'99 State Results: Bad, Mixed, and Good

                                                                                                                                                                     Vol. XIII, No. 1, January 2000
 

State Baptist conventions usually hold their annual meetings in late October or November. This article combines and evaluates results of the 1999 meetings. You, the reader, will want to remain aware that judgments expressed are filtered through my perspective as an inerrantist active in the conservative resurgence.

This article offers two levels of analysis: First, from the overall Southern Baptist Convention viewpoint: How is the SBC doing quite apart from the doctrinal struggle of the last twenty years? Second, from the conservative resurgence perspective: Is the resurgence at a standstill, retrogressing, or moving ahead?

SBC Progress

CP Percentages: This year seven states voted to increase the percentage of Cooperative Program (CP) receipts sent to the SBC: IA & WY each up 1%; IL & WV up 0.5%; and Kansas-Nebraska (KN), NV, & NY +0.25%. In addition, KY voted to increase the CP % by 0.2% each year in 2000 and 2001, and AZ voted to consider raising the SBC % by 1% a year for five years. Two state conventions are already at the 50%-to-the-SBC visionary goal: the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia (SBCV) and the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention (SBTC). Twenty-six other states retained the same CP %. No state reduced the CP%, though three significant conventions offer multiple giving tracks which make it easy for churches to contribute to non-SBC causes -- usually liberal -- and give little or nothing to the SBC: the Baptist General Association of Virginia (BGAV), the Baptist General Convention of Texas (BGCT), and North Carolina.

State Budgets: Fifteen states specified that their year 2000 budgets are new records, and another 16 show budget increases of 2% to 7%, strongly implying record levels. Now dollars are certainly not the primary indicator of success in a spiritual endeavor, but they are one mark of organizational vigor. We must pray that these monetary blessings will be used to further God's Kingdom, not our own agenda.

Missions: An even more encouraging indicator of denominational health is that virtually every state convention is partnering with one or more foreign countries and with some section of the United States. For example, Arkansas has partnerships with Iowa, Europe, and -- brand new -- Sao Paulo State in Brazil. This is truly going and telling. May Southern Baptists participate in rapidly growing numbers. The SBCV has partnerships with New Hampshire and Romania and is working on one with the Ukraine.

Seminaries: Our Southern Baptist seminaries are another crucially important aspect of denominational health. The turn-around in these six schools from stale, static liberalism to committed and dynamic biblical conservatism was essential for continued success, for as the seminaries go, so eventually goes the Convention. As our seminaries produce pastors who completely believe the Book, resurgence and revival will pervade every corner of the SBC and through us, the world.

The Conservative Resurgence

Bad News: The Baptist General Association of Virginia and the Baptist General Convention of Texas continue to go more liberal. This year they snubbed the SBC by pointedly affirming the 1963 version of the Baptist Faith and Message, in each case overwhelmingly rejecting a motion to include the 1998 amendment article on the family. Also, both these states continue to elect liberals to leadership positions in vastly disproportionate numbers.

In one positive action the BGAV decided to revise is historic relationship with the University of Richmond because the University changed its nondiscrimination policy to apply to homosexuals. No longer will the BGAV nominate new UR trustees, though those presently serving will complete their terms. Financial contributions to the university will also be eliminated, although scholarship funding will be phased out over four years to permit presently participating students to complete their degrees. Freed funds will be transferred to the budget of a new "Center for Baptist Heritage and Studies" located at the University. It is too early to tell whether this is a real or simply cosmetic change, a way to continue to support the increasingly liberal university.

The BGAV also eliminated resolutions at future meetings, replacing them with an "open forum" for messengers to voice concerns. [Comment: Isn't it interesting that whereas liberals advocate strongly the "priesthood of the believer" and local church autonomy, they so frequently seek to squelch the expression of any opinion not centrally controlled by them.?]

In Texas, the BGCT selected very active CBF supporters as president (Clyde Glazener, pastor, Gambrell Street BC, Ft. Worth) and as state executive director (Charles Wade who assumes the post 1 Feb.). They also approved a study committee to "examine financial resources, theological positions, and mission strategy and philosophy of Southern Baptist missions sending agencies [IMB, NAMB, & CBF] and report to the BGCT executive board." A very similar motion was approved to study SBC and BGCT-supported seminaries and report. One need not be a prophet nor the son of a prophet to understand these actions presage diverting even more funding away from the SBC to liberal groups.

Finally, in the first of two required annual votes BGCT messengers approved removing a constitutional requirement that affiliated churches be located within the borders of Texas. Clearly this is expected to be an important step making the BGCT a refuge for liberal churches geographically located in more conservative state conventions and bringing to the BGCT a new source of money which will be much desired as more and more biblical Texas churches switch to the SBTC.

Mississippi falls somewhere between bad news and mixed. MS is a loyal SBC state, but the conservative candidate for president lost with 281 votes to the winner's 446; however, the new president, Kermit McGregor, pastor, FBC, Mendenhall, is a theological conservative and a loyal Southern Baptist. The 1VP winner is a moderate, and the new 2VP was the conservative candidate. Mississippi College has been lost to the liberals. The budget was raised 5.55%. A major problem is that MS conservatives are divided.

Mixed News: In Alabama all three top officers were re-elected, so there were no electoral indicators of shifts in sentiment. The budget was raised to a new record. Reportedly, AL conservatives are growing in number. Arizona elected a moderate president and conservative 1VP & 2VP, raised the budget 5%, and committed to consider raising the SBC percentage 1% per year for five years -- though the state executive director opposes such increases. AZ messengers also passed a resolution committing to prayer for, participation in, and promotion of the Cooperative Program. Arkansas has not yet made a distinct step. This year the conservative-supported pastor, Ben Rowell, FBC, Rogers, was elected by seven (!) votes, 534-527. But moderates or state denominational loyalists won the 1VP & 2VP slots. A discouraging aspect is that the convention met in northwest Arkansas, the most conservative part of the state. The budget was increased 2.5% to a new record.

California is mixed, perhaps mixed up. At the first session to elect officers, no one was nominated for 1VP. Morale is down. Receipts for the year just ended were some $300,000 less than the previous year in spite of which the new budget was raised 5.1%. On the positive side, messengers did not give the two-thirds required to change the state convention's name by removing "Southern"; however, 60% did vote in favor of the change. It will be considered again next year. On a voice vote messengers affirmed the Family amendment to the BFM "in light of the governor of California recently signing legislation giving homosexuals special preferential rights and discriminating against traditional families..."

Kentucky elected a moderate president over a conservative 687-542, but a conservative 1VP over a moderate 512-397, and a moderate 2VP over a conservative 313-228. The budget was raised 4%. Conservatives had two other victories: A liberal motion to affirm the 1963 BFM (without the Family Amendment) was defeated 408-374. And a motion to increase the SBC percentage of CP gifts by 0.2% per year for two years to a total of 36% passed.

In North Carolina the big issue was the "shared leadership" proposal backed and opposed by many on each side. A motion to defer action on it failed by only 61 votes of more than 4,000 cast. In voting on the plan, it received 55% but needed 67%, so it failed. Now NC moderates and conservatives are wondering what to do next. The new president, Mike Cummings, DOM, Burnt Swamp BA, is an active conservative. The 1VP is a moderate, and the 2VP is conservative. Conservatives have controlled NC officers for the last four years. The newly adopted $34 million budget is a record. A motion that NC affirm the 1963 BFM without the Family Amendment was ruled a resolution that had not been properly publicized and therefore out of order.

Regarding Wake Forest University, messengers began the process of severing ties voting 10 to 1 to authorize the executive board to dissolve the convention's fraternal relationship with WFU. The necessary constitutional amendment will be brought to the state meeting in November 2000. WFU allows the sale of alcohol on its campus and this year permitted Wake Forest BC to hold a "homosexual union" in Wait Chapel on the WFU campus. In a resolution messengers also asked WFU to withdraw permission for the homosexual ceremony. A motion was passed over only scattered opposition instructing NC officials to modify personnel policies to prohibit any state employee from performing a same-sex union.

Tennessee is basically conservative, but the leadership is disproportionately of CBF types. However, the outlook may be improving. The new president, Jerry Tidwell, pastor, West Jackson BC, Jackson, is an inerrantist and politically conservative, though not heavily engaged. He was unopposed. The new 1VP is William Fletcher Allen, retired editor of the state paper who is moderate-leaning and CBF-soft, though apparently not officially related to CBF. The 2VP is an active conservative. A proposed bylaw which would have given TN Baptist colleges more flexibility in election of trustees [Note: Understand that this means allow them to go as liberal as they want without the state Baptist convention being able to do anything about it.] was defeated by only 70 votes, 998 in favor, 604 opposed. It received 62.3% but needed 67%. The budget was raised 6.6%.

Good News: First some introductory reminders: New work states -- where Southern Baptists are few and growth is almost solely by winning souls -- do not attract many liberal pastors. Consequently, (1) new work states are theologically conservative, (2) the SBC doctrinal struggle so prominent over the last 20 years is almost unknown, but (3) new work states are solidly Southern Baptist. State conventions in this category are: AK, DK, HI, IA, MN-WI, MI, MT, NE, U-I, WV, and WY. Michigan has three theologically conservative officers, though of unknown denominational involvement. The budget increased 3.38% and a new partnership with Siberia was welcomed.

Other state conventions lie between the new work and old line states in numbers of churches and resources: AZ, CO, IN, KS-NE, NV, NM, NY, NW, OH, & MD-DL. While some of these are predominantly conservative, such as CO, IN, NV, & NY, in general, as the size of the state convention increases, there is apt to be a larger (or at least more apparent) liberal element. New York re-elected their missionary minded president. The new 1VP & 2VP were proposed by the conservatives. The SBC CP percentage was increased 0.25%. Significantly, messengers revised the state constitution to require that a church must contribute to the CP to have messengers seated at the annual convention and added the BFM with the Family Amendment as the statement of faith for the state.

Paradoxically, in some of these smaller and medium size conventions, in spite of (indeed, frequently because of) their commendable focus on evangelism, their pastors and laymen have not been involved in the doctrinal struggle and, consequently, have little or no appreciation for the dangers of "certain men creeping in unawares." Jesus instructs us to be "innocent as doves", yes, but He also commands us to be "wise as serpents." Let us pray that they, as well as we ourselves, will uniformly apply scriptural wisdom in denominational life, especially the selection of pastors and other denominational leaders.

The Best News comes last like dessert. As our last Banner reported, the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia welcomed 41 new churches (for a total of 253), adopted another record budget of $3,900,000 (compared to $688,000 in 1996), and challenged each SBCV church to raise its CP giving to at least 10% of its undesignated receipts.

The Southern Baptists of Texas Convention doubled from the initial 130 churches on 10 Nov. 1998 by affirming 130 more in Nov. 1999. The SBTC also adopted a budget which more than triples the amount earmarked for missions and more than doubles that for new church starts.

Colorado, a medium sized convention, has not elected a moderate to office in nine years and again this year elected only solidly biblical officers. In addition, CO inaugurated a new partnership with Hungary and raised its budget by 5%.

There was interesting news in Indiana, another medium-sized, conservative convention. Some time ago University BC, Bloomington, called a female pastor. After extensive but unavailing discussion with the church, the local association disfellowshipped University BC in Sep. '98. Over the last year the state convention held a series of meetings with church representatives regarding the doctrinal differences, but made no progress. The state executive committee was prepared to recommend to the annual meeting that University's messengers not be seated and that the state not accept any funds from the church "until such time as the church repents of its current course and the Convention votes to rescind this action." However, shortly before the convention met, University BC notified the state of its decision to affiliate with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and withdraw from the Southern Baptist Convention. [Comments: (1) While University BC flouts God's Word by having a female senior pastor, they are at least to be commended for forthrightly making an organizational decision appropriate to their doctrine. Would that the entire CBF were so honest and would publicly declare itself what it is in reality, a separate denomination. (2) Not having a firm anchor in Scripture, liberal Baptists are prone to adopt many of the politically correct dicta of the current culture. The SBC dealt with one of these a few years ago when it amended its constitution to exclude "churches which act to affirm, approve, or endorse homosexual behavior." With the continued rise of the feminist heresy, the SBC and each state convention will be forced also to face this issue head-on. Sooner is much better than later.]

Indiana also raised its budget 4.82%. While the percentage going to the SBC remains the same, the convention affirmed the CP and committed to increase CP giving by 1% in the coming year.

Larger states: Predominantly conservative larger states include FL, GA, OK, and SC. Florida elected conservative officers and increased its budget more than 7% to a new record amount. Georgia also elected conservative officers including as first vice president George O. McCalep, Jr., pastor, Greenforest BC, Atlanta, the first black elected as a GA convention officer. GA messengers raised the budget 4.69%, another record, and dismissed two churches (Oakhurst BC, Decatur, and Virginia-Highland BC, Atlanta) by a vote of 2,086-262 and 2,111-228 respectively because both allow homosexuals and lesbians to hold leadership positions and Virginia-Highland had held a "commitment service" for two homosexuals. Last year GA amended its constitution to provide that "a cooperating church does not include (one) which knowingly takes, or has taken, any action to affirm, approve, or endorse homosexual behavior." GA Executive Director J. Robert White said, "The greatest act of love is to tell the truth about sin. ... If a church declares that sin is not sin, is not the shedding of Christ's blood on Calvary in vain?"

Oklahoma is one of, if not the, most unitedly conservative old-line state conventions. All officers were elected by acclamation, the budget was raised 3%, and messengers affirmed the BFM including the Family Amendment. They also overwhelmingly affirmed the Oklahoma State Textbook Committee's decision to require all science textbooks to point out that evolution is only a theory, not proven fact.

South Carolina continues in its conservative direction, again electing solidly biblical officers, instituting a new partnership with Taiwan, and increasing the budget 4%.

Perhaps the best single development was in Louisiana where it truly proved to be a watershed year. Conservative leader Tommy French, pastor, Jefferson BC, Baton Rouge, was elected 905-848 over John Alley of Alexandria. Alley was endorsed by the "moderate" group, Friends of Louisiana College, while French was backed by the Louisiana Inerrantist Fellowship. In '97 and '98 consensus candidates had been elected. This was the first time conservatives won all three top offices. Moreover, perhaps seeing the handwriting on the wall, the state executive director proposed that appointive powers be removed from the state president, but messengers declined to do so. For the first time LA messengers affirmed inerrancy, by passing a resolution affirming the BFM statement on Scripture and declaring the Bible as the "inspired, infallible, inerrant, and sufficient Word of God." The resolution also affirms that "the Bible is our only authority for our faith and practice." The budget was increased 4.9% to a new record.

Missouri Baptists turned back a major and well-funded campaign by CBF supporters ("Mainstream Missouri Baptists") and elected as president Jay Scribner, pastor, First BC, Branson, 58%-42% over Jimmy Albright, pastor, Wyatt Park BC, St. Joseph, even though the meeting was held in Kansas City, the most liberal part of the state. Scribner was endorsed by Project 1000, led most visibly by well-known conservative layman, Roger Moran. Conservatives were also elected 1VP and 2VP over liberal opponents. The liberals had set a goal to raise $100,000 to campaign this year, but they were defeated and conservative momentum is growing. This is the second year in a row MO conservatives have won. Messengers also raised the budget 2.8%, thanked the General Assembly for overriding the governor's veto of a partial birth abortion ban, and affirmed marriage as a covenant uniting a man and a woman in a lifetime commitment. In MO the state president has appointive powers, which suggests a few more years of conservative victories will bring about major changes in state leadership. Significantly, "moderates" are now calling for "shared leadership." [Comment: Liberals never suggest shared leadership when they have control, only when they begin to lose. While dominant, liberals will accept token conservatives and carefully place them in minority status on insignificant committees, but there is not a scintilla of true sharing.]

Resolutions

Resolutions are not binding upon anyone, but they do allow messengers to express their concerns, usually concerns not addressed in other business. As such, they are significant statements of the body's judgment on what they believe are important issues.

The subject most addressed this year was encouragement to emphasize prayer, and in a number of resolutions specifically prayer for revival. This is a spiritually healthy recognition that our strength does not lie in ourselves but flows from God. Also, the specific focus on revival and evangelism suggest godly priorities. Nine states passed such resolutions: Il, IA, NM, NV, Northwest, OK, TN, WV, & U-I.

Six meetings adopted resolutions affirming the SBC's Cooperative program giving plan. This is especially significant at present because three state conventions (Baptist General Association of Virginia, Baptist General Convention of Texas, and the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina) appealing to "inclusiveness" or "local church autonomy," have provided multiple giving tracks (BGAV 3, BSCNC 4, BGCT 5) under some of which no money at all goes to the SBC budget -- yet ALL these tracks are considered part of the "Cooperative Program."

The Cooperative Program was established by the Southern Baptist Convention in 1925 as an efficient means to channel donations from local churches to Baptist state conventions, with a major part of it remaining at the state level (the original concept was the state would retain half) and the rest flowing on to the SBC.

To misuse distinctly Southern Baptist terminology (Cooperative Program) and provide channels and staff support to facilitate the flow of funds away from the SBC into the programs of organizations malevolently competing with the SBC such as the "Cooperative Baptist Fellowship" and TO TERM THOSE GIVING CHANNELS PART of the Cooperative Program is at best misleading, and probably an outright lie. It is of the same nature as terming the intentional killing of a baby in the womb a matter of the mother's "choice." The acts are quite different, but the semantic sleight of hand is the same.

Note that the issue is NOT whether a local church or a state convention has the right to give to those organizations. Of course they do. they are autonomous bodies. But to misappropriate a name originated by and uniquely used by the SBC for 74 years is culpable.

In five states resolutions dealt with the Baptist Faith and Message. Two of them affirmed the 1963 BFM which does not include the 1998 amendment on the family, now Article XVIII. That article includes phrasing liberals love to hate, that "A wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband ..." Thus, affirmation of the 1963 version was a direct rejection of the biblical stance on the family and the present SBC. The BGAV and the BGCT affirmed the 1963 BFM and in each case overwhelmingly defeated a messenger's motion to include the Family Statement in the affirmation. Notably, in Kentucky a liberal messenger moved to affirm the 1963 version, but his motion was defeated 374 in favor, 408 against.

Louisiana specifically affirmed the BFM article on Scripture (Article I) and declared the Bible the "inspired, infallible, inerrant, and sufficient Word of God." This is the first time LA messengers have affirmed biblical inerrancy. Their resolution also states that "the Bible is our only authority for faith and practice."

Three other states passed resolutions dealing with marriage. Missouri affirmed marriage as a covenant uniting a man and a woman in a lifelong commitment. Kentucky encouraged legislation upholding the family. Oklahoma encouraged churches to offer marital counselling and marriage enrichment courses.

Four state resolutions dealt with various aspects of the sanctity of life. The SBTC statement specifically supported sanctity of life. MO messengers thanked their General Assembly for overturning their governor's veto of a partial birth abortion ban. The Illinois meeting affirmed "human worth". And Northwest opposed assisted suicide.

No other topic received more than one resolution and many of those dealt with state-specific matters.

Summary:

-- Conservatives have gained in the last twelve months. They can now claim 13 states: CO, FL, GA, IN, LA, MI, NV, NY, OK, SC, TX-SBTC, VA-SBCV, & WV, up two from last year.

-- Two more state conventions fall somewhere between the Mixed and Conservative categories: NC & MO; none were rated in this position last year.

-- Liberals certainly lead in three states (DC, TX-BGCT, VA-BGAV) and contend strongly for the lead in a fourth, AR. Thus liberals have lost one state, MS, which moved to mixed.

-- Seven states are mixed (AL, AZ, CA, KY, MD-DL, MS, & TN) down from eleven.

-- Lastly, 14 states fall in the new work category: AK, DK, HI, IL, IA, KN, MN-WI, MT, NE, NM, NW, OH, Ut-ID, WV, & WY, unchanged.