January 15, 2001
TEXAS BAPTIST FORUM:
Make a pledge
___Last year, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary President Ken Hemphill wrote an open letter to Texas Baptists, asking us to consider the consequences of sharply reduced funding of Southwestern by Texas Baptists.
___Whatever stripe of Baptist you happen to be, there is a simple mechanism by which you can greatly help Southwestern meet this mini-crisis--make a personal, direct pledge to Southwestern for 2001 on a monthly or quarterly basis. Indeed, do this for other institutions you love and support.
E-mail the editor at marvknox@baptiststandard.com
___It troubles us that Cooperative Baptists, Southern Baptists, Texas Baptists and any of the other 50-plus kinds of Baptists are unable to fund our conventions, missions, colleges and other worthy programs.
___Unfortunately, we have given our proxies to others for our kingdom-cause giving, whether it be for Judea (colleges, missions, seminaries in Texas), Samaria or the outermost parts of the world.
___Ask yourself why we should let people in Dallas, Nashville or elsewhere decide where our mission dollars, much less our tithes, are spent. As Baptists, this should be between ourselves and God.
___Whatever stripe of Baptist you are, you can do something simple, direct, baptistic and substantive about Southwestern's problem or that of any other Baptist institution you love: Make a check to them right now and through the rest of 2001.
___ David Smith
___ Galena Park
A house divided
___State and local area Baptist associations of churches have become the battleground for the heart, soul and cash of Baptist church theology.
___Associations were generally formed for a fellowship of churches and to propagate Christ's Great Commission. Some have said that this is Christ's No. 1 order.
___Associations must be alike in theology lest the family fellowship become a family feud and the wrong gospel propagated. An association is to cooperate with its member churches, serve its members and not attempt to be their executor. Theology is why we see churches leaving associations and associations leaving conventions.
___Theology was important to Christ; it must be to us.
___Abraham Lincoln wasn't the first to say, "A house divided against itself shall not stand." Jesus said it in Matthew 12:25.
___We witnessed a historical presidential election in 2000, but as churches, we are witnessing a greater divide in this country than Democrats or Republicans.
___Competing theology is an untenable relationship and affects one's service to God's great cause. Only by our church life, association life and daily life will we be able to emulate and magnify the words of John the Baptist in proclaiming, "Behold, the Lamb of God."
___This must be the single purpose of this bifurcated organization called a Baptist association of churches, and the director of such an association may be the "cheerleader" and pastor to the pastors only if the theological family is focused upon the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
___ Bob Berry
___ Huntsville
Taking sides
___Charles Wade, executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, wrote a column titled "May God help Texas Baptists to see who they are" (Jan. 1).
___Texas Baptist churches know who they are, however confused they may be about the so-called "doctrinal split" that occurred between the two conventions several years ago and has little to do with the Southern Baptist Convention's Baptist Faith & Message statement.
___"Churches resent labels--moderate and conservative Baptist." I have received correspondence from both the BGCT and the SBC, attempting to persuade churches to follow their doctrinal beliefs and channel support and offerings to them. This has caused many churches to become ashamed of their Baptist heritage.
___Wade's prayers for the "Texas churches" and his beliefs were indeed biblically written. However, many Baptist churches, not just in Texas, believe that the split between the BGCT and the SBC is politically motivated and refuse to take sides.
___I will personally and financially support my local Baptist association and the Mary Hill Davis Offering for Texas missions and Lottie Moon Offering for international missions.
___When the BGCT and SBC executive boards sit down together and put aside their differences and be as one in Christ, believing that he will heal their wounds and open the door for them to again work as a team--then and only then will I acknowledge that God is in charge of either convention.
___ Joe Hill
___ El Paso
Forgive hypocrisy
___While it may take awhile to do it, "traditional" Baptists should implore the Holy Spirit to forgive us of our hypocrisy, so we can assist him in snatching God's elect--the "whosoever wills"--from the very gates of hell.
___Perhaps the Holy Spirit would honor our dedication and permit us to lead the SBC again.
___Placing ourselves under the orchestration of the Holy Spirit would be a better course of action than refusing to fund the SBC seminaries.
___Why shouldn't we designate some of the Cooperative Program money to support BGCT seminaries?
___Obeying God will give us a greater quality of life than insisting on having it our way.
___ Stanley Earl Anderson
___ Abilene
Head northeast
___Your focus on the Northeast is much appreciated (Jan. 1). I have pastored in Pennsylvania for 17-plus years and have been thrilled by the opportunities here.
___I am a native of the Keystone State, but I already feel a strong connection to the Lone Star State. I am born of a Texan (Plano), married to a Texan (McKinney) and have Texans as my associate pastor (Richardson) and minister of music (Abilene).
___Come join the Lord in what he is doing here! We may not know how to drawl, but I think you will enjoy working with us.
___ Chuck Teague
___ Mechanicsburg, Pa.
Debt to society
___Regarding articles on capital punishment in Texas (Dec. 11), the governor did not put these people on Death Row. Neither did the district attorneys, judges and juries. They put themselves there.
___Most, if not all, of these people on Death Row cannot be rehabilitated.
___Our granddaughter, age 10, and her friend, age 7, were murdered at 3:30 p.m., July 21, 1992, in our daughter's home in Houston. The murderer ran free for 31 months, knowing he was the only suspect for these murders.
___This has changed my daughter and her family more than you can imagine. It is something for someone to lose a child that can never be replaced.
___I can think of nothing worse than a person having to spend eternity in hell.
___I pray that Chaplain Jim Brazzil can reach every one of these inmates and lead them to Christ. We pray for him and his ministry, which is not for everybody.
___Still, people have to be accountable to society for what they have done. They are only put to death after they have been tried, convicted and had numerous appeals in our justice system.
___It just turns me green for people who have no idea what they are talking about to blame the governor for putting them to death. They put themselves in this place.
___ Burnis Stokes
___ Shamrock
Learn from Babel
___For about 50 years, I have hesitated to refer to any part of the Old Testament that the gospel writers did not use in telling their story of Jesus, the Christ and Son of God. It might be that all else fades easily into oblivion when his Son's visit is studied.
___So, with that I say the SBC leaders and the men titans who have run it for 20 years could pick up a lesson from the Tower of Babel account in Genesis 11, which ironically is in their proclaimed inerrant Bible. Confusion infallibly promotes rightfulness.
___ Otis Patrick
___ Loveland, Colo.
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