March 26, 2001

TEXAS BAPTIST FORUM:
Agree on prayer
___Something we can agree on: I found it in "The Life that Prays" by Minette Drumwright. Amidst the causes we differ about, we can agree our lost world needs more intercessors--authentic ones in thought, word, deed.
___T.W. Hunt, in his cover words, says, "The reader realizes with deep conviction the desperate need for prayer in all sectors--prayers for Christians ... the unreached ... and those Christians being persecuted in isolation. Minette Drumwright is one of the most insightful

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teachers on prayer living today. ... I will never pray the same after reading her book."
___I pray I will never be the same. I need balanced reading, more of God's word and mission books, and less "mail." I need to spend more time in the undisputed cause of kingdom praying. In repentance, I want my home page to be God's throne room. I believe being "love on my knees" is the best thing I can do as one saved as a result of praying Baptists in churches, camps and colleges.
___O, God, help us do what we must. But help us to know you will never lead us to do anything that lessens our time with the Father in intimacy and intercession. Begin in me, I pray.
___ Lynn McMasters
___ Lubbock

Footwashing today
___Reading the other day about Jesus washing his disciples' feet reminded me of a group of folks commonly called foot-washing Baptists.
___A few years ago at a Baptist General Convention of Texas convention, there was a group of folks shining shoes for anyone wanting a shoeshine. Even their apparent leader, Milfred Minatrea, was shining shoes.
___I guess you could say these folks could be called "shoeshining Baptists" and have carried Jesus' example to another level. I sure got a good shoe shine.
___ Cliff Fields
___ Houston

Fresh air
___The commentary by Kenneth Hall, president of Buckner Baptist Benevolences, was a breath of fresh air (March 12). His support of the faith-based initiatives of President Bush is contrary to all other opinion and reporting I have read in the Standard.
___It has seemed to me for quite some time that too many officials for the BGCT have adopted a kneejerk reaction to anything labeled conservative or Southern Baptist. It's as though they must be against everything the Southern Baptist Convention or any conservative does.
___The idea that the First Amendment was written to create an unscalable wall of separation between church and state is false.
___The framers sought to prohibit the establishment of an official national religion, such as the Church of England.
___ Wallace M. Pippin
___ Grandview

Scary success
___Steve White's letter stated, "We do not fear an establishment of religion because there is not one shred of evidence in the last 150 years that anyone anywhere has ever wanted to do that" (March 12).
___Obviously, he has not heard or read about reconstructionism. It is insidious, so many may have not heard about it. It is pervasive, and its goal is to elect enough senators and representatives to do away with the Constitution.
___What's scary is that they have been met with at least some success so far.
___ Bill Damon
___ Richmond, Va.

Noble manner
___There was a sense of nobility in the manner Jim and Jerolyn Morrison handled their experience (March 19). It was a stand for right similar to Martin Luther's nailing the theses to the church door.
___It is interesting that the Lord picked such an articulate man to undergo such a trial by fire. They should have picked on a Moses, who was slow of speech, rather than an Isaiah, who could mount up with wings as eagles.
___I loved the manner in which he stated his case: "We have confused our careers with personal identity and our lives with income, only to miss God's daily presence." It was sheer anointing to explain the working of the Spirit among the Lord's people by stating, "The word of God allows tension to exist between the written word and the experienced word, the theology of the group and of the individual."
___Well said, faithful servant.
___ Dan Keeney
___ San Angelo

Grandfather profs
___I read with interest "Two Southwestern faculty holding out on signing faith statement" (March 12). I am among Southwestern Seminary graduates who have entertained dreams of teaching there--but that was long before the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message.
___My dream almost came true this January. The Southwestern satellite center in San Antonio needed an adjunct instructor to teach pastoral leadership, and I was invited.
___In order to know if adjunct faculty were required to sign the 2000 BF&M, I contacted a friend on the Fort Worth faculty. I knew he was teaching in San Antonio. He told me he had signed an earlier version of the BF&M but never had been asked to sign the 2000 document.
___When I received a contract, enclosed was a copy of the 2000 BF&M and a form for me to sign indicating my allegiance to its precepts. I sent it back, unsigned, and forfeited my chance to teach at Southwestern. I asked myself, "Why does one adjunct faculty member have to sign the document and another one has never been asked?"
___I had decided not to publicize the "inconsistency in policy" until I read the comments of Ken Hemphill in the article. He proclaimed, "All faculty--full-time and adjunct--are required to sign the faith statement and pledge to 'teach in accordance with and not contrary to it.' ... This requirement applies equally to new faculty, current faculty, adjunct faculty and retired faculty. ... Nobody is grandfathered."
___Well, it just isn't so.
___ Steven Smith
___ San Antonio

Spiritual warfare
___Kudos for your recent editorial on Mormonism (March 19). You did a fine job detailing their core doctrinal positions. They truly believe themselves to be the one true Church and plan on telling the world during the Olympics next year. This was a factor behind their church name-change announcement.
___We need to be reminded that Baptists still constitute a vast majority of new Mormon converts. This self-indictment should sound an alarm in our denomination. To help safeguard our flocks, we must instruct ourselves and our children in sound doctrine, but if we are serious in doing that, we need to examine our view of the Bible itself.
___No charge of bibliolatry has ever been levied at a Mormon. All Mormons believe that Jesus has authority over the Bible, thus they reduce and impugn all passages that contradict their doctrine. The Pauline epistles especially suffer. Mormons clearly preach another Jesus, but unless Christians affirm the inerrancy and authority of Scripture, revelatory to the person of Jesus Christ, we have no basis for reproof.
___Spiritual warfare is real. It is especially difficult when family members are involved. I love my older sister, a devoted Mormon for 36 years, and the spiritual chasm that separates us is very painful.
___Let's remember our armor. Ephesians 6:17 reveals our lone offensive weapon--the sword of the Spirit, the word of God. The dulling of that sword must be avoided if we are to be effective. It alone testifies of the true Jesus.
___ David Sparks
___ Lewisville

No fit
___Where do I fit in?
___I am not moderate in theology.
___Anyone who wants to evaluate my beliefs should judge them by the standard of Scripture. One would have to be more legalistic than the Pharisees to test my understanding of every word in the Bible. I accept the Baptist Faith & Message as an instrument of doctrinal accountability. Anyone who wants to evaluate my beliefs may use the BF&M as a guide. It is an imperfect instrument, as are all man-made documents, but it makes doctrinal accountability possible.
___I am not fundamental in politics.
___When signing the Bible is unacceptable, when Christians must sign the Baptist Faith & Message to hold a position, it appears that "an instrument" has replaced "the standard." The 1925 and 1963 statements were not creeds. The 2000 statement too often functions as one.
___Where do I fit in?
___I am too conservative theologically to be a fundamentalist politically.
___ Name withheld

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