Notes on Liberal Groups

                                                                                                                                                                          Vol. IV, No. 2, March 1991

BJCPA Fiscal Woes: Conservatives recognize the Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs as the liberal Baptist lobbying group in Washington, D.C. Last June SBC messengers in New Orleans voted by a strong majority to cut SBC donations to the BJC from $350,000 to $50,000. The 25 January issue of SBC Today, the liberal newspaper, features a full page article on page headlined "BJCPA Still Leading despite Financial Crisis." The article notes that "Of the 243 individual churches who have pledged support to the financially weakened institution, so far only 93 have come through." Also, "An additional blow came during recent state convention meetings when several ‘moderate' state conventions voted against putting the BJC in their budgets, citing its inclusion in individual church budgets as the reason."

BCMP Report: These days it seems there is always another set of initials to learn. In Baptist affairs the latest is BCMP which stands for Baptist Cooperative Missions Program, the "alternative" funding arrangement established as a result of the liberal meeting in Atlanta last August. Do not let the similar names confuse you: The BCMP is not the same as the SBC Cooperative Program. Quite the contrary, it is a way recalcitrant Baptists avoid giving to the CP. The 25 January SBC Today states on page 5, "Thus far, 31 churches have channeled money through the BCMP" and that the "office had also received donations from scores of individuals, either directly or through their churches." Conservatives will be encouraged by the small numbers cited, but we should recognize that churches may be slow to schedule business meetings, so these figures can only be regarded as preliminary.

Missionarv Letter: The same SBC Today issue on page 7 contains a column by the editor, Jack Harwell. Most of the column quotes a letter from a Southern Baptist missionary. A couple of passages merit our attention. "Our mission does not, as of this date, have a single fundamentalist member. We are all, at least politically, what the group which has taken over our convention would call ‘moderates."' Interesting. If it is true as moderates proclaim, that before conservatives achieved a majority among Foreign Mission Board trustees (1987) appointments and administration were fair and open, how could such a situation arise? "Some more recent appointees have said they have simply lied. They have used words the fundamentalists wanted to hear and by which they, themselves, meant something different, in order to follow what they understood to be God's call. For example, one told me, ‘Sure, I said God's word is infallible. But for me, God's word is Jesus.' They do not feel good about what they have done, but they could see no other path which would allow them to be Southern Baptist missionaries." There you have it in their own words. They "simply lied." And why? Because that was the only way to do what they wanted to do. Whatever happened to the ninth commandment? In their view the end justifies the means. Such results are inevitable once men are taught to place their judgment above the authority of God's Word.

Fellowship Steering Committee: The committee met in Dallas in mid-January and agreed on a number of proposals to be presented to the 9-11 May Fellowship meeting in Atlanta. One is that the group's name be The Baptist Fellowship. The 70-member panel also voted to incorporate. Another proposal to the May convocation is establishment of a world missions center to serve as a "think tank for world evangelization and strategic missions planning," publish literature, and sponsor conferences. The May meeting will be asked to approve three teams to be appointed by Dan Vestal on ethics, theological education, and literature. A final recommendation will be that the group search for an executive director. Jack Harwell, editor of SBC Today, has some interesting comments. "All the steps taken by The Fellowship steering committee ... speak undeniably of a giant step toward a new structure for moderates in or out of the. Southern Baptist Convention." [SBC Today, 8 February.]

Richmond Seminary President: [BP] North Carolina pastor Thomas H. Graves has been elected first permanent president of the Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond. He is expected to assume his duties in mid-February. The BTSR was authorized by the Southern Baptist Alliance, the most liberal of the various Baptist political groups, in March 1989. Graves has taught at Southeastern and Southern Seminaries.