July 9, 2001

BP story inaccurate about Texas funds for seminaries
___By Marv Knox & Mark Wingfield
___Editor & Managing Editor
___A July 3 story issued by Baptist Press, the public relations arm of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, misrepresented the process by which the Baptist General Convention of Texas sends funds to the six SBC seminaries.
___The lead of the story, written by BP staffer Todd Starnes, states: "Texas Baptist churches who give money through the Baptist General Convention of Texas' 2001 Adopted Budget will no longer be able to forward money to Southern Baptist seminaries now that a BGCT-initiated funding cap has been imposed."
___Starnes attributed that statement to Jack Wilkerson, vice president for business and finance with the SBC Executive Committee.
___The statement and the overall tone of the story are factually inaccurate, according to Roger Hall, BGCT treasurer and chief financial officer.
___"The article tends to misrepresent the giving possibilities by any Texas Baptist church through the BGCT," Hall explained. "Our policy has been and is that a church may send funds through the BGCT, and we will forward them to Baptist causes as a church directs.
___"The article implies that churches may only contribute through the adopted plan or cannot give to the SBC seminaries through other plans. This certainly is not factual."
___According to action taken by the BGCT in annual session last October and by the BGCT Administrative Committee in December, no Texas church will be denied the ability to contribute to SBC causes as they desire.
___The Adopted Budget of the BGCT, which currently is presented to churches as one of three funding options, does limit funding of the six SBC seminaries in order to provide greater funding for three BGCT-related theological schools. The policy adopted by BGCT messengers last fall states that after a total of $1 million has been given to the six SBC schools through the BGCT, no additional funding for the SBC schools will be given through the Adopted Budget.
___However, that does not preclude designated gifts or church-directed gifts through one of the other BGCT Cooperative Program plans.
___Hall noted the Baptist Press story continues a pattern of misrepresenting the BGCT's support for SBC causes.
___"Once again, the significant efforts of Texas Baptist churches supporting Cooperative Program missions through the SBC have been criticized unjustly," he noted.
___"Wouldn't it be nice to hear from some of these SBC sources: 'Thanks, Texas Baptists, for your $9.3 million of Cooperative Program support for the first six months of 2001. Thanks, Texas Baptists, for over $1.6 million of those CP dollars going to the SBC seminaries. Thanks, Texas Baptists, for your $11.4 million of Lottie Moon Offering contributions (for international missions) this six months. Thanks, Texas Baptists, for your $4.3 million of Annie Armstrong Offering contributions (for North American missions) in the first half of 2001. And thanks, Texas Baptists, for your total missions giving of $26.6 million through the SBC this first six months of 2000. We are so grateful.'
___"'Thanks' must be hard to spell today."
___Hall stressed that the BGCT would maintain its high standards, no matter how it is treated by the SBC.
___"Texas Baptists will continue to give to the Cooperative Program this year, not because of these unfortunate comments from Baptist Press, but because it is the right thing to do," Hall said. "I am proud of our Baptist family in Texas for their faithfulness."

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