MESSENGERS TACKLE RACISM, REORGANIZE SBC,
GRAHAM KEEPS APPOINTMENT
by A. C Smith Vol. VIII, No. 6, June/July 1995
With an overwhelming majority, messengers to the 1995 Southern Baptist Convention passed a Racial Reconciliation Resolution that " apologized to all African-Americans for condoning and/or perpetuating individual and systemic racism in our lifetime..., " The resolution continued: "...we genuinely repent of racism of which we have been guilty, whether consciously (Psalm 19:13) or unconsciously (Leviticus 4:27), and be it further resolved, that we ask forgiveness from our African-American brothers and sisters..." Gary Frost, an African-American pastor who serves as a vice-president for the Convention, while noting that he couldn't speak for all African-Americans, accepted the apology.
The resolution, which noted that "many of our Southern Baptist forbears defended the ‘right' to own slaves...," passed on the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Southern Baptist Convention. The resolution also said that many Southern Baptists failed "to support, and in some cases opposed, legitimate initiatives to secure the civil rights of African-Americans."
The resolution was well received by members of the SBC's African American Fellowship, said Frost.
Evangelist Billy Graham complimented the messengers for passing the Racial Reconciliation Resolution as he began an hour long address, which was the finale' of the convention. "I want to commend you for your unity and especially for the resolution you passed on the race question," said Graham. "You have 150 years of faithfulness to the Word of God and to Jesus Christ." Graham noted that his ministry had covered one-third of the Southern Baptist Convention's existence and said,
"Thank God we're staying with our roots, and I wanted you to know I stand with you."
Graham's doctors had asked him not to speak due to his recent health problems. But Graham told them, "I answer to a higher authority." He added that after he finished speaking to the convention he and his wife were going to vacation in an undisclosed location, and he was going to work on his memoirs – Graham's publisher wants them completed next year. He has been working on them for five years, and he has been unable to complete them due to the number of things his ministry keeps accomplishing.
Graham said that publishers want "kiss and tell" revelations. While noting that he knows some secrets about some important people, Graham said those things would remain a secret.
After Graham finished his message he and George Beverly Shea who sang a medley of songs before Graham spoke, were whisked away in a Ford Crown Victoria, which was waiting in the hall of the Georgia Dome.
In other significant action, the messengers, by a nearly two to one margin, adopted the Program and Structure Committee's "Covenant for a New Century," which restructures the SBC. The 9,590 to 5,357 vote reduces the number of SBC entities from 19 to 12. This required a bylaw change, which the messengers also adopted and which will have to be approved again by messengers in 1996. The changes include combining the Home Mission Board, the Radio and Television Commission, and the Brotherhood Commission into the North American Mission Board.
The messengers also reelected Jim Henry a; President of the convention for the traditional second term. He was unopposed. In a press conference following his election, Henry said that the convention has experienced "some coalescing, some healing; some unifying." He cited record baptisms and giving in the convention over the past year to support his statement. "That doesn't mean that everything is right yet," continued Henry, "But we may have one of our best years in Front of us ."
The convention sermon, preached by Al Mohler, president of Southern Seminary, was another high point at this year’s meeting. Using Joshua 4:1-10,19-24 as a text, Mohler presented a rationale for continuing to defend Baptist doctrine and convictions. The points of the message:
*"We must renew our passion for God."
*"We must reclaim our theological heritage."
*"We must recover our zeal for the gospel."
*"We must recognize our times and our task."
*"We must refocus on our missions and mandate."
The messengers passed several other resolutions. While a resolution is non-binding, it does express the will of the messengers present. One resolution opposed the nomination of Henry Foster as Surgeon General of the United States because of his practice of abortion and "advocacy of the failed 'safe sex' approach to sex education for young people including the distribution of condoms and contraceptives to minors without parental consent...." The resolution passed as the. Senate, which must approve Surgeon General nominees, was debating the Foster nomination. Immediately after it passed on the convention floor, the resolution was faxed to Texas Senator Phil Gramm's office. The Republican senator had promised to filibuster against the nomination to keep it from coming to a vote. While a majority of senators had said they would vote for Foster, 60 votes are needed to end a filibuster, and supporters were only able to line up 57 votes.
Another resolution supported a Constitutional amendment favoring prayer and religious expression as a right of free speech. The intent of the resolution was to support the right of "...students in public schools, to engage in voluntary prayer and other religious expression In circumstances in which expression of a non-religious character would be permitted." It also supported prohibiting "the denial of benefits or other discrimination against persons on account of the religious character of their speech or status." The resolution also wants "to permit government accommodation of public or ceremonial acknowledgments of religious heritage, beliefs and traditions of its people."
[Editorial Comment: This 150th convention of the SBC will be seen in the future as extremely important. The racism resolution goes far toward closing a matter where many of us have felt and sometimes acted contrary to God’s will. May we no longer miss the mark in our relations with our neighbors, and may, therefore, our relations with our God be that much stronger, purer, and more pleasing to Him.
Adoption of the Restructure Report and its subsequent implementation, which will require perhaps five years, should provide for better stewardship of the Lord’s money and consequently more resources being applied to winning the lost to Jesus and greater glory to His name.
Those who have expressed concerns about the status of the WMU should note that there has been no, repeat NO, change in the relationship between the WMU and the SBC, the FMB, and/or the HMB. Indeed, one of the very few (approximately three) amendments to the report affirmed the WMU. Hopefully this misconception has been laid to rest.
In summary, it was a significant convention, conducted in a good spirit; with results important to the ongoing of God's work on earth. TCP]