November 25, 2002
North Carolina Baptists may remove a giving plan
___WINSTON-SALEM (ABP)--The Baptist State Convention of North Carolina will study the possibility of doing away with a giving option favored by moderates.
___Messengers to the Nov. 11-13 convention in Winston-Salem, N.C., authorized a study of "Plan C," one of four giving tracks available to the state's churches and the only one that includes funding for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, a moderate organization based in Atlanta.
___Tim Rogers, pastor of Victory Baptist Church in Seagrove, N.C., moved that the convention president appoint a special committee to study whether budget Plan C is consistent with the state convention's constitution.
___One of the several purpose statements in the constitution is to "to cooperate with the Southern Baptist Convention." Some interpret the phrase as meaning that the state body must work exclusively with the SBC and not with other national organizations like the CBF.
___Rogers said the giving option ought to be re-evaluated in light of a recent statement by CBF leaders declaring the group separate from the SBC in a bid for membership in the Baptist World Alliance.
___"I believe North Carolina Baptists are Southern Baptists," Rogers told the Winston-Salem Journal.
___The CBF received about $210,000 from the North Carolina convention through the first 10 months of 2002, compared to more than $9.6 million forwarded to the SBC through the other three giving plans.
___State convention President Jerry Pereira, a conservative who was elected unopposed to a second term, told reporters he supported having four giving plans and hoped moderates wouldn't see the study as a first step in forcing them out of the convention.
___"I think we've modeled cooperation," said Pereira, pastor of First Baptist Church of Swannanoa, N.C.
___In other business, conservative candidates were unopposed in elections for the state convention's top three offices. Bob Foy, a layman from Mooresville, won re-election as first vice president. David Horton, pastor of Gate City Baptist Church in Greensboro, was elected second vice president as the first unopposed non-incumbent for a convention office in at least 20 years.
___The elections mark the seventh year in the last eight that conservatives have controlled at least two of the top three offices. All three officers said they were willing to work with moderates.
Get printer-friendly version of this story
Send this story to a friend
News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.
Contents/ Masthead / Why We're Here / Links / Archive / E-mail us/ SUBSCRIBE!/ Signup for FirstLook