CBF to endorse chaplains; restores BWA in budget

by   Herb Hollinger                                                                                                                                         Vol. X, No. 7, August 1997

The General Assembly of the six-year-old Cooperative Baptist Fellowship voted to endorse chaplains and partially restored funding for the Baptist World Alliance in its June 26-28 meeting in Louisville, Ky. Among other items approved at the annual meeting were a $14,325,852 budget for 1997-98, which is nearly identical to the 1996-97 budget; a Missouri layman as moderator-elect; four new career and seven short-term missionaries; and steps to maintain the "financial integrity of the Fellowship" in the event of continuing financial shortfalls.

Although the vote to endorse chaplains, declaring the CBF an "ecclesiastical authority" and "religious endorsing body," would seem to further indicate the CBF is a convention/denomination, officials insisted it is not. "We are a partnering network," Daniel Vestal, new chief executive officer of the CBF, told news media.

The chaplaincy issue grew out of a year-long study by a CBF committee which heard concerns that present chaplains, sympathetic to CBF causes, had to be appointed by an SBC agency. The committee's recommendation said the CBF "authorizes the CBF as an organization to act as its sole representative for the purpose of endorsing chaplains, counselors, or other ministers in specialized settings."

The relationship between the BWA and CBF was highlighted when members of the General Assembly forced an amendment to the proposed 1997-98 budget, adding $20,000 whereas the proposed budget did not include funding for the BWA. Although Vestal told news media the decision to eliminate BWA funding was "strictly a budget decision," observers at the meeting said there was a feeling among CBF staff that the BWA snubs the CBF, possibly for fear of reprisals by the larger SBC.

The CBF 1997-98 budget of $14,325,852, which includes a first-time reserve item of $203,569, is nearly identical to the 1996-97 budget of $14,102,000. That budget was later reduced to $13,982,243 in mid-year when revenues failed to keep pace with projections for a second year in a row. The budget includes the CBF Global Mission Offering, projected at $4.5 million.

Plateaued growth was apparent also in attendance at the Louisville meeting, with 3,559 registered compared to 3,809 last year in Richmond, Va. Convention planners had hoped for an increase in interest with the recent election of Vestal as CBF coordinator, but the largest crowd at the three-day meeting -- Thursday evening, which included a message by Vestal -- was estimated at 4,000.

A similar crowd on Friday night saw four career and seven short-term missionaries appointed, bringing the CBF total to about 150 missionaries throughout the world. However, it was announced there are 16 approved candidates awaiting appointment by the CBF but without sufficient funding to appoint them. In fact, the missions unit of CBF will dip into its reserves for $586,487 during the year to meet its budget.

The CBF also amended its bylaws to allow its Coordinating Council, which directs the CBF between annual sessions, to "alter the budget if the Council by three-fourths vote finds it necessary to maintain the financial integrity of the Fellowship," in the event of a "financial shortfall."

In adjusting its geographical representation on the Coordinating Council, the General Assembly approved a plan which keeps one representative from Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas even though those states would have lost all representation under regular guidelines. The bylaws state a minimum requirement for contributions from those states which wasn't met. Florida and Virginia also were reduced by one representative on the council. Texas leads all the states with eight council members; North Carolina has seven and Georgia six.

Vestal, following his first address to the CBF General Assembly, met with media and said he had been “converted" to a pro-women in ministry position following a long process. He said he had been helped by his involvement in CBF which supports women's ordination and women in pastorates.

Also, Vestal said he personally wouldn't do anything to encourage homosexuality. "I don't believe it is in accordance with Scripture," but he also said he doesn't want to "throw stones at anybody." He said marriage, between a man and woman, is "holy before God."

In another matter, Vestal was asked why CBF would not make public the names of churches which support the group. SBC churches' contributions through the Cooperative Program are regularly published in state Baptist papers. Vestal said he did not know why and would check into the matter but presumably the churches would have to give their permission for the information to be made public.

CBF claims about 1,500 churches have contributed to the CBF although it was announced about 1,300 is a three-year average. Less than half that number actually include the CBF in their budget, officials have said, and a contributing church could mean simply passing on the gifts as directed by a single church member to the CBF.

Registration for the General Assembly includes any person who has given a contribution to the CBF during the past year or any person who is a member of a church which "contributed financially to the ministries of the Fellowship during the past year." CBF officials said 2,300 individuals contributed in the last three years. [BP]

[Editorial Comment: Most of the above Baptist Press report speaks for itself, but comments by Dan Vestal warrant emphasis. Note the following:

“Vestal, following his first address to the CBF General Assembly, met with media and said he had been ‘converted’ to a pro-women in ministry position following a long process. He said he had been helped by his involvement in CBF which supports women's ordination and women in pastorates.

“Also, Vestal said he personally wouldn't do anything to encourage homosexuality. ‘I don't believe it is in accordance with Scripture,’ but he also said he doesn't want to ‘throw stones at anybody.’"

Remarkably Vestal makes no reference to the Bible as he addresses two of the publicized issues facing the church today. First, his emphasis is upon experience (“following a long process” and “helped by his involvement with CBF”) rather than God’s inerrant Word. Dr. Vestal would do well to remember that once God has spoken, man’s experience is irrelevant. Second, his statement about homosexuality inevitably recalls what some say about abortion, “I personally oppose abortion, but I won’t do anything to prevent others from murdering babies.”

Regretfully, pitifully, Vestal seems to have bought into the current heresy that (1) no sin is so flagrant that Christians should oppose it in all circumstances and at all personal costs, (2) God’s dicta are quaint, rather old fashioned writings reflecting the cultural limitations of the ancient times when they were written but not to be taken seriously in our modern, more sophisticated, more scientific age. He seems to forget the temptation Satan laid before our first parents was “Yea, hath God said ...? “ and “Ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” Satan was saying, “Try it out for yourselves and make up your own minds; don’t rely on God’s Word.” But then, perhaps Vestal’s “long process” has led him to conclude that Adam and Eve are only mythological figures anyway!?

Vestal’s homosexuality stance accords with the CBF position. Consider this quote from the 1995 CBF General Assembly Resource Book, pp D.2-D.3: “Affirming our diversity as a gift of God, including but not limited to race, ethnicity and gender.” (emphasis added) Also note the following quotes from HIV/AIDS Ministry: Putting A Face on AIDS, a packet published by the Ethics and Public Policy Ministry Group of the CBF and distributed o the messengers at the 1995 annual CBF meeting:

p 16: “During pregnancy, the fetus is developing characteristics that will determine the person’s sexual orientation. Therefore, a person does not choose to be homosexual or heterosexual.”

pp 17-18: “Do we choose our sexual orientation? Most persons answer that question with a resounding ‘NO!’ ... We do not choose our sexual orientation, but rather we ‘awaken’ to it.”

p 20: “...sexuality is a gift from God... We have a responsibility to enhance and educate our children and young people about sexuality, sexual identity, and sexual orientation.” {Comment: In view of the previous two quotes, one must wonder whether the import of this passage is not that “we” must try to convince “our children and young people” to become homosexuals. TCP}

p 25: “No longer is family defined as a mother, father, son, daughter, a dog, and a station wagon. Such definition has changed through time, circumstances, and disintegration. Family may be defined as a basic, primary group of caring relationships within intimate boundaries... James Nelson paints a clear picture of his experience with this word picture, ‘On our floor are nine apartments... in only two of the nine (apartments) are there married couples... There are couples who have no intent of marrying. There are single-parent families. There are blended families.’”

I have read that small amounts of arsenic will produce no immediate damage to the body but that if ingested repeatedly will build up until suddenly they kill. Spiritual poison may act similarly. Contrary to Satan, God never tells us to know evil, but to meditate upon His Word night and day. In the above quotes from the CBF package I trust readers will note the derision of the traditional, God ordained family, the outright lies regarding sexuality, and the pro-homosexual thrust. Being unwilling to stand in opposition is a major step toward acceptance. TCP]