State Wrap 1998                                                                  

by T. C. Pinckney                                                                                                               Vol. XII, No. 1, January 1999

Our society often focusses on the immediate, the short term, the headline, and seldom if ever sits back and considers the overall situation and its implications. This article reviews all the state Baptist annual meetings and attempts to derive an overview of what is happening throughout our convention. It draws upon Baptist Press reports of each meeting and personal conversations with participants in each of the major states.

Summary: Please recognize that the following categorization, while based on actual votes and personalities, is the result of subjective judgment. So it is not surprising that a state convention may shift from one category to another from one year to the next. There have been several such changes this year and presumably will be others next year. Nevertheless, this is the most accurate picture of our convention of which I am aware.

— Conservatives lead in eleven state conventions (CO, FL, GA, IN, MI, NC, OK, SC, TX-SBTC, VA-SBCV, WV), one less than last year because California and MD-DE moved to the mixed category and a new conservative state convention was formed in Texas.

— Liberals are ahead in five states, three less than in 1997 (AR, DC, MS, TX-BGCT, and VA-BGAV), with the shift of three states to the mixed area (AL, KY, MO).

— There are eleven mixed state conventions (AL, AZ, CA, IL, KY, LA, MD-DE, MO, NM, PA-So J, TN), up from eight in ‘97.

— Finally, the other fourteen conventions/fellowships are new work areas where numerical weakness and the many challenges require everyone’s full energy (AK, DK, HI, IA, KS-NE, MN-WI, MT, NV, NE, NY, NW, OH, U-I, WY).

Two major events lead the news from state conventions: Missouri and Texas. For the first time conservatives won every vote in MO. This is a major turnaround from last year when MO was in the liberal column. The shift is due to the very effective and persevering work of the Missouri Baptist Laymen’s Association sparked by its dynamic researcher, writer, and contact man, Roger Moran. The MBLA has researched and widely distributed articles on the “Cooperative Baptist Fellowship”, the Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs, Americans United, and other liberal groups. They produced a video which was also widely disseminated. And they conducted a successful effort to contact conservative pastors and evoke commitments to attend the state convention and bring their messengers. The publicity moved both sides to come, and an all-time record attendance was the result. The new, conservative president is Gary Taylor, pastor of FBC, O’Fallon who won by the comfortable vote of 1282 to 744. All new officers are unequivocal conservatives, and they include the president of MBLA who was elected recording secretary. Another indicator of strong conservative sentiment is the fact that although the resolutions committee had not reported out a draft resolution supporting home schooling, there was a motion from the floor that the resolution be considered by the body. The motion to consider passed, and after subsequent debate the pro-home schooling resolution passed on a show of ballots vote by about a two-thirds majority. All in all this is an astounding turn-around, and if conservative momentum in MO can be sustained, will mark a major improvement within the SBC.

November 10 marked the establishment of a second (and conservative) state convention in Texas, the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention (SBTC). This was not a surprise because (1) the BGCT last year had approved in the first of two constitutionally required annual votes the “Effectiveness and Efficiency Report” which copied the provision passed here in Virginia by the BGAV that based messenger representation at state conventions only on money given by a church to the state (omitting funds given to the SBC) and that forced conservatives here to form the SBCV; and (2) Texas conservatives a year ago had formed a transition committee to begin transforming the SBT from a fellowship to a state convention.

The SBTC meeting registered 537 messengers from at least 183 churches and a total attendance of more than 1,300. The new SBTC president is Stan Coffey, pastor San Jacinto BC, Amarillo, elected unanimously. Also elected unanimously was Jim Richards as SBTC executive director. Richards is an active, able, and well known conservative who comes to Texas from a position as DOM of Northwest Baptist Association, Arkansas. The next day the SBTC executive board elected Dee Slocum, pastor of Greenway Park BC, Amarillo, as chairman. The SBTC launch was eased a bit by being able to draw on lessons learned by the SBCV here in Virginia.

As expected, the BGCT gave final approval to the Effectiveness and Efficiency Report and re-elected Russell Dilday, the resigned president of Southwestern Seminary, as president. After his re-election, Dilday said, “I think there will always be cooperation (between the SBC and the BGCT) in the future. It may change in nature and extent, but it will always be there, and we will continue to participate in programs the messengers of the BGCT feel they can still support.” He said the BGCT will “become more of a full-service convention. By that I mean we provide for our churches a whole range in which we can help them obey the Great Commission. But that doesn’t mean we would become some kind of national denominational entity.” In a resolution BGCT messengers stated their belief in “the freedom and responsibility of women and men to respond to the call of Christ to serve as they are gifted by God” and affirmed “the freedom of each local Baptist church to commission for service all persons regardless of race, socio-economic standing, age or gender who are called of God to model servant leadership.” Clearly this resolution opposes the family article added to the SBC’s Baptist Faith and Message last June, and approves ordination of women.

In a third state, Tennessee, conservatives for the first time won almost every vote. Noteworthily, messengers voted 959-742 to escrow the $2,229,381 in the proposed state budget for Carson-Newman College. In April Carson-Newman trustees voted to become a self-perpetuating board, unilaterally changing a relationship under which the TBC meeting had always elected the college’s trustees. But the school wanted to continue to receive TBC funds! All elected officers are conservatives including new president Larry Gilmore, pastor of college Heights BC, Gallatin. TN conservatives are energized and hopeful that they can continue to move the state in a more biblically conservative direction. It is a bit early to consider TN in the conservative category, but it has definitely moved from liberal (where it was last year) to “mixed.” PTL.

Kentucky presents truly mixed results, but still an improvement for conservatives over last year. The new president, a retired layman, is reputedly a middle of the roader, but he was elected over a CBF pastor and he serves on the Southern Seminary trustee board where he supports conservative president Al Mohler. Both vice presidents are CBF men, and the second VP beat a strong conservative. However, Ky increased the percentage of Cooperative program funds going to the SBC by 0.357%. We will closely watch what happens in KY next November.

California was a disappointment. Messengers approved a regionalization plan opposed by conservatives and changed the state mission statement from “This Convention serves to encourage and assist Southern Baptist churches and associations to do evangelism, missions, and ministry in California and the world” to “This Convention serves our culturally diverse congregations as we fulfill the Great Commandment ns the Great Commission.” Note the omission of any reference to the SBC. Conservatives’ did have one success in passing by a six vote margin a constitutional change requiring a church’s practice to conform to the Baptist Faith and Message. The issue of the lady preacher, a matter of concern for several years, did not come up because she had moved to Texas.

MD-DE moved from conservative to mixed. Conservatives lost the presidency but elected one of their own as 2VP. They also gained two seats on the state General Mission Board.

Georgia remains strongly conservative with the top four new officers all definitely conservative. The item that provoked the most debate was an amendment to the state constitution proposed by the convention’s executive committee that would have established a process for withdrawing fellowship from churches which (1) affirm, approve, or endorse homosexual behavior or (2) engage in non-biblical charismatic worship practices that are divisive and disruptive. The two issues were separated prior to debate and voting. The amendment on homosexuality passed by a large margin. However, the ballot vote on charismatic practices received 1,190 yes votes to 747 no or 61.44% ... short of the required two-thirds.

Walker L. Knight, long time Georgia Baptist, a leader of the “progressive” wing of Southern Baptists, and former editor of the liberal paper, Baptists Today, commented, “Sadly the Georgia Baptist Convention executive committee continues its history of being reactionary, acting in this instance in a similar way to its leaders who earlier supported slavery, and others who refused to acknowledge God’s call to women. Jesus Christ is a Savior of inclusiveness, not exclusiveness.” Knight is a 40-year member of Oakhurst BC, Decatur, which has ordained known homosexuals and lesbians as deacons. [This paragraph reprinted from Baptist Today, November ‘98, p 3] [Editorial comment: Excuse me, but didn’t Jesus say something about “Many are called but few are chosen” and “wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” ?]

A note from FL: messengers unanimously elected the first black state president, Elroy Barber, pastor of Westside BC, Hollywood. Barber’s 250 member church has sponsored 18 mission churches.

NC is slowly becoming more conservative. All officers were re-elected with the president and 1VP being conservatives. However, the general board is still lop-sidedly liberal as is the state paper’s (The Biblical Recorder) new editor and board of trustees. Messengers approved a fourth giving plan, Plan D, somewhat more conservative than plans B & C (B & C send funds to the liberal Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, the Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs, Associated Baptist Press, and the Baptist Center for Ethics, all of which are liberal, and Plan C sends money to the CBF. Plan A sends 32% of CP funds to the SBC.

Regarding the two Virginia conventions, you read in our last issue about our great SBCV meeting at Spotswood BC, Fredericksburg. A quick summary for those who may have missed that article: All officers were elected by acclamation. All votes were unanimous. Kelly Burris, pastor of Kempsville BC, Virginia Beach is our new president. And the new CP budget is $3,300,000 ... almost precisely twice the ‘98 budget.

The Baptist General Association of Virginia met in Virginia Beach for its 175^th anniversary meeting. Gene Watson, lay member of Farmville BC was elected president by acclamation. David Sapp, pastor, Derbyshire BC, Richmond, active with CBF, is 1VP; Ellen Gwathmey, minister of visitation and outreach, River Road BC, Richmond, a strongly CBF church, is 2VP; and Fred Anderson, executive director of the Virginia Baptist Historical society, is clerk. Messengers adopted the proposed FY 99 budget of $15,083,901 ... 0.76% less than the FY 98 figure of 15,200,000.

It is interesting to compare the five year budget history of the two Virginia conventions.

BGAV:                  95                      96                       97                       98                       99

Budget       $15,000,000    $15,400,000     $15,500,000      $15,200,000      $15,083,901

Receipts       15,242,921      15,056,198       14,574,324        14,667,782                 --

SBCV:

Budget $ 105,000 $ 221,000 $ 774,000 $ 1,660,000 $ 3,300,000

Receipts 286,000 688,417 1,815,400 2,789,000 --

CP Percentages: Checking what states have done with their dollars relative to the SBC, we find that only one state, GA, reduced the percentage flowing to the SBC and that by just 0.07%, leaving GA sending 43.87% to the SBC rather than 43.94%. One would suspect from these two figures that the slight cut represents an accounting matter rather than a policy change. On the other hand, 11 state conventions (DC, IL, IN, IA, KN-NE, KY, MI, NV, PA-SoJ, WV, and WY) increased the percent going to the SBC between 0.25% and 3.0% (MI). All other state percentages remain the same.

Resolutions: This year resolutions were not as focussed on a few subjects as last year. Whereas in ‘97 three subjects received wide attention: opposition to gambling 12, support for persecuted Christians 10, and opposition to abortion 9; this year eight states passed resolutions supporting family and/or marriage, seven opposed gambling, seven passed some type of concern about morality in government, and four opposed abortion. No other subject appeared more than twice. CA abolished the committee on resolutions. [Editorial Note: Refusing to permit resolutions is typically a liberal action. The CBF forbids resolutions. On the other hand, free speech is always honored by conservatives. Isn’t it remarkable that the very people who claim to stand for academic freedom, scientific inquiry, autonomy of the local church, and soul freedom are the ones who try to deny the expression of opinion?]