State Wrap 2000    

by T. C. Pinckney                                                                                                             Vol. XIV, No. 1, January 2001
 

Introduction: There are 41 Southern Baptist state conventions, associations, and fellowships. Usually one state convention, association, or fellowship takes in the area of one political state, i.e., Tennessee or Alabama. In two cases there are two state conventions in one state: Virginia and Texas. And sometimes more than one political state is included into one Baptist convention as, for example, is the case with North and South Dakota, Kansas-Nebraska, and Utah-Idaho. Furthermore, each level of Southern Baptist polity the local church, local association, state convention, and national SBC is autonomous. All of this makes understanding the broad Southern Baptist situation a little like grasping a handful of jello ... it is hard to get a good grip on it.

That's why each January The Banner runs a state wrap article condensing and summarizing the results of the latest October and November round of state annual meetings. The purpose is not to itemize the specifics of each convention but rather to give readers an appreciation of major decisions, trends, and movements within Southern Baptist polity.

The Headlines: Two dramatic events caught the attention of Southern Baptists throughout the country in 2000: adoption of the revised Baptist Faith & Message in June, and anti-SBC actions of the Baptist General Association of Texas, the largest state convention.

BFM: The overwhelming June vote for the 2000 BFM drew a clear line in the sand between SBC conservatives and moderates. Liberal reactions were apoplectic with many silly charges, such as that conservatives worship the Bible and not Jesus. Therefore, twenty-one state meetings addressed the 2000 BFM. Of these, ten states either placed the statement in their bylaws/constitution or passed resolutions strongly affirming it (CA, CO, FL, IN, LA, MO, OK, TX-SBTC, VA-SBCV, WV). Two states (MI & OH) approved the first reading to place the 2000 BFM in their constitutions and will have the second reading and vote this fall. Two states held votes in which pro-2000 BFM motions received a majority but not the required two-thirds (AR & Md-Del). Three states took temporizing actions: AL commended all BFM versions and said the Bible is the sole authority for faith and practice; and IL affirmed the family article adopted by the SBC in 1998; KY formed a BFM study committee. And four states took negative actions: NE's constitution refers to whatever BFM is current, but a resolution encouraging BFM 2000 support in other states was voted down; NY adopted a requirement that churches must contribute to the Cooperative Program and be in sympathy with the 1998 version (includes the family addition), but there was no discussion of the 2000 BFM; TN acknowledged the BFM as an information source and affirmed the Bible as the final authority; and TX- BGCT passed a resolution declaring all confessions of faith "are only guides in interpretation, having no authority over conscience" and "should not be used as instruments of doctrinal accountability or to hamper freedom of thought."

TX-BGCT: That the Baptist General Convention of Texas is controlled by emotionally anti-SBC liberals who actively participate with CBF, Baptists Committed, Mainstream Baptists, and/or other liberal Baptist groups, was dramatically demonstrated in its November actions. The budget adopted cuts BGCT funding for the six SBC seminaries by $4 million, eliminates its previous $345,000 contribution to the SBC Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, and reduces funding of the SBC Executive Committee from $746,000 to $10,000. A study committee was formed to evaluate relationships with SBC mission agencies, implying cuts to the International Mission Board and North American Mission Board next year. Also, final approval was given to state constitutional changes to allow churches outside Texas to join the BGCT. The presumption is that this latter change portends the BGCT moving towards becoming a national convention itself.

State Roster: Now a summary, alphabetical review of the states. Resolutions and budget actions will be summarized after the state roster coverage. AL elected three theologically conservative top officers, and in the race for 1VP elected a movement conservative 610-581 over the moderate choice. As noted above, messengers commended all versions of the BFM . While not as definitively supportive of the 2000 BFM as conservatives would have preferred, efforts to further dilute the resolution were defeated, and overall Alabama conservatives consider it a qualified victory.

In AK the president is pro-CBF, the 1VP tends conservative, and the 2VP is a solid conservative. Meanwhile in AR, there was confusion at one critical point among messengers: many were uncertain whether they were voting on a call for the question or on the question itself. The state's Charter and Bylaws Committee proposed amending the Articles of Incorporation to replace reference to the 1963 BFM with the 2000 BFM. The confused vote produced a 416-362 vote in favor of the change, but that fell short of the 2/3 (518 votes) necessary for adoption. In another important action, messengers voted to denounce the CBF.

Moving to the west, in AZ the top three officers are either moderately influenced or neither pro nor con toward conservatives. The most important action was approval of restructuring the state convention so that initiative will rest with the churches and the state staff will function as facilitators. Conservatives are pleased with this decision. CA messengers retained "Southern" in their convention's name, defeating by only 15 votes the fifth attempt in fifteen years to change the name. Messengers also overwhelmingly affirmed the 2000 BFM. The CO meeting after spirited debate and an almost 2 to 1 defeat of a liberal motion, overwhelmingly approved the proposal of the state's Constitution committee that churches seeking state affiliation adopt the 2000 BFM; previously the provision stated the 1963 BFM.

Skipping back to the east, FL messengers updated bylaws to reference the 2000 BFM and approved a missions partnership with WV. The new president and 1VP are conservatives. The position of the lay 2VP is unknown. In GA all elected officers are conservatives. A partnership was signed between French Baptists, Georgia, and the IMB. Both liberals and conservatives worked to turn out messengers with the result that conservatives had the largest participation in a number of years.

HI elected a solid conservative president, a somewhat moderate 1VP, and a more conservative 2VP. IL's officers are all strong conservatives though one notes that a liberal "Mainstream" group has just been formed in the state. IN continues in its soundly conservative course, adopting the 2000 BFM as its own expression of faith, electing conservative officers by acclamation, and expressing its appreciation for the CP and the six SBC seminaries.

Kentucky is a state where the struggle between conservatives and liberals is intensifying, and where conservatives this year made their best showing to date. The moderate president was elected over the conservative candidate, Rev. Kevin Ezell, 1,091-978, and other offices also were won by moderates. Ezell's 978 votes is the most ever received in KY by a conservative. He was backed by the Kentucky Baptist Laymen's Network. The 1VP election margin was razor thin with the moderate wining 887-882.

Messengers in LA handed a clean sweep to conservatives, electing conservatives to all officer positions including re-electing conservative leader Pastor Tommy French by 1,188-799. They also adopted the 2000 BFM as the state convention's official statement of belief 1,112-860.

In Md-De conservatives lost ground losing all three elections to liberals or state loyalists. The state is truly mixed with conservatives becoming more conservative but with complete control in the hands of state loyalists. Apparently conservatives need more commitment to attending the annual meeting.

MI, a new work state, remains soundly conservative, electing conservative officers and placing in motion a proposal to adopt the 2000 BFM at the next annual meeting. Mont., another new work state, is also very conservative and reportedly disgusted with actions by the liberal Baptist General Convention of Texas.

The good news from MS is that the percentage of CP funds going to the SBC was increased 1/2% to 35%. However, conservative hopes for an endorsement of the 2000 BFM were stymied as was their effort to have the annual meeting alternate between north, central, and southern Mississippi Overall, the meeting was a disappointment.

Missouri messengers confirmed their conservative direction for the third consecutive year. Liberals had set a goal raising $250,000 to turn out voters, but they lost resoundingly as exemplified by the 1,984- 1,253 vote for the conservative presidential nominee, pastor Bob Collins over Harlan Spurgeon, candidate of the liberal Mainstream Missouri Baptists and a former CBF staff member. Conservatives are energized by Project 1000, a loose organization of conservative laymen. Further, messengers voted 580-361 to replace the Christian Life Committee slate of nominees to ensure all its members are solidly pro-life.

NE: All officers are theological conservatives, although the president may be too irenic and the 2VP is a political moderate. CBF is somewhat active and has influence though without making themselves known. A resolution encouraging support of the 2000 BFM was voted down. NY's top three officers are all strong conservatives and the state appears solidly conservative as evidenced by the 1/4% increase in SBC CP gifts with a plan to raise it again next year. CBF is mildly active, but only one church gives to the CBF through the state convention (via designated offerings). Messengers adopted a requirement that to have messengers seated a church must contribute to the CP and be in sympathy with the 1998 BFM. There was no discussion of the 2000 BFM.

NV also elected three conservatives in a quiet convention. No CBF efforts are evident in the state. Similarly NM has little evidence of CBF penetration; only three churches in the state were in any way affiliated with CBF, and one of those churches died. Of officers, the president and 2VP are conservative, the 1VP of unknown stance. Messengers approved an amendment to NM bylaws designating the Bible and the Cooperative Program as the criteria to determine which churches are eligible for seating messengers at BCNM meetings. During debate one messenger moved a wording change that would have allowed churches contributing to the CBF but not the CP to qualify, but that was defeated with less than a dozen voting in support.

North Carolina re-elected Mike Cummings, DOM of Burnt Swamp Baptist Association, a conservative, as president, but then elected two moderates as 1VP & 2VP. Liberal "Mainstream NC Baptists" worked hard and brought about 500 more messengers than usual. Meanwhile, conservatives may have become overly confident after five annual successes, and did not make the effort to attend. A motion to end the state's relationship with Wake Forest University (because of its liberal policies) narrowly failed the two-thirds necessary to change the convention's constitution.

In OH the three top officers are conservative and the 2000 BFM was affirmed. No known liberal efforts are underway.

OK is one of, if not the, most conservative Southern Baptist states, though "Mainstream Baptists" are actively recruiting. All new officers are sound conservatives, and two efforts to dilute the wording of a resolution strongly endorsing the 2000 BFM were soundly defeated.

PA-So. Jersey is an example of a state with currents and counter-currents. While there are only three conservatives on the Executive Board out of a total of some 30 members, and while the state Executive Director preached at the meeting against the 2000 BFM, messengers increased the national CP percentage by 1/4% to 24.25%. One pastor had Daniel Vestal, National Coordinator of CBF, in his church for a three- day meeting, but the congregation voted not to support CBF.

SC is another state definitely in the conservative corner. All new officers are conservative. Messengers adopted a record $30.1 million budget. Messengers received the appreciation of Romanian and Hungarian Baptist leaders upon the completion of a three year partnership, and were informed and encouraged regarding their new partnership with Taiwanese Baptists.

TN's new officers are soundly conservative, but the president has no appointive powers. The committee on committees and the committee on nominations have all responsibility in this critical area. It would require a constitutional amendment to change appointive responsibilities so that the president elected by messengers could affect nominations. Efforts to pass a resolution "affirming" the 2000 BFM failed in favor of the moderate-backed neutral term "acknowledge".

The conservative Southern Baptists of Texas Convention (SBTC) is as far from the liberal- dominated BGCT as can be imagined. The SBTC's new president is well-known, widely loved, and soundly biblical evangelist, Rudy Hernandez. In a unique move and in stark contrast to the major cuts imposed by the BGCT, the SBTC raised its CP giving to the SBC from 50% to 51% (thus out-doing Virginia conservatives by 1%). They also pledged to further increase the SBC portion to 55% by 2009. The 2001 budget of $4.1 million was unanimously approved, making the third year of doubling the budget. And messengers replaced the 1963 BFM with the 2000 BFM as its statement of beliefs. The number of messengers attending was three times the number last year.

UT-ID is a pioneer mission area and very conservative. Its officers are all conservative. WV is a solidly conservative state in enthusiastic support of the SBC and with no CBF entry. Messengers unanimously adopted the 2000 BFM and endorsed the CP.

Budgets: Not every state Baptist Press report included budget information, but reports on 16 states noted budget increases, ranging from NV's 1.1% to the SBCV's 71% and TX-SBTC's 118%. Only one state reported a budget cut: because of some recently discovered financial shenanigans, NE reduced its total budget 10% but kept the SBC percentage the same at 15%. Nine states increased the percentage they send to the SBC. MI raised its SBC portion by 2% from 28% to 30%. PA-SoJersey increased theirs 1/4% to 24.25%, the eighth consecutive annual raise. Others who increased the SBC were CA, IL, MS, NV, NY, TX SBTC (by 1% to 51%!), and WV. TX-BGCT made major SBC cuts as noted just above, and VA-BGAV reduced the out-of-state proportion by 2% in all three budget tracks. The total VA-BGAV budget for 2001 is slightly reduced from $15,083,901 to $15,000,000 (-0.55%).

Resolutions: The most frequent state resolution topic was affirmation of support for the Cooperative Program with sixteen states passing such resolutions (AL. AR, IN, KY, MI, MS, MO, NY, NC, NW, OH, SC, TN, SBTC, U-I, 7 WV). The likely stimulus of these resolutions was the attack on the CP by Texas-BGCT which had been widely publicized in advance. Eight states (AL, CO, K-N, MO, VA-SBCV, TN, & WV) passed resolutions supporting or affirming the 2000 BFM although AL commended all BFM versions and TN cited it only as an information source. In addition, IL specifically affirmed the family article. Abortion was opposed by seven states (GA, IL, M-W, MO, MN, NY, & SBTC). SBC seminaries were affirmed by five states, probably because the BGCT cut $4.3 million from their support (HI, IN, MO, NY, SBTC). Also, five states passed anti-gambling resolutions in one form or another (AL, GA, MS, NM, & SC). Four states affirmed the Boy Scouts of America in their stand against homosexual leaders (AL, FL, IA, & M-W). IL opposed homosexual "civil unions", and NY adopted a provision that a cooperating church must not affirm or endorse homosexuality. Two states (MS & BGCT) encouraged voting. AR denounced the CBF. No other topic was the subject of a resolution in more than one state.

In Summary: Biblical authority has won at the national level of SBC polity, and to no one's surprise the issue is now being fought out at the state level (and of course that spills over into local associations and local churches). Categorizing the states we see:

Conservative: 18 states, up from 13 last year: CO, FL, GA, IL, IN, LA, MI, MO, MN, NV, NY, OH, OK, SC, SBTC, U-I, SBCV, WV. Three of the additions moved from last year's new work column mainly due to better information: IL, MN, & U-I. MO moves up from "leaning conservative" on the basis of its continued conservative success.

Leaning Conservative: Two states: NM (from "New Work" last year) and TN (from "Mixed"). Both of these moves are improvements from the conservative perspective.

Mixed: Nine states: AL, AR, AZ, CA, KY, M-D, MS, NC, & NE. This compares to seven last year. AR moved up from the "Liberal" category, and NC moved down from "Leaning Conservative". CA seems promising to move more conservative if conservatives there can motivate more messengers to turn out. On the other hand, M-D appears to be leaning more moderate.

Liberal: The same three states stand here: DC, TX-BGCT, & VA-BGAV.

New Work: This tally has been cut by a net of five due to better information: AK, DK, HW, IA, K-N, M- W, P-SJ, NW, WY.

If the above evaluations are substantially correct, as I believe they are, the conservative resurgence continues to make good progress in the state portion of Southern Baptist life. The major disappointments are the determinedly anti-SBC directions of the BGAV and BGCT.