Texas Baptist Forum

Credit where due

I neglected to give credit where it is due in my response when accepting the Greg Warner Lifetime Achievement Award from Associated Baptist Press (July 9).

Whatever I was able to achieve as a reporter and editorial writer occurred because I was given the freedom to do so by editors and boards of directors who also were serving Baptists and their Lord. I worked for three state paper editors—J. Marse Grant in North Carolina and John J. Hurt and Presnall H. Wood at the Baptist Standard—before I assumed the editorship and for Walker Knight at the Southern Baptist Home Mission Board. All were men of unflagging courage who just wanted to get the story into the hands of Baptists so they could act on it as they chose. The motto of all of us was "Trust the Lord, and tell the people." We had the solid backing of dozens of men and women who served on our boards of directors.

Also, in the 46 years I worked for Baptists, I served under three state executive directors—W. Perry Crouch in North Carolina and James H. Landes and William M. Pinson Jr. in Texas—who were openly committed to the editorial freedom enjoyed by their state papers and never once to my knowledge tried to influence news coverage or an editorial.

God bless them and raise up more like them.

Toby Druin

Waxahachie

Never sell Glorieta

Our family loves Glorieta, N.M. News reports indicate LifeWay Christian Resources intends to sell the property. Because this property is holy land, it never should be sold. This ground was and is dedicated to the cause of Christ and his cause alone.

All individuals involved with the management, scheduling and planning of Glorieta should be wise enough to resist any temptation to sell the property. All current efforts at and for Glorieta should be redirected toward reinstitution of the vibrancy of past programs and days.

Thousands of wonderful things have been done for Christ at Glorieta, and thousands more could and should be done.

Never, ever should Glorieta be sold for any price. To do so would dishonor the Lord.

Ed Johnson

Sunnyvale

Scouting standards

During the recent meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention, a number of concerned messengers visited the Association of Baptists for Scouting booth to ask if they had heard correctly the Boy Scouts of America were planning to loosen their standards regarding requirements for adult leaders. I am pleased to say this is not the case. The Boy Scouts of America remains committed to the moral and ethical standards that have been affirmed several times in SBC resolutions.

Scouting remains one of the finest evangelism, family ministry and religious education tools available for established churches as well as church plants. Scouts and their families involved in the religious emblems program often are reached for Christ, and it is not uncommon for youth participants to clarify their calling to vocational ministry.

While I am happy to report Scouting's commitment to the leadership standards, opponents to these policies are relentless and vocal. Unfortunately, the "silent majority" remains largely unheard. This is an opportune time to encourage churches and individuals to send a note of affirmation for the moral and ethical commitments to which Scouting has remained true for 102 years. The address is: Boy Scouts of America, P.O. Box 152079, Irving 75015-2079.

R. Chip Turner

Fort Worth

Leave 'HBU' alone

I want to go on record as being against Houston Baptist University possibly changing its name (June 11).

I was among less than 60 persons in the first graduating class at HBU in May 1967. We were all aware we were not all Baptists but were all welcomed and received an outstanding education.

We knew HBU was chartered by Texas Baptists in 1960. We knew countless persons had sacrificed for the birth of HBU.

Leave the name alone, but keep on welcoming students from around the world.

Dan Bates

College Station

What do you think? Send letters to Editor Marv Knox by mail: P.O. Box 259019, Plano 75025-9019; or by e-mail: [email protected].