Convention ’01: More revival than business

by   T. C. Pinckney                                                                                                                                  Vol. XIV, No. 6, June/July 2001

[Note: Much of the following is gleaned from Baptist Press articles.]

This year the annual Southern Baptist meetings took place in New Orleans. The Pastors’ Conference ran Sunday afternoon, 10 June, through Monday evening, and the convention followed on Tuesday and Wednesday. For the first time we tried a more compact schedule for the convention with a Wednesday afternoon business session running from 3:00 to 6:15 p.m. and the meeting ending then. This allows messengers to start home Wednesday evening or Thursday morning rather than Thursday evening or Friday. Comments were favorable, and I believe the new schedule will be retained.

As usual, the Pastors’ Conference was a fountain of great preaching centered on this year’s theme, “Until He comes ... Go!” Virginia’s own Jerry Falwell brought the rousing capstone message Sunday evening, and the excellent Monday evening messages were by well-known Sam Cathey, Bobby Welch, and Bailey Smith. Every Pastors’ Conference message was a true blessing.

The first thing that struck messengers about this year’s meeting was the dark skies and rain, remnants of tropical storm Allison that caused so much damage and lost lives in Houston, 330 miles west of New Orleans. And the weather did cut attendance with some 9,600 messengers registering this year compared to over 11,000 in 2000.

But the weather did not dampen the preaching, the glorious music, or the united spirit as Southern Baptists came together to make the necessary decisions for the year ahead. The following paragraphs summarize the major events.

Officers: As is customary, Dr. James Merritt, pastor of First Baptist, Snellville, GA, who was completing his first one-year term, was re-elected by acclamation. Merritt is a close friend of mine, a strong biblicist, a great preacher, an excellent administrator, and has a heart burdened for missions. The first vice-presidency went to Rev. Ed Litton, pastor of First Baptist, North Mobile, AL, with 2,176 votes to 636 for Ted Stone, an anti-drug-abuse leader and member of Grace Baptist, Durham, NC. By acclamation messengers selected T. C. Pinckney as second vice president. Pinckney is a member of Good News Baptist, Alexandria, VA, an Air Force retiree, and editor of The Baptist Banner. [Editorial Note: The second vice presidential choice may be the only mistake made during this convention. TCP]

Budget: A 2001-2002 SBC Cooperative Program allocation budget of $178,298,879 was adopted without questions from the floor. This compares to the 2000-2001 budget of $167,996,385. Remember that of these funds 94.19% goes to the International Missions Board (50%), the North American Missions Board (22.79%), and our six seminaries (21.4%). LifeWay Christian Resources and the Annuity Board fund their own activities, though the Annuity Board receives some CP funds to supplement the annuities of needy retirees.

Motions: Twenty-seven motions were made. Three proposed amendments to the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message were debated and acted upon this year. All failed to pass by overwhelming votes. Fred Malone, pastor from Mobile, AL, proposed adding four words to sentence in Article VIII so that the sentence would read (proposal in italics): “Activities on the Lord’s Day should be commensurate with the Christian’s conscience, informed by Holy Scripture, under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.” In speaking against the motion, Dr. Al Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and member of the BFM Study Committee, noted that Article I on Scripture is the foundation for the entire BFM and that therefore it is not necessary to repeat that proviso in each following article. Moreover, he said, “Your committee would plead with you not to be about the business of continually revisiting the Baptist Faith and Message. It is confessionally reckless; it is irresponsible, we feel, to continually debate such an issue on the floor.” After defeat of his motion, Malone accepted the decision gracefully, “This is an assembly of messengers and the will of the body was done. I appreciate the opportunity to discuss my concerns, but God has spoken through the assembly, and that’s it.”

The second proposed BFM change was brought by Tony Woodell of Little Rock, AR. His motion was to add to Article I, The Scriptures, the sentence, “The criterion by which Scripture is to be interpreted is Jesus Christ.” In supporting his motion Woodell said, “If we do not recognize Jesus Christ is Lord over Scripture, then we fail to recognize Jesus Christ as Lord over all. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. We also recognize that Scripture is very important. The Lordship of Jesus Christ allows us to go to the Scripture. Jesus Christ must be the criterion by which we interpret Scripture.”

Richard Land, president of the SBC Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission and also a member of the BFM Study Committee, pointed out to messengers that the proposed phrase was “virtually the same as that which you resoundingly defeated last year when we adopted this confession.” Last year the sentence read “the Bible” where this year the proposal has “Scripture”. Land said, “The reason it is not in the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message is this sentence was used to set up a false dichotomy between Jesus and Scripture. We need to remember that when Jesus got ready to leave the disciples, he said, ‘I have more to teach you...’”

Charles Wade, executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, who strongly opposed the 2000 BFM last year, said, “This idea there is a false dichotomy proposed between Jesus and Scripture is a false statement. Those of us who believe this sentence in all its elegant praise to Christ should have been left in the 2000 statement want to be on record as saying we do believe in the full authority of Scripture.”

Chuck Kelley, president of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and also a member of the BFM Study Committee, spoke against the motion. “Perhaps the issue for me was most clearly explained when one of the editors of the [Texas] Baptist Standard, complaining about the removal of this statement prior to the convention last year, gave us a very vivid example of how the 1963 statement was being used. He used the example of Paul writing about the role of husbands and wives in Ephesians chapter 5. He said Paul contradicted himself in two consecutive sentences. In one sentence he said Paul said we are to mutually submit wives and husbands to one another. In the next sentence Paul said the husband was the head of the wife.

“That was a contradiction and [the editor said that] Jesus would help us understand which one of Paul’s two statements was right. Jesus would not be in favor of demeaning women, [the editor reasoned;] he felt that that statement in Ephesians 5 ... was demeaning to women, therefore Jesus would choose Ephesians 5:21 over Eph. 5:22. Southern Baptists have always believed the whole Bible is the Word of God and there is no need to get Jesus to pick and choose which part of the Bible is inspired and which is not.”

The motion failed by an overwhelming show of ballots. The business session was extended by 10 minutes to deal with the third motion.

Steve Barrett of Waseca, MN, moved to delete the word “religious” from Article I, which states “[the Scripture is] ... the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried.” Barrett said, “The Bible is applicable to our lives 24 hours a day, seven days a week, not just at 11 a.m. on Sunday morning. We deny this when we say the Bible is only applicable to religious opinions.”

Mohler spoke against the motion. “... I believe the entire committee would resoundingly agree with the sentiment and the conviction that was so forcefully articulated by Brother Barrett. If we as a committee felt this statement limited the authority or truthfulness of Scripture to religious opinions, we would have changed it last year... by no means does the word ‘religious’ there seek to limit. The word ‘only’ does not appear. ... Your committee feels the historic language used ever since 1925, when the Baptist Faith and Message was first adopted by this Convention, should be maintained. We also want to state our emphatic agreement that Scripture is not only totally true and trustworthy in religious opinions but in all opinions.”

Like the other two motions, this one was overwhelmingly defeated. Numerous other motions were presented. SBC by-laws require that if a motion pertains to an SBC entity (board, commission, seminary) it must be referred to that organization for study and a report the following June. Most motions fell into that category and were referred. One or two motions were out of order. For example, one proposed would have directed all SBC agencies and speakers to use certain terms. However, it would be inappropriate for the SBC to try to so control its entities and individuals.

Another motion proposed that “the SBC give the power and support needed to the [local] associations in order to use correctional measures for those churches who deliberately and willfully disregard the Baptist Faith and Message but more importantly the Holy Word of God.” This motion is clearly out of order because the SBC has no authority over a local association. Local churches belong to local associations and their members vote at associational business meetings, but there is no direct link between the SBC and local associations.

Finally, one or two motions were really in the nature of resolutions and were referred to the Resolutions Committee.

Folks who may attend future SBC meetings should review the portions of the SBC constitution and bylaws dealing with motions and resolutions so that their proposals will be presented in the proper way in order that it can be dealt with substantively, not just procedurally. The SBC constitution and bylaws can be found in every SBC Annual (in the 2000 edition they begin respectively on pages 4 and 7) and in each Book of Reports (in the 2001 Book of Reports see pages 157 and 160). For motions dealing with SBC entities, see bylaw 26B. Regarding resolutions, see bylaw 20, second and third paragraphs.

Resolutions: The Resolutions Committee reported nine resolutions to messengers with approval recommended. In addition to the customary expression of appreciation to the host city and local Southern Baptists, eight others dealt with “life, liberty, and the family” committee chairman Danny Akin said. Those eight resolutions approved by the committee were:

— Opposition to human cloning, for both reproductive and research purposes, and a call for Congress to pass a permanent ban.

— Repudiation of euthanasia and a request for the world’s countries to express “moral outrage” at The Netherlands’ recent legalization of euthanasia.

— Condemnation of the persecution and genocide sponsored by the militant Islamic regime in Sudan and support for direct aid to the victims.

— Support for the Southern Baptist World Hunger Fund and the practice of gleaning, in which a person provides part of his abundant resources for the poor.

— Opposition to the “unconstitutional treatment of Southern Baptist chaplains” and others by the United States military, as well as encouragement of policies protecting free exercise of religion in the armed forces.

— Rejection of any federal campaign finance legislation that does not protect free speech.

— Endorsement of the Covenant Marriage movement.

— Support for laws that provide protection from Internet pornography and for policies by public libraries that provide protection to their patrons.

Committee on Nominations: Each year the SBC president appoints a Committee on Committees composed of two individuals from each state convention, normally a pastor and a layman. Its members serve for one year and have one responsibility, to nominate to the following June’s SBC two other people, also normally a pastor and a layman, to be elected to serve for the next year on the Committee on Nominations. The Nominations Committee then selects replacements to be nominated to the next year’s June SBC meeting to fill openings on the various SBC boards of trustees.

Obviously the selection of members of the Committee on Committees and the Committee on Nominations is crucially important. If the president names people simply because they are nice guys, the C/C members will in turn choose their nominees in the same unthinking manner, and in a very few years all the progress of the Conservative Resurgence would be dissipated. Selectees must be biblically sound, understand the remarkable changes we have undergone and why, and must be strong enough to stand alone — if necessary — in supporting what is right. The trustees are responsible and owe their loyalty to the entire Southern Baptist Convention, definitely NOT to the organization that they oversee or to its president. They serve the Convention as its watchdogs and are charged with setting policy and hiring top level officials.

During the New Orleans meeting, nominees to serve on this coming year’s Committee on Nominations were voted on by messengers. There were no competing nominations from the floor, and members were elected unanimously.

The new chairman is David H. Shepherd of Trinity BC, Niskayuna, NY. Virginia members are Houston P. (Chip) Roberson, pastor of Bethel BC, Chesapeake, and Bernard C. Swann, Bon Air BC, Richmond.

Convention Sermon: In an historic first, an African American pastor brought the convention sermon. Fred Luter, pastor of Franklin Avenue BC in New Orleans, said, “If we are going to occupy till He comes, we need every member of every church of every size of every race of every city and state to hear the cry of Jesus. Listen to the cry. He’s calling for laborers.” His energetic sermon was interrupted repeatedly by applause and concluded with a standing ovation. Clearly Southern Baptists welcomed this event. Luter said although Southern Baptists have enough choir members, deacons, trustees, preachers, musicians, and church members, they need more laborers for the harvest. “What about you, my brother? What about you, my sister? What about you? Can the Lord count on you to go until He comes? Can the Lord count upon you to go until He comes? ... the harvest is ripe, but the laborers are few. What about you?”

Allow me a personal note. I have known Fred Luter now for several years and count him as a good friend. When you see Fred, you do not mainly see a black man. You see an earnest and devoted Christian. You see a pastor who has built Franklin Avenue from about 30 to 7,000 members. You see a warm-hearted, highly effective leader. You see (and hear) a great preacher. You see the kind of man you will be happy to be with for eternity.

Drama: Dr. James Dobson was scheduled to give the final address Wednesday afternoon. though for some time most messengers were not aware of a problem, as a member of the Committee on Order of Business I was on the platform and shared in many hurried and worried consultations. Dobson and his wife had left Colorado springs on a private jet Wednesday morning to fly to New Orleans. Shortly after takeoff a problem developed with one of the airplane’s two engines, fumes filled the cabin, and the temperature rapidly climbed to 110-115 degrees. The pilot returned to Colorado Springs and landed safely.

Once we in the Coliseum learned of these events, we knew Dobson could not appear in person as planned, but we did not know whether it would be possible to establish a “feed” between Focus on the Family’s studio in Colorado Springs and the Coliseum in New Orleans in time for him to speak. President Merritt called on the musicians and singers to give us extra songs, and we allowed some presentations to go overtime. If the feed could not be set up by a certain time, it would be necessary just to dismiss early. Finally, only about three minutes before the decision time, the feed was working. Dobson spoke to us by satellite, and the drama just added to the pungency of his remarks on the importance of Christian families. Praise God that he and Shirley were not hurt or killed and that he was able to address the Convention.

Conclusion: It was more a revival than a business meeting. The music was super. The preaching stirring. The business handled fairly and efficiently. Every Southern Baptist should attend at least one annual meeting. Next year we gather in Phoenix, Arizona, 17-18 June preceded by the Pastors’ Conference on Sunday afternoon, 15 June, and Monday. Put it on your calendar now. Plan to come. You will meet wonderful folks, learn more about the SBC, and have a heavenly time.