SBC Indianapolis

by   T. C. Pinckney                                                                                                                                 Vol. XVII, No. 6, June/July 2004

The Southern Baptist Convention met in Indianapolis on Tuesday and Wednesday, 15-16 June. Though not contentious, several significant decisions were made and important addresses were brought by well-known speakers. Herewith, a summary.

Officers

For the first time since June 1994, there were two nominees for president. Johnny Hunt, pastor of FBC, Woodstock, GA, nominated Bobby Welch, pastor, FBC, Daytona Beach, FL. Welch is co-creator of the popular FAITH Sunday School Evangelism Strategy, author of several books, and has served in various denominational posts. Dennis Connor, pastor of Cashie BC, Windsor, NC, nominated Al Jarrell, pastor of Riverside BC, Merry Hill, NC. Connor noted that one purpose of nominating Jarrell was to draw attention to pastors of smaller churches and bring them more into the process.

Welch received 3,997 votes (79.7%), Jarrell 1,020 (20.3%).

For first vice-president Gerald Davidson, pastor, FBC, Arnold, MO, and past president of the Missouri Baptist Convention, was unopposed.

For second vice president there were three nominations: David Young Hwan Gill, pastor, Concord Korean BC, Martinez, CA, current 1VP of the California Southern Baptist Convention; Mark Hearn, pastor, Northside BC, Indianapolis, and past 1VP State Convention of Baptists in Indiana; and John Hays, pastor, Jersey BC, Columbus-area, Ohio, and former president of the State Convention of Baptists in Ohio. Gill won in a runoff with Hearn after the first ballot failed to give anyone a majority.

John Yeats, editor of the Baptist Messenger, news journal of Oklahoma Baptists, was unopposed for re-election as recording secretary.

Jim Wells, DOM of the Tri-County Association, Ozark, MO, was re-elected registration secretary by acclamation.

Baptist World Alliance

Messengers voted overwhelmingly to withdraw from the Baptist World Alliance effective 1 October 2004, the beginning of the next SBC fiscal year. The BWA is a fellowship organization headquartered in Falls Church, VA, which includes 211 member Baptist bodies. It was formed in London, England, in 1905, largely at the initiative of Southern Baptists.

The SBC has had a study committee evaluating the relationship between the SBC and BWA since 1997. The study committee noted in recent years the BWA’s increasingly anti-American stances, tolerance of liberal theology, and disregard for its own procedures in accepting the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship as a member in 2003.

Paige Patterson brought the Executive Committee’s recommendation to withdraw, saying, “We have attempted ... through letters, statements of concern, and appeals to the [BWA] body to do something to right the direction of the BWA. We have had no reception on the part of BWA leadership.”

Sole Membership

To prevent an SBC entity from withdrawing from its commitments to the convention as Baylor University did from the Baptist General Convention of Texas years ago, almost all such entities have adopted “sole membership”. Sole membership means that (in this case) the SBC is the only legal member or owner of the entity.

The recommendation brought to messengers in Indianapolis asks trustees of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary to adopt sole membership at their October 2004 meeting. The amended seminary charter should specify the convention’s right to elect and remove the seminary’s trustees; approve any amendment of its charter adopted by the trustees; approve any merger, consolidation or dissolution, the creation of a subsidiary, or any change in the corporation’s charter; and approve the sale, lease, or other disposition of all, or substantially all, of the corporation’s assets. All other SBC entities have adopted sole membership with the exception of the Executive Committee which must wait until all the others had done so in order to ensure that the Executive Committee charter contains the necessary changes.

Morris Chapman, president of the Executive Committee, told messengers that the Executive Committee will adopt sole membership prior to next June’s meeting, assuming New Orleans trustees also adopt sole membership.

The motion passed 3,579 to 2,059 or 63.5% to 36.5%.

Annuity Board Name Change

Messengers approved recommendations to change the Annuity Board’s name to GuideStone Financial Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention and to expand its products and services to evangelical ministry organizations outside the SBC. The recommendation requires two successive votes of the convention, but a provision authorizing the board to do business as GuideStone was included and approved. The same process was used a few years ago when LifeWay Christian Resources changed its name from the Sunday School Board.

Committee on Nominations Report

The Committee on Nominations report was adopted by messengers. Three Virginians were re-elected to second terms: Bill Hansen, Emmanuel BC, Manassas, on the Annuity Board; Linda A. Moon, Liberty BC, Spout spring, on the North American Mission Board; and Patrick Coffey, pastor, South Quay BC, Suffolk, on Southern Seminary’s trustees. Three other Virginians were elected to serve first terms: W. T. Covington, Liberty BC, Hampton, to the SBC Executive Committee; Jeffrey B. Ginn, pastor, Mt. Pleasant BC, Colonial Heights, to the International Mission Board; and Don R. Cockes, pastor, Woodlawn BC, Danville, to LifeWay Christian Resources.

Resolutions: See separate article.

Other Items of Interest

Messengers defeated a motion that would have formed a committee to study changing the convention’s name. The motion failed 55.4% to 44.6%, or 1,731 votes to 1,391.

President Bush addressed messengers via satellite from the White House, reaffirming his pro-life stance and his support for a Federal Marriage Amendment. Touching on the embryonic stem cell debate without mentioning it by name, Bush said that life “is a creation of God, not a commodity to be exploited by man.” Bush received one of the loudest ovations for his statement of support for the Federal Marriage Amendment. “The union of a man and woman is the most enduring human institution, honored and encouraged in all cultures and by every religious faith,” he said. “And government, by strengthening and protecting marriage, serves the interests of all.”

Registration totaled 8,600, including 4,700 who registered online. Last year some 3,000 registered online.

IMB president Jerry Rankin said that SBC missionaries and their Baptist partners reported a record 510,000 baptisms and a near doubling of the number of new churches in 2003.

NAMB president Robert E. Reccord told how NAMB’s Strategic Focus Cities initiative has resulted in 400 new churches in New York, Miami, and Philadelphia.

Richard land, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, encouraged church leaders to get their members registered to vote. “It is every Christian’s responsibility to be registered to vote, to be an informed voter, and to vote their values, beliefs, and convictions.” He told messengers of the new ERLC website designed to register and inform voters: www.iVoteValues.com.

LifeWay president, Jimmy Draper, expressed concern that the denomination has seen a decline in baptisms for the fourth consecutive year. “That reflects a denomination that has lost its focus. It is hard for someone to argue tot he contrary when more than 10,000 Southern Baptist Churches did not baptize a single person last year.”

Evangelist Franklin Graham told messengers to stand firm on the exclusivity of the Gospel and to share Christ with a lost world – even though it may be politically incorrect. “I simply ask you a question: As Southern Baptists and other evangelical Christians, if we don’t stand up, wise up, and speak up on these issues, who will be left to deal with the issues of our times? If not us, Southern Baptists, then who? If not now, when?” He also pointed out that the United States is the third largest unchurches nation in the world. North America is the only continent where Christianity is not growing. Only four percent of Americans have a biblical worldview.” “The issue is whether it is true, not whether it is popular. Politicians need to be popular. Preachers need tot ell the truth, and we need to tell it now.”

More than 1,500 professions of faith were recorded as part of Crossover Indiana, and annual outreach effort designed to take the Gospel to the city and state hosting the meeting.