Porter to Step Down

                                                                                                                         Vol. IV, No. 1, January 1991

Messengers to last June's New Orleans convention will recall that the only election won by a moderate was that of Lee Porter to remain registration secretary, a post he has filled since 1977. His re-election in 1990 was apparently due to confusion among the conservative majority as to his attitudes and who was the conservative nominee. Porter has now announced that he will not allow his name to be placed in nomination as long as he is employed by the Sunday School Board. (He has been at the Board 12 years and is currently design editor.) As Paul Harvey says, here is the rest of the story.

During the convention in New Orleans Porter met on 13 June for two and a half hours with a group of Southern Seminary students in an open area off a corridor in the Louisiana Superdome. The group was in plain view of passersby some of whom strolled over to listen. One of the visitors was Tammi Ledbetter of The Indiana Baptist. Ledbetter made notes, checked them out and did further research over the next several weeks, and published an article in the 11 September Indiana Baptist.

In addition to explaining mechanics of the registration process, Porter described to the seminarians what he called a right-wing strategy by elected denominational leadership. He said, "Fundamentalists could have controlled everything if they had quit five years ago.... They're like Hitler and Khomeini. They just overkill." He indicated that the group leading the convention crave money and power. Turning to inerrancy, he said, "When you started to seminary you didn't expect to agree with every book, did you? Yet they want you to agree with every book of the Bible." [Comment: What a condemnation of conservative leadership! They actually expect seminary students to agree with every book of the Bible!] In another reference to current leadership, Porter said, "They think they have the truth, but we know the truth is a continual search." [Whatever happened to, "I am the way, the truth, ..." and "Thy Word is truth."?]

Porter expressed his dismay over the inclusion of the pro-life perspective in BSSB literature. "On the third Sunday in January, if you study any adult curriculum, you'll have to study a lesson on abortion in Sunday School whether you like it or not, by mandate of the trustees."

In comparing voting procedures now with past conventions, Porter said there is "not as much cheating as there once was." He reported that 53% of the messengers to the 1979 Houston convention came without cards, contrasting it to the two percent in 1990. He estimated that the number of cards given away for use by others to account for an additional one percent. In a later interview with the Indiana Baptist, Porter said he felt confident "most of the cards are in good shape," describing how suggestions he had made to the Executive Committee following his election in 1978 had been well received as "more and more people are becoming conscientious" in the way they register. He referred to a 1964 election when more ballots were counted than the number of registered messengers. By 1979 a credentials committee was organized and the system began to be "tightened up," Porter said.

The 7 September Indiana Baptist article evoked much interest among Sunday School Board trustees and administration. After reviewing the matter Board officials issued a report stating that Porter "violated the established parameters of the Baptist Sunday School Board for acceptable employee conduct. His use of inflammatory language has impacted his performance as an employee and the Board's relationship with its Southern Baptist constituency."

Porter's 30 November statement said in part: "As part of discussions regarding comments I made during the Southern Baptist Convention in New Orleans, I was informed by the administration of the Baptist Sunday School Board that it would be unwise for me, as a Board employee, to continue to hold an elected office in the Southern Baptist Convention. I regret that my comments to students as a convention officer involved me in denominational politics. I am sorry for the pain and disruption caused by my remarks. I accept the position of the administration. Therefore, as long as I am employed by the Board, I will not allow my name to be presented to the convention for re-election as registration secretary."

(The above except for the bracketed editorial comments is condensed from the 11 September Indiana Baptist article and a Baptist Press release of 7 December.)