I wouldn’t go so far as to call myself a “peacemaker,” but I did write an editorial about peacemaking last week referencing an earlier editorial I wrote about peacemaking. In light of those editorials, I should say that peacemaking sometimes … no, often involves saying hard things.
I have a hard thing to say. My hope is not to stir up a fight. We have enough of those. My hope is to generate more productive communication toward better relationships.
The hard thing: It feels like all some people want from us is our money.
I’m certain there were times my parents thought all I wanted from them was their money. Though that wasn’t true, I’m also certain my behavior—and maybe my attitude—supported such a view. So, it feels a little ironic to raise this issue here.
Even so, if I knew as a teenager and young adult what I know now, I might have made sure to communicate what I wanted wasn’t money but relationship. And, yes, sometimes I needed money.
As adults, sometimes we continue to send the message all we want is the money. Sometimes, we don’t intend to send that message. Sometimes, it’s exactly what we mean. Calling that out isn’t the problem, however. Not being clear and upfront about expectations and intent is.
The Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Board was presented with this situation during its May meeting.
Money to NAMB
Reporting on denominational developments, BGCT Executive Director Julio Guarneri told the Executive Board about his “interactions with denominational leaders” at the Southern Baptist Convention’s North American Mission Board.
“I have learned that NAMB will no longer fund any church starts of singly aligned BGCT churches in Texas. They will only fund churches in Texas who are affiliated with SBTC either singly or dually,” Guarneri said.
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“Now, the reason that they give me for doing so is because the BGCT has not adopted the Baptist Faith and Message 2000. Regardless of whether the sponsoring church or the church start, whether they adopt the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 or not, as long as BGCT doesn’t have it as our official [statement], they will not fund that,” he continued.
He then noted when BGCT churches in 2023 contributed $3.3 million to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering benefitting NAMB missionaries and an additional $2.2 million to NAMB through the Texas Baptist Cooperative Program, NAMB did not ask to what iteration of the Baptist Faith and Message the BGCT ascribes.
Guarneri rightly thought the BGCT Executive Board, as fiduciaries of BGCT resources, needed to know the situation, “not to be contentious or divisive,” but as part of providing all the needed information for resourcing singly aligned BGCT churches to plant other singly aligned BGCT churches.
Money from NAMB
I asked BGCT CFO Ward Hayes how much money NAMB sends the BGCT and for what purpose(s)? Additionally, what stipulations does NAMB put on those funds? Have those stipulations changed, and if so, when and how?
“In recent years, we have received $300,000 from NAMB, with $200,000 designated for evangelism and $100,000 designated for church starting,” Hayes wrote.
“NAMB has told us that these funds have no restrictions beyond those designations. However, we have only utilized the church starting funds in support of Texas Baptist church sponsors that have adopted the [Baptist Faith and Message 2000],” he continued.
According to the simple math—though the math in these kinds of arrangements is rarely as simple as it seems—NAMB returns 5.5 percent of what it receives from the BGCT. That 5.5 percent has “no restrictions beyond” evangelism and church starting.
I asked further questions of BGCT staff, the answers to which will be reported in a later update.
Talking about money
Hard things don’t have to be said harshly, though they so frequently are. Hard things don’t have to stir up fights but, my, how they do.
It’s a hard thing to say NAMB doesn’t seem to have a problem receiving $5.5 million from BGCT churches when NAMB does seem to have a problem giving money to those same churches to plant more BGCT churches. It may feel like the kind of thing a person says who’s itching for a fight.
It may also feel pugilistic for someone to say it looks like all NAMB wants from BGCT churches is our money. I do not say “our” because I am a BGCT staff member. I am not. I do not say “our” because the Baptist Standard speaks for BGCT staff. As an independent partner of the BGCT, we do not speak for BGCT staff and churches. I say “our” because I’m a member of a BGCT church who tithes faithfully.
If that’s not what NAMB intends to communicate, I’m certain BGCT churches are glad to have a productive conversation that can produce a better relationship, understanding partnership and communication is a two-way street. Being upfront and clear about expectations for receiving and disbursing funds is a necessary part of that conversation.
Resourcing the mission
I’m certain one of the expectations is that avenues for spreading the gospel are multiplied. Certainly, there is agreement between the BGCT and SBC on that, whether the two conventions ascribe to the same iteration of the Baptist Faith and Message or not.
Having at least that expectation in common, the BGCT and SBC ought to be able to determine how to work together most productively toward the end of multiplying the spread of the gospel—even if it means we change how money moves back and forth and how much money is exchanged.
Some will say such a conversation will be unnecessary if the Law Amendment is passed this June, which will exclude from the SBC those churches with women as pastors in any capacity, and if the SBC Cooperation Group recommendations are adopted.
Maybe so, but as Guarneri has said more than once, “There is too much lostness in the world for any one entity to think they can finish the task by themselves. We need to partner together.”
We partner best when everything’s laid out on the table.
Eric Black is the executive director, publisher and editor of the Baptist Standard. He can be reached at eric.black@baptiststandard.com. The views expressed in this opinion article are those of the author.
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