RE: Editorial: The Cooperative Program was never sufficient

I fail to appreciate your editorial on the Cooperative Program offering. I am a retired International Mission Board missionary who was and am grateful for the part the CP has in keeping the ongoing thousands of missionaries in their “adopted” countries.

Will you be gracious enough to let your readers know what dollar figure the CP provided IMB missionaries as late as last year enabling them to remain in their respective countries?

Bettye Ann McQueen
Shreveport, La.

Thank you for following the Lord and serving as a missionary.

Thank you, also, for your response and your question. The answer is more complex than we would like, however.

The fiscal year for all Southern Baptist Convention entities, except seminaries and GuideStone, runs October 1 through September 30. The annual report prepared for the 2023 SBC annual meeting shows the following numbers for fiscal year 2021-2022.

The SBC Cooperative Program Allocation Budget reported a total distribution of $200,452,609 to SBC entities during the 2021-2022 fiscal year. The lion’s share went to the International Mission Board—$100,420,424 (p. 120).

The SBC Executive Committee report shows Lottie Moon Christmas Offering receipts of $137,346,386 during fiscal year 2021-2022 (p. 121). The IMB’s report shows total Lottie Moon receipts—restricted and unrestricted—of $203,728,000 (p. 306). The reason for differing figures is unclear and may be due to our misunderstanding the report.

The IMB report also lists hunger and relief funds, endowments and other contributions as other sources of contributions, and investments, real estate sales and foundations as other sources of income.

At the end of 2022, the International Mission Board reported “more than 3,500 adults”—a number that has held steady since 2022—“along with their 2,850 children” serving full time “around the world” (p. 172).

The IMB reported $41,776,000 in “stateside supporting expenses”—such as IMB offices and personnel in Richmond, Va.—and $264,274,000 in “overseas programs expenses” (p. 307). Pages 307-308 provide a breakdown of both expense categories—stateside and overseas.

The IMB reported total 2022 expenses of $306,050,000 (p. 307, 308). This means if the IMB only had the 2021-2022 Cooperative Program funds of $100,420,424 allocated to it, the IMB would have been short at least $200,000,000—or the total amount of all 2021-2022 Cooperative Program receipts. Thus, the need for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and other sources of revenue to cover IMB expenses.

This is not to criticize IMB expenses. This is to acknowledge thousands of IMB missionaries and their children require more funding than the Cooperative Program covers.

The IMB may cover all costs associated with their missionaries, but they don’t and haven’t done it solely with Cooperative Program funds. As generous as Southern Baptists may be, IMB’s costs far outpace the Cooperative Program.

The IMB report thanks those who supported IMB missions through giving to the Cooperative Program and/or the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering (p. 172).

RE: Water ministry provides avenue for transformation

I am a field officer with Seed Effect Uganda, a partner organization with TBM: Texans on Mission, working to empower communities economically with a savings for life program and micro-enterprise loans.

Thanks for this wonderful story. It’s a great feeling to know it’s really impactful what we do with the communities we serve in this poverty-stricken rural part of northern Uganda. We’ll always do our best to bring the love of Jesus Christ to hard-to-reach areas and all over the world.

We work to instill, empower and culture an attitude of servant leadership, making disciples equipped for the work of the gospel.

Thanks for your generous contribution, because without you, we wouldn’t have got to where we are today and where we want to be tomorrow. God bless you.

Thanks also to TBM: Texans on Mission. We’re grateful how the blend is causing socio-economic transformation in our community that was hit disastrously by the 20 years of war and insurgency by Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army.

Stephen Lubangakene
Seedeffect Uganda

RE: Voices: School chaplain law sneaks in partisan ploy

The Baptist Standard proclaims they are “connecting God’s story and God’s people, but the article “Voices: School chaplain law sneaks in partisan ploy” does the exact opposite, using misinformation and opinion.

A vote for chaplains merely opens the door for school districts to create a policy for using chaplains. The bill only forces them to make a choice either to use chaplains or not.

Second, the idea of chaplains replacing counselors is based upon misinformation and is absurd. It came out of a rumor, because many school districts pay counselors out of the safety and security budget. If districts chose to hire chaplains as full-time employees, then chaplains would be paid from the same money pool, because all chaplains certified by the National School Chaplain Association earn several safety- and first-aid-related certifications and become first responders. However, if they chose to use them as full-time volunteers, it would not affect those budgets at all.

Chaplains are listeners and connectors. Rocky Malloy was clear in his interviews and written statements—and when I heard him speak—that chaplains are gap-fillers. They are a constant positive presence, making sure all students—regardless of color, race, gender, creed, orientation, etc.—are seen and heard and connected to the people who will help them feel supported.

One chaplain told me the administration asks her simply to walk around during lunch, so she has a presence. Proselytizing is never the aim and would not help her minister. She says her job is to be Jesus’ hands and feet to the students, staff and families represented by her district.

Those who signed the letter against chaplains moved before having all the facts and should ask themselves if their motives are pure. They should have directed their letters to Rocky Malloy, as God’s word directs all Christians to go to a brother in private. Sadly, they disobeyed God’s word and took matters into their own hands. They will be held accountable and should repent.

Joe Atinsky
Fulshear, Texas

RE: SBC presidential nominees

I’ve been through enough “move the SBC more to the right” campaigns then I could wish for. I remember sitting in Dr. Ray Summers New Testament class at Baylor, attending First Baptist Church in Waco with his daughters, and finding out how he ended up at Baylor with the seminary “purge” of 1958.

I graduated from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1976 following the retirement of Dr. Duke McCall and watched how Al Mohler ascended to the presidency there, only to watch him and other conservative men—such as Paige Patterson and Paul Pressler—swing the Southern Baptist Convention back to the right in the 1980s and ’90s, and cap off their campaign with the Baptist Faith and Message 2000.

We don’t need another “white knight” to lead us in a swing to the right because he and others think the SBC is getting too liberal. Do what those who formed the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship did and form your own group. What a great way to siphon off Cooperative Program funds to meet your own personal agenda.

I hope the messengers at the 2024 SBC annual meeting will thwart these folks again and not vote them into any positions of leadership. Deny them the platform they seek, and maybe they’ll go back into the woodwork.

Rev. Bob Gillchrest
San Diego, Calif.

RE: Opposition to SWBTS ads in Baptist Standard

It is difficult to read the excellent Baptist Standard articles and see ads for Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. I used to work at the seminary under the Adam Greenway administration, a time when SWBTS truly was attempting to mend the fractured relationship between the seminary and Texas Baptists.

As director of partnerships, reaching out to Baptist General Convention of Texas pastors became one of my chief roles, and I saw great progress happening.

I then saw firsthand the change in philosophy when David Dockery and O.S. Hawkins took over SWBTS. I was in the room when Hawkins cancelled the SWBTS Alumni Dinner in Waco in 2022, choosing to take a hit of thousands of dollars with the caterer for missing the cancellation deadline, while doubling down on the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention Alumni Dinner in Corpus Christi that year.

I asked Hawkins in that meeting if it was fair to say we no longer were interested in being the seminary for the 5,000-plus BGCT churches across Texas.

He responded that SWBTS would “run toward the ones who are running towards us, and that’s the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention.”

He went on to back up his words with incendiary posts on social media attacking Texas Baptists.

Since then, he’s been named chancellor of SWBTS and continues to wield heavy influence over Dockery and the seminary.

I am now gratefully a Texas Baptist pastor, and I have been forced to break my ties with SWBTS. I know the current administration there has strong disagreements with the BGCT in areas like women in ministry, Christian counseling, the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message, among others.

Though not long ago I heavily promoted the seminary in Fort Worth, I no longer can in good conscience recommend SWBTS, due to lack of confidence in the current administration.

The seminary administration has made their feelings about Texas Baptists clear, and I hope Texas Baptists no longer will allow them to advertise in the Baptist Standard or in any other Texas Baptist communication as though SWBTS is a viable option for BGCT church members to receive their theological training.

Sam Bunnell, Pastor
First Baptist Church of Henrietta, Texas

Baptist Standard Publishing Co. is an independent partner of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, relating by special agreement. As such, our ad space is available to those serving Baptist churches, ministries and institutions. We are glad for BGCT-affiliated organizations to advertise in the Baptist Standard. To purchase ad space in the Baptist Standard, contact Heather Davis at [email protected] or (214) 630-4571 ext. 1017.

RE: Editorial: Is religious liberty for Christians only?

I have a Ph.D. in American history, have been a history professor for 34 years and have been a Sunday school teacher at Southern Baptist churches for 33 years. I agree with your editorial and fear one of the greatest dangers to the Great Commission is the rise of Christian nationalism and its attack on true religious liberty. Christian nationalist ideas are as misguided as their view of history is slanted.

Having studied and taught about Puritanism for decades, Puritans did not tolerate any disagreement.

I joke in my classes that Puritan belief in religious freedom meant you were “free to adopt their views, free to leave or free to die.” Their most hated non-conformists were Quakers and Baptists. They forced them to leave, and some returning souls then were executed, though most did not return.

I also hate that people say America was a Christian nation at its founding in 1776. In fact, most—though not all—of the colonial leaders were deists. Since deists deny the divinity of Christ—one of the most basic beliefs of the church—I am not sure how they can say America was a Christian nation.

It took the work of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison—both deists—and the Virginia Baptists across seven years to get the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom adopted. Madison credited the Baptists—miles apart from the deists in their beliefs—with winning the victory.

Thank you for sharing a thoughtful editorial that reminds all of us of our religious heritage of fighting for religious freedom. I am afraid some Baptists have sold that birthright for a bowl of (political) stew.

Eddie Weller
Houston, Texas

America is suffering a pandemic of random mass shootings. An Iowa high school was just attacked, which further depicts America’s spiritual and moral dilemma. What are we to do?

Absent a moral and spiritual awakening and repentance, the trend is likely to continue. What do the political leaders propose? The most significant comment seems to come from Donald Trump, who said, “That’s just horrible, … but we have to get over it.”

Excuse me, sir. “Get over it?” Really? How insensitive, uncaring, callous can a person be? It seems unlikely Trump would be so cavalier if it were Baron or Baron’s school involved.

Awaken, America!

Awaken, independent Americans.

Pray tell, awaken, GOP.

This is not a man to elect as president, who dismisses this incident with, “Get over it.” Such callous disregard belies a cold darkened heart, unfeeling, uncaring about our concerns. Turn away from him, and let your disgust for him be known.

Let conservative America find a candidate worthy of support, one who has experienced our life, who shares our values and concerns, with ideas for how to address those concerns of:

• national security at home and abroad;
• strengthening the economy with a balanced budget, no deficit spending, reducing national debt and securing the Social Security pension program; and
• rebuilding our national infrastructure—such as the aging, collapsing highway system and overloaded air traffic control system.

These issues should be the focus of our conversations and of the upcoming debates among forward-thinking candidates.

Trump has no ideas for these real issues. He has put nothing forward. He is stuck in the mire of worthless and illegitimate complaints from the 2020 election. So, let’s get over Trump, turn away from him once and for all, ignore him and turn our attention to worthy candidates.

Maurice Harding
Mineola, Texas

Remember your ministers’ present and future

Church budgets for 2024 probably already are completed. If so, I hope churches will have remembered these are days of high inflation and will have adjusted their ministers’ salaries accordingly. That goes for all the ministerial staff and the other church employees, not just the person holding the top job.

Days in ministry sometimes know no end. Pay your ministers a living wage, and occasionally put a little something extra in the pot as well as a pat on the back. And that goes for others on the church payroll as well.

And while you are at it, review how your church budget supports your ministers’ retirement future. Make sure the budget, apart from the salary package for each minister or any other employee, contributes a portion to their retirement programs—usually the ones provided by Guidestone. And give the minister, church staffer or employee the opportunity to match from their salaries whatever the church provides. Further, make the amount the church provides a vested investment in their futures—not an amount they can take as salary.

The church then can rest easy in the knowledge they have done what they can to protect the financial future of those who have served them. Too many ministers have had to retire on Social Security alone, because short-sighted churches have failed to help them provide for their futures.

Toby Druin
Waxahachie, Texas

RE: Commentary: The choice still facing Texas Baptists

When Paul said, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation,” our faith and message had not yet been put to paper. However, our heritage of faith and practice already had begun.

Being more aware than most of the fields white for harvest, I am reminded hourly we cannot fulfill our Great Commission with tribal separations.

I, my chaplains and our volunteers in the Texas Panhandle are responsible for more than 16,000 men-in-white in Texas Department of Criminal Justice prisons and their spiritual transformation. Pastors are accountable for the same in their communities.

We need each other now more than ever to do this work. In the SBC, we have placed others in positions to serve this end. Their positions are to serve our churches and mission rather than our churches serving them.

These are challenging times. Now, we need each other to place a higher resolution on the Great Commission and inclusive discipleship. We need statesmen rather than politicians leading forward in the SBC.

I am perplexed by the call to arms for further exclusion of believers by Southern Baptist Convention leadership. I applaud Todd Still’s article and concur with our return to the only gospel.

I believe this vote taken by the few brazenly to discontinue fellowship needs to be recalled and votes be cast by the entire body of Southern Baptists, church by church. This exclusion is so serious and hurtful, and the whole world is watching. It’s just plain wrong.

It is my hope the many who have taken the mantle of love and grace would vote to rescind the baseless and shameful left foot of fellowship in favor of the right hand of fellowship, that, if possible, we Southern Baptists would be reconciled one to another.

W.F. Day, Chaplain III Region V Director’s Office
Plainview, Texas

RE: Commentary: Trump comments cross into Nazi territory

God has begun raising up messengers across America to warn of another Trump presidency. One would think every pastoral leader would be sounding the alarm regarding Trump.

Unfortunately, the three out of four CINOs—Christians in Name Only—are following in the behavioral footsteps of the Hebrew nation of biblical history. Time and again the Jewish nation would repent and be saved and blessed by God, only to fall back into sinful behavior and turn from God.

God’s people shouldn’t need Robert Jones or Russell Moore or the Baptist Standard to remind them God said in his holy word: “Those who justify the wicked are an abomination unto the Lord” (Proverbs 17:15).

If one defends, supports or even casts a vote in favor of Donald Trump, they are on dangerous ground with God—not my words, but God’s.

Real power comes from the power of the Holy Spirit, not political hate rhetoric or politicians or political parties. Praise the Lord for men like Jones and Moore.

J. Owens
Kensington, Ohio

Others who wished to remain anonymous communicated strong opposition to our publication of Robert Jones’ op-ed cited above. One is opposed to Jones. Another views such op-eds as divisive and a distraction from the gospel.

Typically, anonymous correspondence is not published, but since our readers are not of the same mind on all issues, I opted to represent those opposing views here.

Letter: A perspective on the Rapture

A dozen years ago, Harold Camping, an elderly Christian broadcaster, stirred up a small controversy. After 70 years of studying End Times passages from Scripture and looking at the state of the world, he claimed God revealed to him the Rapture was near. He even named the date.

Given his prominence in broadcasting, his prediction did not go unnoticed. He became fodder for late-night comedians. He also caused a good deal of anxiety for believers, at least those unaware of Mark 13:32.

The fateful day came … and went. Camping awoke to find himself and his followers still here on Earth. To his credit, he apologized for his false prediction. A few months later, he died.

What if he was right, though? What if Jesus did rapture his church, but so few Americans qualified that we just didn’t miss them?

It strikes me that all those I’ve heard, read or seen predicting the Rapture assume they’ll be among those taken. Perhaps that’s a false assumption. Jesus did not say, “Let the well-fed Americans come to me,” or “the properly instructed evangelicals,” or anything remotely like that.

He said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Matthew 19:14).

If Jesus started rapturing people today, who would he take? My bet would be on infants and children used as human shields or blown apart by missiles and bombs, children in war zones, hungry children, abandoned children.

I don’t believe most of us would be handed “Get-Out-of-Jail-Free” cards. He’d leave us here, perhaps with the hope we’d finally live out our creed and build a world that, like him, puts children first. Come to think of it, nothing’s stopping us from doing that right now.

John Cunyus
Dallas, Texas

RE: Evangelicals see Israel-Hamas war in light of End Times

With Jesus’ birth, God fulfilled prophecies and revealed his end game. Who is ready for the next chapter in God’s plan to bring believers back into a new heavenly kingdom on Earth?

There are many who are not paying attention to the prophesies. There are so many studies out there on the Rapture, the End Times and the Tribulation. They don’t all agree on every element, but if you take a moment to see what is coming, it is evident we are experiencing some of those “birth pains” talked about in Matthew 24 and Mark 13.

If we are reborn Christians, we are blessed with grace that covers our transgressions, but that does not necessarily afford us the greeting, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21, 23).

Jesus told us to “keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour” (Matthew 25:13).

There is a judgement coming. The white thrown judgment will come to the world (Revelation 20:11-15). As a believer, you will not be there, but you will be judged or rewarded according to your deeds and knowledge.

I feel we also will be judged on how we treated Israel as a nation. No matter how many times Israel has turned their back on God, they still are God’s chosen people. Some feel the 144,000 Jews mentioned in Revelation 14 are converted Jews who witness to the world left behind.

God is a just being. God has loved the Israelites since Abram. God is going to give his people a place in his kingdom. He will give believers a place in his kingdom, too.

D. Scozzari
Houston, Texas

RE: Voices: Abortion: Will we resolve the age-old debate?

I disagree strongly with a recent Voices article about abortion. My aim is not the person who wrote the opinion article, but is the faulty reasoning of the argument posed.

It is a lie to claim that one is pro-life and also say one wishes the government would stay out of it. That is equivalent to a German in the Holocaust saying: “Personally, I am against killing Jews, but I think the government should stay silent about doing it, because antisemitism has been controversial since ancient days. The government should move on to more important matters like the economy.”

It also would be like Americans in days of slavery or later under Jim Crow saying they are against lynchings, but they believe the government should stay out of it and leave that up to slave owners or the KKK.

When you believe abortion is really murder and insist on legislation against it to save human lives, you are pro-life. Being pro-life may certainly include more, but it never includes less.

Kevin Mitchell
Pecos, Texas