State Conventions’ Mixed Results
by T. C. Pinckney Vol. X, No. 1, January 1997
Whereas 1995 state results were dramatic, especially in NC, this was a consolidation year across the SBC with few, if any, striking changes. State by state details follow in subsequent paragraphs, but in summary, 1996 convention results suggest that conservatives definitely lead in eleven conventions: CA, CO, FL, GA, IN, M-Del, NC, OK, SC, VA-SBCV, & WV. Liberals controlled seven conventions this year: AR, DC, KY, MO, TN, TX, & VA-BGAV. There were nine conventions where results were mixed: AL, AZ, IL, K-N, LA, MI, MS, NM, & OH. Some of these, such as MI and NM, seem to be moving in more conservative directions. The other twelve conventions are new work states where the resurgence is not a recognized factor: AK, DK, HI, IO, M-W, MN, NB, NV, NE, U-I, WY. Action on the Cooperative Program saw KY reduce the percentage of CP funds going to the SBC, while eight conventions increased the percentage: AZ, CO, DC, K-N, P-J, NV, VA-SBCV, WV, & WY. The Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia are the only state convention giving the full 50% of CP receipts to the Southern Baptist Convention.
Again, North Carolina was a center of attention as we watched whether liberals would recapture the presidency or conservatives would extend their gains. Moderate presidential candidate Ray Howell was defeated by incumbent conservative Greg Mathis 3209 to 2078, 60.7% to 39.3%. The very fact that liberals broke long-standing custom and challenged the incumbent demonstrated the importance they attach to trying to regain the iron grip they had held in NC prior to November 1995. It is significant that they failed by a large margin. The 1VP race was interesting in more than one respect. Conservative pastor Phillip Davis defeated incumbent “moderate” Ann Smith (who had beaten a conservative last year) 50.48% to 49.32%. Davis is the first black officer in modern NC convention history. For 2VP, conservative Kenneth Ridings was re-elected 57.1% to 42.7%. In sum, conservatives consolidated and extended their NC gains in this second year of victories. There were no significant budget changes. A motion passed asking the general board to appoint a committee to examine why circulation of the state paper, The Biblical Recorder, has dropped from 95,400 in 1986 to 60,000 in 1996.
Texas events always brook large in SBC life because more than 5,500 of the SBC’s 40,000 churches are in Texas. There is no question that moderates remain firmly in control in Texas. Moderate Charles Wade, pastor First Baptist, Arlington, defeated Rick Scarborough, pastor First, Pearland, 66% to 34%, and moderates won 1VP & 2VP by almost identical margins. There was no change in the primary state budget, but moderates passed a significant change to handling Hunger Relief funds. Some money will continue to flow to the SBC Foreign and Home Mission Boards, but now funds will also go to the “Cooperative Baptist Fellowship”, the Baptist World Alliance, and in-state hunger projects. Whereas in the 1995 budget the Foreign Mission and Home Mission Boards received $524,000, in the next budget SBC agencies will only be sent $176,000. Last year a motion to deny seating to churches which have practicing homosexuals as pastors or deacons was referred to a study committee. In its report the committee recommended no change because the means of excluding messengers is already available. [Comment: A typical liberal refusal to stand on biblical grounds. TCP] This year a moderate-backed motion to tie state convention messenger representation only to money contributed to the state portion of the budget (essentially the same amendment as passed here in Virginia in November 1994) received a majority but fell short of the 2/3 required for an amendment 1,695 (57.26%) to 1,265 (42.74%). One can confidently predict that (1) Texans have not seen the last of that proposal and (2) if it passes, Texas conservatives will be forced to form a separate state convention as we have had to do in Virginia.
In South Carolina conservatives continued the electoral victories that began circa 1989 or 90 by electing conservative Mike Hamlett, pastor First Baptist, North Spartanburg, president and known conservatives as both new VPs. The total budget was raised $600,000 with no change in the 40% going to the SBC.
Moving South, Georgia Baptists replaced outgoing conservative president John Yarbrough with another conservative, Frank Cox, pastor of North Metro First Baptist, Lawrenceville, by a vote of 3,415 to 2,024. All four VPs are also conservatives. The budget was increased 4.77% with 44.69% going to the SBC, the same as last year. By a ballot of 2,566 to 1,366 messengers called upon Mercer University president Kirby Godsey to reconsider theological views in his recent book and called on Mercer trustees to address concerns with Godsey’s book at their next meeting. Subsequently the trustees voted unanimously to support Godsey, and the executive committee of the Georgia general board appointed two committees to investigate the book and to bring recommendations regarding the relationship between the GBC and Mercer. With heresy at the helm of Mercer, Georgia Baptists will do well to move the $4,000,000 per year the university has been receiving to godly causes.
In Florida, a basically conservative state, Keith Thomas, pastor First Baptist, West Palm Beach, was chosen as new, conservative president. The 1VP is also a known conservative. The 2VP is a layman whose position is unknown. The budget was upped 4.6% retaining 40% for SBC ministries. Messengers approved a document defining parameters for churches wanting to affiliate with the state convention. John Sullivan, state executive director, said, “We must identify who we are as Baptists. You cannot be a Baptist and believe anything you want to believe.” The parameters provide that churches requesting “at large” status, without affiliating with a local association, first must agree with a statement of faith consistent with the Baptist Faith and Message. [Editorial Comment: Florida is to be congratulated for this step at a time when too many Baptists think that the Priesthood of All Believers means freedom to believe anything you wish. As saved Baptists our freedom means primarily that we have been cleansed of our sins, secondarily that we are not bound by the dictates of any government or hierarchy on spiritual matters, and third that we have a critically important responsibility to take the gospel personally to those with whom we have contact. But just as the individual is autonomous before God, and the local church is an autonomous body, so are the local association, the state convention, and the national convention. Each is free to determine its own statement of faith, its own criteria of membership. If a church does not choose to observe Florida’s parameters, that church is completely free to believe whatever it wishes and to look elsewhere for fellowship. Likewise, Florida is free to decide what member churches must stand for. TCP]
Alabama messengers elected as new president Leon Ballard, pastor of York Baptist, who had been 1VP the last two years. Ballard is a moderate or liberal as evidenced by the backing of the Alabama CBF. Ballard beat conservative Mike McLemore 612-424. Solid conservatives were elected 1VP & 2VP. The new budget stands at $32.12 million with an unchanged 42.3% going to the SBC. Samford University trustees voted in September 1994 to become a self-perpetuating board, which decision has caused disputes ever since. A reconciliation committee recommended and messengers adopted a procedure under which Samford would submit trustee nominees to the state convention’s nominations committee. Only those nominees jointly selected by Samford and the committee will be recommended to the annual convention for approval. [Editorial Comment: Although billed as compromise, that arrangement strikes me as abject surrender by the state to Samford. TCP]
Mississippi adopted a measure essentially identical with the Samford agreement in Alabama to apply to all state institutions; current trustees nominate their own replacements with state nominating committee and convention approval. Moderates swept the presidency and VP offices, and the budget will continue to send 37% to the SBC.
In Louisiana Michael Claunch, pastor of First Baptist, Slidell, was re-elected president by 1,491-934 over Larry Baker, pastor First Baptist, Pineville. Claunch is a strong conservative; Baker, former “moderate” head of the SBC Christian Life Commission, a strong and known moderate. This was the first time ever that an incumbent president was challenged. Moderates won the 1VP by c. 100 votes and 2VP by about 200. This was the closest conservatives have ever come to electing VPs. The budget was increased 2.3% with the SBC portion remaining at 35%. A proposed amendment to the state constitution called upon the state to do “its work in accordance with the principle that the Bible is the word of God and is truth without any mixture of error in every area of which it s speaks, and that the confession of faith of the Louisiana Baptist Convention shall be the Baptist Faith and Message statement adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention on May 9. 1963.” The amendment received 55% of the vote but failed to attain the necessary 67% for passage. On another issue, conservatives control the Louisiana College trustees. Four of the college’s professors have brought a lawsuit against Leon Hyatt, leader of a conservative group. The convention passed a resolution affirming the right of Hyatt and all Baptists to “speak in public or private concerning his or her religious convictions or about any Baptist convention, institution, agency, policy, practice, decision, or belief ...”
The Tennessee convention was a clear defeat for conservatives. Though the presidential race was close, 528-481, moderate Herbert Higdon, pastor Crossroads Baptist, Jackson, won over Ronnie Wilburn, pastor Meridian Baptist, Jackson. The 1VP choice is a moderate. The new 2VP is unknown to me, but the other votes suggest he too is moderate. The budget saw a 4.5% increase with the SBC 37.5% unchanged. In Tennessee the president has no appointive power. Moreover, the committee on committee members are nominated by the committee on boards, and the committee on boards members are nominated by the committee on committees. A bylaw change proposed by conservatives would have given each president power to appoint 5 of the 15 members of the committee on committees. Since committee on committee members serve three years, after the third year all committee on committee members would have been appointed by the last three presidents. The amendment would have needed a 2/3 majority to take effect, whereas the vote was only 568 for to 668 against. Moderates seem to be in the driver’s seat in Tennessee.
Next door to Tennessee Kentucky Baptists elected a full slate of moderates. For president, Floyd Price, pastor Scottsville Baptist, Scottsville won with 57% to 43% for conservative evangelist Don Short. The budget received an increase of 2.5% to $19.22 million, but in a shock to conservatives, messengers reduced the percentage going to the SBC from 37% to 35%. The vote on this was also 57% to 43%. Additionally, the convention defeated (301-481) a conservative motion to allow churches to determine their own percentage split of Cooperative program gifts. Finally, the convention heard the first reading of a moderate-proposed amendment to the state constitution which would base messengers to the state convention only upon money contributed to the state portion of the budget. To be enacted the proposal must receive a two-thirds margin next year. This is the same as the BGAV amendment passed in November 1994 which forced conservative Virginians to form a separate convention. [Comment: Liberals talk inclusiveness but act elitist and seek to exclude conservatives once we begin to pose a threat to their iron grasp on power. TCP]
Moving west to Arkansas, Rex Horne, pastor of President Clinton’s church and a moderate, was elected by acclamation. A moderate was also elected 1VP. The position of the new 2VP is unknown to me. The trustees of Ouchita Baptist University had voted on 10 September to go self-perpetuating (i.e., separate itself from the state nominating process) because the state nominating committee proposed four conservatives as trustees. Ouchita receives $2.5 million from the state annually; one quarter of the state budget. At the convention, messengers voted 801-456 to approve a “compromise” plan whereby university trustees would be nominated by a committee comprised of equal numbers of members from the state nominating committee and the OBU committee authorized to act on behalf of the Board of Trustees. Nominees proposed by this joint committee would be voted upon at the convention and could be replaced. The status of this proposal is somewhat clouded because, though it received a clear majority, it fell short of the requisite two-thirds. After this vote, a motion to defund OBU was overwhelmingly defeated. The convention adopted a $17,595,000 budget with 41.77% for the SBC, unchanged.
In Missouri a moderate layman from Springfield, Arthur Mallory, defeated conservative pastor Jeff Barnes from Blue Springs, by 55 votes, a moderate pastor won 1VP by only 12 votes, and 2VP went to a moderate by about 60%. All three new officers are connected with the CBF. The budget increased $200,000. The same 35.75% as previously will go to the SBC. A motion to require people on state committees, agency boards, and commissions to acknowledge the inerrancy of the Bible failed of the necessary two-thirds by a small margin. Also defeated 498-456 was a motion to ban the liberal Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs from exhibiting at the annual meeting. A motion to instruct state staff to stop forwarding designated contributions from churches to non-Missouri Baptist or non-SBC related causes (i.e., to the CBF, et al) was referred to the MBC executive board. In December the MBC executive board declined to act on the motion, so such designations will continue to be forwarded.
Conservatives firmly lead in Oklahoma. Ted Kersh, pastor Village Baptist, Oklahoma City, is the new president, and both VPs are also conservatives. The budget is $18.05 million, 1.82% above last year with the same 40% going to the SBC.
Turning to Virginia’s near northern neighbors, in Maryland-Delaware known conservative Gary Glanville, pastor of Northwest Baptist, Reisertown, was handily elected as the second consecutive conservative president. Both VPs are also conservatives. The budget of $4,978,568 is an increase of $171,736 with an unchanged 41% of CP receipts to be sent to the SBC. The District of Columbia is dually aligned with both the SBC and the American (Northern) Baptist Convention. At the DC meeting the executive board informed messengers that a committee has been formed to investigate the possibility of affiliating also with the Progressive National Baptist Convention, a predominantly black group. The budget of $1,184,098 is an increase of less than 1%. Of expected 1997 CP gifts of $163,000 15.5% will flow to the SBC and the same amount to the ABC. The 31% total is a rise of 2%, the third consecutive year the DCBC has made such an increase. In Penn-Jersey the resurgence is not a factor. George Sanders, pastor of First Southern Baptist, Altoona, was elected by acclamation. The budget was raised 7.3% to $2,287,216 with 23.25% of CP donations to go to the SBC, up 0.25%.
West Virginia is solidly conservative. Mark McClung, pastor Southern Baptist Fellowship, Summersville, was 1VP and was elected by acclamation. Both VPs are also conservative and elected without opposition. The budget received a 10% increase (!). Of CP receipts, 35% will go to the SBC, up from the previous 29.5%. Way to go, West Virginia!
Californians re-elected strong conservative Harry Lewis president. A young black pastor, Horacio Jones, is the new 1VP, and the 2VP is unknown to me. On the budget, the SBC 29% remains the same, but messengers approved a proposal that any receipts above the basic budget goal will be divided 50/50 with the SBC. Reportedly there is little or no likelihood that there will be any receipts above the basic goal since in recent years California has not met its budget.
Colorado is also one of the most conservative states. Davis Cooper, pastor of University Hills Baptist, was re-elected president. All three presidential officers are conservative. The $3,361,000 budget is a 9% increase. 29% of CP gifts go to the SBC, a ½% rise.
Indiana, too, is known as one of the more conservative states. John Rogers, pastor of Eastlake Baptist, Crown Point, is the new president. The $3.4 million budget is 2.4% above its predecessor; 32.25% will go to SBC causes, no change. Illinois is reported to be more conservative now than it used to be. The new president, Gene Gibson, pastor of Faith Baptist, Chicago, an African-American, elected by acclamation, does not take part in convention politics though he may lean moderate. For 1VP there was a clear choice between Roger Marshall, pastor First Baptist, Eldorado, the establishment nominee, and Gary Johnson, the conservative nominee. Marshall won by less than 20 votes. The budget was increased 1% to $7,124,580 with 40.75% to SBC, no change. Ohio chose Steve Whitehall, pastor First Baptist, Columbus, who is in the middle as president and Ron Mitchell, pastor First Baptist, Huber Heights, a solid conservative, as 1VP. The $6,495,924 budget represents an increase of 6.1% with 40% (unchanged) of CP receipts to go to the SBC.
Michigan elected a strong conservative president by acclamation, Ray Shelton, pastor Friendship Baptist, Lincoln Park. Michigan is facing a financial issue in that reportedly there has been unauthorized shifting of funds between accounts. There is no charge that funds have been illegally used for personal benefit. One result is that some $200,000 of SBC Cooperative Program money has not been sent to Nashville. At the convention, messengers did NOT pass the $2,833,906 budget but sent it back to the executive board for revision. The budget did not increase over the current year, and would have cut the SBC portion from 32% to 25%. The convention will hold a special meeting 30 January, hopefully to approve a new budget.
Kansas-Nebraska’s new president, Neal Alford, pastor First Baptist, Douglass, was re-elected for a second year. He is reportedly a theological conservative, but not a participant in the resurgence. The new VP, Don lacy, pastor, Calvary Baptist, Valley Center, is strongly conservative. The budget represents a record high $2,910,080 ... 3% above last year, with 30.5% to the SBC, up 0.5%.
New Mexico Baptists elected three conservatives, though not movement conservatives as president and two VPs. They also approved a bylaw change reducing the executive board from 40 to 30 members and increasing lay representation from 25% to 33%. Messengers defeated a proposed amendment that would have removed a current requirement that a church be a member of a local association in order to have messengers seated at the state convention. Reportedly, voting was pretty much along age lines with older messengers voting to retain the restriction, younger members to remove it. The $2,898,666 CP budget is an increase of 3%; 30.5% will go to the SBC, no change.
In Arizona moderate leaning David Johnson, pastor First Southern Baptist, Phoenix, was elected over known conservative Bruce Coe, pastor First Baptist, Chandler, by 136 to 132, a margin of only four votes! In a gracious move, Johnson then nominated Coe for 1VP, and he was elected without opposition. The SBC portion of the budget was increased by 1% to 19% with consideration to be given to increasing another 1% next year. In addition, a new missions giving plan allows churches to set their own formula as to how donations are to be divided between the state and the SBC. The CP goal is $3,067,021 ... an 8.5% increase.
The other eleven conventions (Alaska, Dakotas, Hawaii, Iowa, Minnesota-Wisconsin, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New England, Northwest, Utah-Idaho, and Wyoming) are all new work states where the resurgence does not compete with survival and growth. For the most part these states are theologically conservative and closely aligned with the SBC. The only items of note among them are that Nevada increased its CP share to the SBC by 0.25%, the fourth consecutive year of increase. And Wyoming increased its SBC CP portion by 0.5%.
It is interesting to summarize resolutions passed by the various state conventions. In the following tabulation I have omitted those resolutions that deal strictly with matters unique to a particular state and focussed on those of wider application.
Appropriately, the number one concern among Southern Baptists as indicated by the resolutions is affirming the sanctity of life/opposing attacks upon life so prevalent in our “culture” today. Thirteen states opposed abortion and affirmed sanctity of life (AL, AR, K-N, KY, MI, MO, NE, NM, OH, OK, SC, VA-SBCV, WY), and six opposed euthanasia & assisted suicide (HI, IN, LA, MI, NE, NM).
Running a close second in frequency was opposition to gambling with 15 states passing such resolutions (AL, AR, HI, LA, M-Del, MS, NE, NM, OH, OK, P-J, TN, TX, WV, WY).
Ten resolutions opposed homosexual practice and/or same sex marriage: AR, FL, HI, M-Del, OK, SC (two resolutions), TN, VA-SBCV & WY.
Four either condemned the burning of black churches or affirmed racial relations: AL, AR, NC, & WV.
Two expressed concern for the US media/entertainment: LA and M-Del.
Two opposed liquor advertizing on TV and radio: FL & NM.
Two opposed alcohol and other drugs: AR & LA.
Two censured the Disney Co. and other unnamed corporations for policies made “without regard for Christian values”: AK and CA.
Three called for prayer for elected officials: FL, IL, & VA-BGAV.
And three specifically affirmed the Southern Baptist Convention: IN, U-I, VA-SBCV (the latter directed to our seminaries).
Several subjects were addressed by one state each: Arkansas opposed pornography. Arkansas also affirmed Christian school teachers and administrators. Indiana opposed taxing church assets. And West Virginia affirmed creation and opposed evolution.
There is one consideration to keep in mind while considering the implications of the above tabulation. Normally a state convention will not report out and pass a resolution on a topic dealt with in resolutions during the last year or two. Therefore it would be incorrect to conclude that ONLY 18 state conventions have deep convictions about human life issues (in 1994 seven passed such resolutions, in 1995 eight), or that ONLY four states strongly support better racial relations (four others did last year). Gambling continues to be a major concern: 1994 ten resolutions, 1995 14, this year 15. In 1995 five states expressed opposition to homosexuality and/or same sex marriage compared to the nine this year.