the budget of an association affiliated with the BGCT.
___ The Baptist Church Loan Corporation, which may grant loans to new congregations sponsored by dually aligned churches, is governed by its own guidelines.
___ The BGCT should provide the same level of ministerial scholarships to students from dually aligned churches as it does to students from churches aligned only to the BGCT.
___ The BGCT should make retirement contributions to the SBC Annuity Board for ministers from dually aligned churches "in accordance with existing guidelines that require a certain level of giving to the BGCT Cooperative Program before pastors and staff ministers are eligible."
___ The BGCT should not have any other criteria for directing its relationships with dually aligned churches "beyond their meeting the definition of being cooperating churches that are committed to the purposes of the BGCT and support if financially."

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