Why I Believe the SBCV Should Become a New State Convention Now

by D. B. Martin, Pastor, Natural Bridge Baptist Church                                      Vol. IX, No. 5, May 1996

     Last fall I wrote an article for The Baptist Banner opposing the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia becoming a new state convention. While I still have some concerns, I believe that the SBCV should now become a state convention.

     For several years it has appeared to me that the BGAV annual meetings were attended primarily by a strongly "pro-moderate" majority and a strongly "pro-conservative" minority. Most of the "middle conservatives" were just not there. As a "pro-conservative," I had hoped we could influence BGAV to move back toward traditional Southern Baptist doctrinal positions and world missions support. Apparently we were not able to get the "middle conservatives" to join us. The 1994 constitutional change basing messengers only on gifts to the BGAV Virginia causes, greatly reduced the influence of conservative churches designating more to SBC causes. This was a turning point, but I still didn't give up until the 1995 BGAV annual meeting. Most "pro-conservatives" and “middle conservatives" did not attend. Disappointing decisions made at that meeting caused me to change my opinion. Here are four examples:

     (1) The BGAV refused to discipline the University of Richmond for their SALE OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ON CAMPUS, Moreover, later the Resolutions Committee brought a resolution "affirming our longstanding opposition to the abuse of alcohol..." A messenger asked from the floor why the resolution did not condemn the "use" of alcohol, since Southern Baptists have always been opposed to any use of it. The Resolutions Committee chairman replied that the word "abuse" expressed the judgment of the committee. The resolution then passed. Thus the BGAV messengers went on record as opposing abuse but tacitly approving the use of alcohol!

     (2) The BGAV refused to consider a resolution affirming a bill in Congress prohibiting "LATE TERM PARTIAL BIRTH ABORTIONS." The written resolution had come from the floor and by-laws required referral to the Resolutions Committee with minimal description. The Resolutions Committee simply reported "no action" on the proposed resolution. A motion to read the proposed resolution to the body was ruled out of order.

     (3) The BGAV Office of Partnership Missions announced that mission projects in the Czech Republic would be in PARTNERSHIP WITH THE "COOPERATIVE BAPTIST FELLOWSHIP" (rather than with the Foreign Mission Board of the SBC). Since the annual meeting, several conferences in our state hove been announced as jointly sponsored by BGAV and CBF. The BGAV is clearly moving away from the Southern Baptist Convention toward the "Cooperative Baptist Fellowship," which I see as a new denomination.

     (4) The TOP BGAV OFFICERS elected for 1995-96 are STRONGLY PRO-MODERATE and most are PRO-CBF. For example, present BGAV President Richard Clint Hopkins is well known for his CBF advocacy. He said to the special state reconciliation committee last year, "the entire conservative resurgence and all the current leadership of the Southern Baptist Convention is Satanic." After his election as BGAV president, Hopkins said to the Baptist General Board, "...not only do we not wish to be subservient to the SBC, but we do not wish to be like the SBC." (Dec. 7, 1995 issue of the RELIGIOUS HERALD, p 2) Though Hopkins' anti-Southern Baptist views were well known, he was elected BGAV president by acclamation. They are the ones who are leaving.

     The SBCV STANDS BY THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION in their doctrines, social concerns, and SBC world missions causes. The SBC now sends 35% of all undesignated cooperative program gifts on to SBC world missions. [Note: This percentage was increased to 50% at the annual SBCV meeting held 16 September 1996. TCP] ...

     In many other important ways the SBCV is already functioning as a state convention. It has a state office, and Dr. Doyle Chauncey began April 1st as full time Executive Director. Ministries to churches include state evangelism conferences, church growth conferences, summer youth camps, aid for new and struggling churches, and scholarships for students training for the ministry. Partnership-type foreign missions projects are being planned. The SBCV will not claim to be the exclusive SBC state convention but only one of two SBC state conventions in Virginia. Churches may choose BGAV, SBCV, or be dually aligned. The relationship will be primarily alternative rather than adversarial .

     The legal counsel for the SBC Executive Committee has issued the opinion that application is not necessary to become a state convention. The messengers to the SBCV annual meeting on September 16 may simply declare it a state convention. Accordingly, SBCV president, Bob Melvin, said in a recent issue of The Baptist Banner he would be very surprised if the SBCV annual meeting in September did not vote officially to declare the SBCV a new state convention for Virginia Southern Baptists. [The vote to form the new convention was unanimous. TCP] When this is done, various Southern Baptist agencies have already indicated they will send representatives to SBCV state meetings and in effect recognize SBCV as a new state convention. The Executive Committee of the SBC will probably report the Cooperative Program gifts of the SBCV as a second Virginia state convention, adding their implicit recognition of SBCV as a state convention. When all these things take place, I believe the Annuity Board will enter into a written agreement with SBCV concerning pastors’ and church staff retirement programs. It could all happen in the next twelve months!

     For all these reasons, I believe this year is the time for the SBCV to declare ourselves a separate state convention.