Special for Pastors

by T. C. Pinckney                                                                                         Vol. VII, No. 8, October 1994

Have you motivated your people to come as messengers to the annual state Baptist convention in Salem on Tuesday and Wednes-day,15-16 November? For that matter. have you arranged to come yourself?

Year after year conservatives are consistently under-represented at these meetings, and we cannot blame this on anyone except ourselves.

Messenger turnout is a function of pastoral leadership. If you don't explain to your folks the importance of going. if you don't make the effort to come yourself, you can bet your bottom dollar (if you were a betting man) they won't come either.

We all know that it is not pleasant to lose votes. And we all know that we conservatives disagree heartily with many of the decisions made every year. But if you don't come and bring your full allowance of messengers, you help the "moderates" win.

Ask yourself whether you think the Lord has given up on Virginia Baptists. Ask yourself whether He cares about the decisions voted by Virginia messengers. Clearly He does care, and clearly He has not forgotten about Virginia Baptists.

We are called to be faithful, and we are not promised that we will have fun in the process. But let me suggest that Virginia today is no more hopeless than the SBC appeared in 1978 before the conservative' resurgence achieved its first victory. The SBC was won back to biblical authority by ordinary Bible-believing Baptists sacrificing time and money to attend the annual SBC convention. Virginia can be won back the same way.

Both Tuesday. and Wednesday attendance is important. The state budget is voted on Tuesday. State officers are elected Wednesday afternoon. PLEASE STAY WEDNESDAY UNTIL AFTER THE SECOND V ICE PRESIDENTIAL VOTE IS TAKEN. DO NOT HURRY AWAY TO GET HOME FOR WEDNESDAY EVENING SERVICES. Arrange for someone else to lead that night. Whether we win or lose the presidential vote, stay and vote for first and second vice president. All three of these offices are important. Encourage your fellow pastors to stay also.

Baptists make decisions by voting. That has always been the Baptist way. To get valid decisions; everyone must take part. If you do not come, you are voting against your fellow Virginia Baptists who believe in the inerrancy of God's Holy word.

Join us and bring all your messengers.