Evergreen Response to “Truthfully Speaking”

                                                                                                                            Vol. XVI, No. 5, May 2004

[Introduction: The Baptist General Association of Virginia has published a booklet titled “Truthfully Speaking” which is available on their website and apparently has been widely distributed, at least to pastors. In a future issue The Banner will comment, but below is a letter regarding “Truthfully Speaking” from Chris King, pastor of Evergreen Baptist Church, the only church cited by name in the BGAV booklet. TCP]

April 7, 2004

To: Mike Clingenpeel, Editor, The Religious Herald, and Dr. John Upton, Executive Director, Baptist General Association of Virginia

Dear Sirs:

I just received a copy in the mail of Truthfully Speaking: The Executive Director and Treasurer's Frequently Asked Questions and Answers About the BGAV (2004). In perusing this document, I found a reference to our church, Evergreen Baptist Church, which, in context, associated our church with an article supposedly written to detail the steps by which a "fundamentalist takeover" of a church by the SBCV can happen, and implied that such a "takeover" is what Evergreen Church experienced. Truthfully speaking, both the association and the implication are absolutely false!

In regard to the alleged article, "Evergreen Church Joins the SBCV" (a copy of which I have before me now), the article simply states how Evergreen made its decision to join the SBCV on the basis of consistency with its own long-held conservative theological beliefs. Evergreen had already on several occasions taken issue with previous decisions of the BGAV in regard to how the organization appropriated its funds to other entities which do not reflect a conservative view of Scripture. The continuation of the funding of these organizations (such as the Baptist Center for Ethics, Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs, Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, etc.) and, especially, the connections, financial and organizational, these organizations have with the Alliance of Baptists who are supportive of their member churches who ordain and install homosexual ministers, encouraged Evergreen to review its own consistency of giving and belief. Evergreen chose to align its missions giving with its conservative beliefs and its long-standing close relationship with the Southern Baptist Convention, and thus decided to join in a unique relationship with the SBCV, a decision reached on a 96.5% affirmative vote.

 Both the vote and the decision were reached after much education (including visits for Q and A with the State Convention Relations Committee by Dr. John Upton and Ed Stratton from the BGAV as well as Dr. Geoff Hammond of the SBCV), congregational information and discussion, and, especially, concerted prayer. The article in question only details the process we went through because of the wisdom by which the issue was handled. Neither this process nor the article were intended to be a "sales pitch" for BGAV churches to leave and join the SBCV. Indeed, churches wrestling with this same issue of consistency and belief would do well to receive such counsel so that they, too, could show their own integrity by directing their missions giving to be in line with their own values, whether the church is theologically conservative, moderate, or liberal.

As you can see, the experience of Evergreen was not a "fundamentalist takeover" but an example of healthy church autonomy, a belief that the BGAV testifies it holds diligently. If that is truly so, then, rather than characterizing Evergreen's experience negatively and attacking the character of her people (as if to say that the decision was forced upon them and passed only because they were ignorant or without knowledge to understand what was going on), the BGAV's response should be one of support for a church making up its own mind according to its own beliefs. Sometimes it seems that the exaltation of church autonomy by the BGAV only applies to those who are theologically in-line with the leadership of the BGAV and not for those who are truly theologically conservative, who are in full agreement with the direction and beliefs of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Also, the use of "Evergreen Church" as the sole reference in the whole booklet to a particular church suggests that the "tactics" listed toward the end of the booklet were used at Evergreen and that Evergreen is an example of a "successful fundamentalist takeover". Not only are such implications insulting to the people of Evergreen, they are untrue. Not one of the "tactics" was used. Evergreen made its decision on the basis of the facts gathered from original sources, not on the basis of emotion, innuendo, or prejudice. For Evergreen, the examination of the facts led to a discernible conclusion and the establishment of consensus. Its decision was but a reflection of wise progression and prayerful consideration.

Finally, as I continued through Truthfully Speaking, I noticed its frequent use of the term "fundamentalist" as it tries to paint all those who affirm the BF&M 2000, specifically, and conservative theology in general with the same paint strokes. If you are using the term theologically, then to be a Christian "fundamentalist" is to affirm the fundamentals of the Christian faith as detailed in the compilation work by J. Gresham Machen, The Fundamentals, beliefs held historically by the Christian church such as the virgin birth of Christ, the inerrancy of Scripture, the literal death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, etc., then I and Evergreen Church are fundamentalists. However, I expect that the term is designed, as shown in context, to be one of disparagement, with the intent to equate the diligence with which we hold our conservative theological stance to the Islamic Fundamentalists who now terrorize our world, so as to strike fear of us in the hearts of those who don't know any better. In that regard, you would do well to search for another term, for theological conservatives are not terrorists, even if you don't like or agree with what we believe. Nor do we, as a rule, "takeover" churches; we simply stand for what we believe in and teach unashamedly that which we know to be true.

I feel that it is time for individuals and, indeed, individual churches to revisit the question of whether what we affirm is clearly shown in how and to whom we give. We are called on to be consistent in the alignment of the two so that we will be exhibiting the way of integrity; and that is true no matter where you stand in the theological spectrum. When that happens, my hope is that you will have the same experience as Evergreen, one of knowing God's pleasure in doing what is right according to what you believe.

Sincerely in Christ,

Dr. Chris King

Pastor

Evergreen Baptist Church (SBCV)

Evergreen, VA