March 3, 2003
TEXAS BAPTIST FORUM:
Church goes vrroooom
___The Church in the Wind, a mission of Mobberly Baptist Church in Longview, began in 2001 with an annual average attendance of six. After moving to White Oak in 2002, attendance is now over 100.
___Pastor C.C. Larry Gower preaches that the real church ministries are outside of the building at motorcycle rallies, where thousands gather on weekends. New believers a
re reported almost every Friday at the main worship and praise services.
___Finances come from the mother church and from the Baptist General Convention of Texas, Gregg Baptist Association and about 30 percent from members themselves.
___The church is thankful for the assistance and encouragement from these three groups. Ten percent of receipts is given to missions through the BGCT and Gregg Association.
___This month, the Church in the Wind is moving from a 100-seat room to a 300-seat auditorium in a storefront building. The Lord alone is still saving souls in Gregg Association.
___
Gilbert Thornton
___
Longview
CLC speaks to, not for
___In his letter about the BGCT Christian Life Commission and the death penalty (Feb. 17), Dale Osteen misses the mark.
___The CLC is not supposed to "represent our beliefs"; it is to speak to Texas Baptists, not for Texas Baptists. The CLC called for a moratorium on the death penalty, not abolishment, partly because there is evidence that in some cases innocent people are being executed by the state of Texas while the guilty parties in those cases are free.
___Furthermore, we Christians do not begin with Joshua or Exodus. We start with Jesus Christ in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. In Jesus, God became flesh, the fullest revelation of God that we have; we Christians are to have our lives and perspectives formed by him. He becomes the lens through which we read the rest of the Bible and the rest of life. Jesus calls us to become part of a new community, the church, which is not to reflect the perspectives of the wider community, the world, but is to reflect Christ.
___The CLC speaks to Texas Baptists, reminding us that we are to speak to the state of Texas.
___We know Jesus was an innocent man unjustly executed on a cross. Perhaps the least we can do is ask the state of Texas to hold off on executing more people until there is greater assurance that those accused are indeed guilty.
___
Kyle Childress
___
Nacogdoches
Speak for self, not others
___I respect the right of Dale Osteen to formulate and to share his opinion. However, he would have been wiser to use the singular pronouns "my" and "I," rather than the plural pronouns "our" and "we."
___The "Baptist wars" of the past quarter century have been unnecessarily brutal and prolonged because some have assumed that because a particular view prevailed within a relatively small sampling of people, then that same view must prevail within a much larger community. Let's try to speak only for ourselves and allow others to do likewise.
___Incidentally, I am one Texas Baptist who appreciates both the women and men of the CLC and have never been embarrassed by any of them.
___
Olin F. Davis
___
Fort Worth
Missionaries betrayed
___Our international missionaries are being betrayed by Southern Baptist Convention and International Mission Board leadership just as our Lord Jesus Christ was by Judas. It is evident the devil is alive, well and having a field day over how the IMB leaders are attacking the SBC missionaries who will not affirm the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message.
___The Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 16:17-18: "I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people."
___Evidently the IMB leaders believe the divisions they are a party to are of God, but the result is that this pharisaical attitude is driving a wedge between many Baptists all through the SBC churches and destroying the once wonderful fellowship experienced by the members of these churches. Do you wonder what Jesus would say if he were physically here today?
___These leaders need to fall before God in repentance and forgiveness before it is too late to repair the damage being done by these man-made creeds.
___May God have mercy on their souls. Perhaps reading Jude 1:4-6 will open their eyes to the damage they are causing and the fact that Judgment Day is coming!
___
Mary G. Richardson
___
San Antonio
Stand in gap
___I was greatly saddened and angered when I read the Southern Baptist Convention's Executive Committee has voted to cut its support of the Baptist World Alliance by $125,000 (Feb. 24).
___This is another organization they cannot control, so they are taking their bat and going home.
___The BWA is the one organization that unites all Baptists worldwide in fellowship, service and ministry. It can sometimes go where no other Baptist organization is allowed to go.
___Having served in West Africa for 11 years, I saw firsthand the importance of the BWA to Baptists in that part of the world. BWA staff members are some of God's finest people.
___The worst aspect of the SBC's action is the reason given for the cutback. They don't like the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, so they are going to punish an organization of Baptists comprised of 200 Baptist unions and conventions and 45 million baptized believers in 193,000 churches. God help them.
___I pray that true Baptists will step up and stand in the gap and uphold and support the Baptist World Alliance in the days to come.
___
Frank Dudley
___
Harlingen
Maintain standards
___The issue behind the SBC's decision to separate from the Baptist World Alliance as you state is incorrect. You said: "The issue ... isn't whether you like the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship or agree with all its participating churches. The issue is whether the SBC should exert its stern will upon a worldwide organization comprised of autonomous Baptist bodies. ..."
___The issue is one of maintaining biblical standards put forth by the Lord Jesus Christ for moral living and doctrinal purity.
___As an organization that places a great deal of emphasis on autonomity, I am glad we exercised ours as Southern Baptists to align ourselves with the commands of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as recorded in Scripture rather than with people who seem to constantly struggle with clear issues and doctrines that are addressed in the Bible.
___I respect your right and any other individual's or organization's right to continue to struggle with the issues that are clearly defined as true in the Bible or that are condemned, but I will continue to participate with those who desire to proclaim the truth of God's word to those who walk in darkness.
___As Jesus said, "The truth shall make you free," so I will offer those who are hurting and those who are enslaved to sin the truth that God loves them and has given them his truth for a life of joy and meaning and purpose.
___
Chris Mason
___
Kansas City
Nobody left
___The SBC Executive Committee voted to delete about 30 percent of SBC funding for the BWA next year.
___In sharp contrast, the preamble to the 1905 BWA constitution notes: "The time has come when it seems fitting more fully to manifest the essential oneness in the Lord Jesus Christ, as their God and Savior, of the churches of the Baptist order and faith throughout the world, and to promote the spirit of fellowship, service and cooperation among them."
___Does this action mean the time has come for it to declare that, because of SBC superiority, "churches of the Baptist order and faith throughout the world" can no longer operate on equal terms and this action conveys an intention to promote a spirit of arrogance, disservice and non-cooperation among Baptists of the world? Of course, it does.
___This action is one more step in its 25-year efforts to lead the SBC to adopt a theology of purification by exclusion--to purify itself by separating from Baptist missionaries who refuse to sign a creed, editors who tell the truth, women who are ordained as pastors, a Baptist Joint Committee that believes in separation of church and state, seminary presidents who opt for academic freedom, ad infinitum.
___By the time the Executive Committee completes its self-appointed task of separating locally, regionally, nationally and internationally from everything and everybody who differs from its precise wishes, what will be left and who will care?
___
Charles W. Deweese
___
Nashville, Tenn.
Christian nation
___The pope, the archbishop of Canterbury, the World Council of Churches, the National Council of Churches and many Protestant denominations have said a pre-emptive war on Iraq would not be a "just" war. Who would have thought France was the "Christian nation"?
___
Robert Lopez Flynn
___
San Antonio
Portrait blasphemes
___It is quite easy to understand why Frank Bear was criticized for his portrait of George W. Bush, comprised of pictures of Jesus (Feb. 17).
___Blasphemy is defined as an act of disrespect toward God. In the least, Bear's work was offensive to many followers. It may have been offensive to many who support the president as well and possibly to the president himself.
___However, I am most disturbed that the Baptist Standard would publish this work. It clearly does not belong in the Standard.
___
Chuck Lewis
___
Cleburne
Images of Jesus
___I am horrified by your use of the Frank Bear portrayal of George Bush. Please! This sickens me beyond words.
___I've survived the infighting among Baptists, the hateful words tossed about like grenades. I'm still a Baptist.
___What I don't know is why you are promoting this horrible use of images of Jesus in this man who is set to kill people, theirs and ours, because Saddam Hussein tried to kill his daddy.
___
Gayle Ledbetter
___
Cleburne
Pick only one
___If Morris Chapman thinks so little of the Baptist General Convention of Texas--he wants churches to bypass the state convention in their giving (Feb. 17)--why does he not recommend to the SBC's Executive Committee that they refuse the $32.3 million the BGCT sends them?
___He has precedent to do so. He and the Executive Committee refused Cooperative Program funds from the authentic Baptist convention in Missouri because they do not like its authentic Baptist theological bent and can afford not to take its smaller amount of money.
___So, why do they continue to take money from the BGCT and the authentic convention in Virginia?
___They can't afford not to.
___Both Texas and Virginia churches have the choice of giving through the fundamentalist conventions the SBC Executive Committee prefers. But if they only accepted Cooperative Program funds from the fundamentalists, much of the money going to SBC causes would dry up.
___Chapman should restore integrity to his office. He should ask the Executive Committee to choose which convention in each state with which they will cooperate and refuse money sent from the others.
___It looks like the authentic conventions in Texas (BGCT), Missouri (Baptist General Convention of Missouri), and Virginia (Baptist General Association of Virginia) could certainly use the extra funds and quite definitely will be better stewards of the money.
___
Mark S. Johnson
___
Macon, Ga.
No more letters
___In his recent letter to all Texas Baptist churches, Morris Chapman continued to proselytize in many unethical ways. Further, in recent years, he has made misleading statements and/or misstatements of facts.
___This is un-Christlike, unbiblical and also unethical. Chapman obviously needs some seminary refresher courses in Christian ethics.
___Since he is unlikely to register for such courses, I propose that members from all Texas Baptist churches write him requesting that he not send any more materials/letters or other correspondence to them.
___
Robbie G. Davis
___
Mount Vernon
Budget destruction
___After reading of Morris Chapman's letter to churches suggesting that they might want to radically shift their contributions in favor of the SBC, I anxiously await my personal letter from him.
___It likely will suggest that since my church directs its Cooperative Program contributions through the BGCT, I should take 50 percent of my personal offerings and send it directly to the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention.
___That should get my church whipped into shape in short order.
___Budget-based destruction certainly appears to be the well-under-way plan of the SBC for the BGCT.
___
Bennett Willis
___
Lake Jackson
___What do you think? Submit letters for Texas Baptist Forum via e-mail to marvknox@baptiststandard.com or regular mail at Box 660267, Dallas 75266-0267. Letters must be no longer than 250 words. They may be edited to accommodate space.
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