September 16, 2002
SBTC has more than it can spend
___By Mark Wingfield
___Managing Editor
___The Southern Baptists of Texas Convention is receiving more money than it can spend on in-state ministries, the convention's treasurer told board members.
___Chief Financial Officer Joe Davis projects a $2.8 million in-state surplus for this year, on top of $2.4 million already being held in reserve from previous years' overages.
___Some of that money will be used to erect a headquarters building for the convention in Grapevine. The convention has a policy of building only on a cash basis.
___Also, rebuffed by human welfare and mission agencies affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas, the SBTC's governing board voted July 30 to create its own departments for human care and family ministries as well as mission services.
___According to a report in the convention's Aug. 15 newspaper, human welfare and missions work will include foster care, adoption services, crisis pregnancy centers, assisted-living centers and counseling services. Mission services, the article said, will include volunteer church builders, disaster relief, men's fellowships and prison ministry.
___SBTC officials previously attempted to negotiate "formal fraternal relationships" with human welfare and missions agencies of the BGCT. However, none of the BGCT agencies expressed interest in aligning with the rival state convention, which would have demanded the agencies sign a document of strict theological parameters.
___The battle has been especially intense for Texas Baptist Men, the BGCT-affiliated and -funded ministry of volunteer disaster relief workers, church builders and community ministers.
___The SBTC newspaper acknowledged these conversations in its report on creating the new departments: "Previous discussions with representatives of existing Texas Baptist ministries to families and mission volunteers failed to generate a satisfactory working relationship, necessitating a response by SBTC to requests of member churches."
___To this point, the SBTC has forwarded designated church contributions to BGCT agencies and institutions. However, the new convention has announced its intention to no longer allow such pass-through contributions to entities that do not sign a doctrinal agreement with the SBTC.
___The date for disallowing these pass-through funds has been pushed back twice, however. The first cutoff date was Jan. 1, then was moved to Oct. 20. Now it has been reset to Dec. 31, 2003.
___Unlike the BGCT, the SBTC purposely has no agencies or institutions. Apart from the Southern Baptist Convention, it provides financial support to only one affiliated entity, Criswell College in Dallas.
___The BGCT, in comparison, devotes more than half its in-state budget to support a wide array of universities and schools, child and family services, and health-care ministries.
___With fewer Texas ministries, the SBTC devotes a larger percentage of its Cooperative Program income to the SBC. Currently, 51 percent of undesignated gifts are passed on to the SBC. That will increase to 52 percent next year.
___Meanwhile, millions of dollars sent to the SBTC for use in Texas are going unspent this year. The newspaper reported that income for in-state use exceeds spending by $200,000 per month. These excess funds are placed in reserve through investments with the Southern Baptist Foundation in Nashville, Davis reported.
___In other action, the SBTC board voted to:
___Give its Paul Pressler Distinguished Service Award to Richard Land, president of the SBC Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission.
___
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