November 11, 2002
BGCT motions approve code of conduct,
establish financinal condui' for former missionaries
___By Teresa Young
___Texas Baptist Communications
___WACO–Texas Baptists will develop a ministerial code of ethics and consider establishing a "financial conduit" to help former missionaries return to the field.
___ Those actions reflected the wishes of two of five motions presented during the Baptist General Convention of Texas annual session Nov. 11-12 in Waco.
___ Messengers also voted to produce material addressing the "historic, traditional and real Baptist understanding on religious liberty."
___ For the third consecutive year, they turned down a proposal to adopt the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message statement as the BGCT's guiding theological document. They referred a motion to drop "Baptist" from the name of Baptist Health System in San Antonio to the BGCT's Human Welfare Coordinating Board.
___ Joe Trull of First Baptist Church in Driftwood introduced the motion to appoint a committee that will write a code of ethics for Baptist ministers.
___ The idea for the code of ethics came about during a teaching exercise in which he found that no such code exists for Baptists, although almost every other denomination has one, said Trull, a former seminary Christian ethics professor.
___ No messengers sought to speak for or against the motion, and it passed overwhelmingly.
___ Nina Pinkston of Travis Avenue Baptist Church in Fort Worth proposed that the BGCT "explore the possibility to act as a financial conduit through which individuals or churches could contribute" to the on-field ministries of missionaries terminated by the Southern Baptist Convention's International Mission Board for refusing to affirm the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message statement.
___ A retired foreign missionary, Pinkston said she knows many missionaries who want to remain on their fields of service. Although they feel affirming the controversial faith statement would violate their consciences, they are struggling with issues such as annuity, health insurance and other financial obligations. She encouraged the BGCT to step in and help make their service possible.
___ Jim Nelson, chairman of the BGCT order of business committee, suggested the motion should be referred to the BGCT Administrative Committee because of financial issues, and the vote carried.
___ Greg Deering of University Baptist Church in Arlington, offered an amendment to expand the policy to include missionaries who already resigned due to differences with the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message. Because the motion had been referred, the information was forwarded to the Administrative Committee.
___ Early this year, the BGCT created a missionary transition fund to help with relocation, counseling and temporary support for missionaries who resign or are fired for refusing to affirm the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message. However, that fund explicitly does not provide for returning missionaries to the field.
___ Mark Newton of Baptist Temple in San Antonio suggested the BGCT ask its Christian Life Commission to develop and distribute materials that would clearly explain the Baptist understanding on religious liberty issues such as "separation of church and state, mandated school prayer, school tax vouchers and government-sponsored, faith-based initiatives."
___ "Our pastors and our churches need to understand where we're coming from as Baptists and where we should be going in the future," Newton explained. Hearing no opposition, messengers approved the motion overwhelmingly.
___ The only motion that drew discussion was presented by Phil Barton of First Baptist Church in Pottsboro. Barton proposed the BGCT adopt the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message, stating he believes the document is a "concise picture of what separates us as Baptists."
___ The BGCT defeated similar motions in 2000 and 2001, after the newest Baptist Faith & Message document was drafted and approved by the Southern Baptist Convention in 2000.
___ BGCT critics of the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message have said its wording establishes it as a creed for Baptists. They also have said it violates several basic Baptist beliefs, such as the supremacy of Christ over Scripture, the priesthood of the believer and the autonomy of the local church.
___ Mike Maness of First Baptist Church of Woodville opposed the motion, saying he felt the 1963 Baptist Faith & Message, reaffirmed in recent years by the BGCT, is "sufficient and conclusive."
___ Bill Osborne of Tallowood Baptist Church in Houston added, "A vote against this (motion) is a vote for the inerrancy of scripture and against the heresy of the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message."
___ Barton's motion gained only minimal support on a show-of-ballots vote.
___ Messengers approved referral of a motion by Vernon Garrett of South Main Baptist Church in Houston that would require "Baptist" to be removed from the Baptist Health System in San Antonio after its sale to the for-profit Vanguard Health Systems. Garrett agreed to a referral to the Human Welfare Coordinating Board since his concern already had been addressed in the sale contract.
___ Keith Bruce, coordinator of institutional ministries for the BGCT, explained that the current contract provided for a partnership in which the name "Baptist" would remain intact in return for continuation of chaplaincy, charity care and a ministry office.
___ "At any time the entity violates the contract or does something that goes against Baptist polity, we can immediately remove that name," Bruce explained. "We will be monitoring that closely." The motion to refer then carried upon vote of messengers.
___ In other business, messengers approved a first vote on a constitutional amendment that would allow BGCT institutions to elect 25 percent of their trustee boards. To take effect, the amendment must be approved again next year. This year's BGCT messengers ratified a resolution that will expedite the process after the second vote is taken at the 2003 BGCT annual session.
___ Steve Adell, speaking as a committee member of the group that proposed the amendment, explained the rationale behind the proposal.
___ "This issue of trustee selection has been around for years, and the missions of our institutions have expanded," he said. "This change speaks to that."
___ Adell used the situation of two Baptist universities--Wayland Baptist in Plainview and East Texas Baptist in Marshall--to illustrate the necessity for the change in rules. Wayland operates 12 campuses in five states and draws heavily from New Mexico for its student population, while ETBU draws heavily from Louisiana. The amendment would allow these schools to have representation on their governing boards from these border states as well as from supporters and alumni who may not now meet the criteria for board service, he said.
___ New trustees still would have to meet criteria of being Christians and active Baptists and of affirming the relationship of the institution to the BGCT, Adell said.
___ The proposal had been affirmed by the BGCT Christian Education Coordinating Board, Human Welfare Coordinating Board and the Executive Board.
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