Interim Director Baldwin Sets Vision for SBCV

by  A. C. Smith                                                                                                                                          Vol. VII, No. 8, October 1994

Howard Baldwin, the interim executive director of the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia, delivered an upbeat, positive address to the messengers of the group meeting in Colonial Heights on September 15. A graduate of the University of Richmond and Southern Seminary, Baldwin shared how he pastored a Southern Baptist Church in Chicago after he finished seminary. "Graduates from Moody and Wheaton would say. "How can you he so conservative and support the Cooperative Program with all the I liberals in colleges and seminaries," shared Baldwin. " I would try to defend it, but it bothered me."

"Another thing bothered me. We didn't have enough Southern Baptists to pastor all the churches we were starting," continued Baldwin. "So we would get non-Southern Baptists. And the next thing you would know, these churches would no longer be Southern Baptist. There are some church stealers in Virginia today," said Baldwin. The church Baldwin grew up in is no longer in the SBC; it has joined the American Baptists, he added.

Baldwin noted how good he felt about the national SBC, and those who have ; worked to turn the Convention back to a biblical stance. I'm thankful for Paige Patterson," said Baldwin. "Paige Patterson is a Christian gentleman. He isn't an independent Baptist. He has been through Baptist schools ... and has a Th.D. from New Orleans Seminary."

Baldwin also expressed appreciation for Paul Pressler, Adrian Rogers, Charles Stanley, and "...men like them in Virginia like Tommy Taylor and T. C. Pinckney." Baldwin also referred to Roy Honeycutt, recently retired president of Southern Seminary by saying, "He retired as a Christian gentleman."

Baldwin's address contained five points of how Virginia Baptists can lift up the Lord. "First, we need to reclaim our historic Baptist position," said Baldwin. "We [in Virginia] may be different, but we believe the Bible." Baldwin went back to the 1700s with stories of Virginia Baptists who believed the Bible and won many to the Lord.

Baldwin's second point was, "We need to be inclusive, and not exclusive." "We do not need to be a little club. We are a part of the Baptist General Association of Virginia.... We have a tremendous obligation to be salt and light." To those who felt a need to separate from the BGAV Baldwin said, "The timing is not right.... We need to reach out to pastors and to churches that are hurting."

"Third, we can lift up the Lord by supporting the Cooperative Program," said Baldwin. "For the first time in my life I can support it without reservation. Referring to the recently adopted Virginia method with tracks, Baldwin said, "One track, two tracks, three tracks... it looks like a railroad."

"You can design your [own] church budget today. This we can support. It will be a good mission education for the church."

Baldwin's fourth point was lifting up the Lord "by discipling our churches." He recommended Experiencing God and he also noted that unfortunately few church members had been through Master Life.

Baldwin's fifth point was to focus on missions and evangelism. He favored ideas and concepts of Church Growth. Baldwin, through all his years in evangelism, has shown that he want to win people to Christ and see them discipled in local churches. He was an excellent selection to head the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia.