February 25, 2002
Missourians urged to 'repent' and 'be restored'
___JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.--Those who are upset with the Missouri Baptist Convention should "prayerfully repent and lovingly be restored," according to the president of the state convention that has been taken over by fundamentalist leaders in the last three years.
___"Rather than creating dissension in our state," those threatening to form a new state convention in Missouri should be reconciled to the new leadership of the Missouri Baptist Convention, explained President Bob Curtis, pastor of Ballwin Baptist Church in Ballwin.
___Curtis and other Missouri Baptist Convention leaders spoke Feb. 4 in response to a statement by Southern Baptist Convention official Morris Chapman, in which Chapman said the SBC would not accept mission contributions from a new convention in Missouri.
___"There is no need for another state convention," Curtis asserted. "I would encourage those who would seek to hurt the Missouri Baptist Convention to prayerfully repent and lovingly be restored to our state convention so that we can work together to reach people for Christ rather than creating dissension in our state."
___Curtis said comparing the formation of a new convention in Missouri to creation of new state conventions in Texas and Virginia is "apples to oranges."
___"In the case of Virginia and Texas, they as state conventions began moving away from support of the SBC, leaving conservatives no choice but to support the new funding mechanisms or begin their own convention," Curtis said.
___But the Missouri Baptist Convention has remained loyal to the SBC, meaning Missouri does not need another avenue for churches to support the SBC, Curtis explained.
___"Competing state conventions will only cause further strife within our associations and churches," said Curtis, who was elected as a candidate of Project 1000, the political group that worked a three-year plan to gain control of the historic state convention.
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