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Associations:
Next Stop in Texas
Where
is that little saying about "they drew a circle that left
me out, but God drew a circle that brought me in." Well,
after being in Orlando it is easy to see who is drawing the circle
that wants to leave others out. Exclusion
Becoming Common The
continued doctrine of exclusion practiced by the Southern Baptist
leadership at the convention in Orlando will continue to have
a negative impact in the years ahead. SBC leaders have successfully
changed the basis upon which Baptists have worked together. Cooperation
is now to be based on alleged doctrinal purity instead of a shared
vision of missions and evangelism. T.C.
Pinckney, leader of a fundamentalist state group in Virginia,
said denominational leaders should not negotiate with others who
do not share their theology. "Scripture, not cooperation
is primary. Let every Southern Baptist accept God's word, and
cooperation will follow as day follows night." By
"accepting God's word" Pinckney means the fundamentalist
interpretation of the Bible, which according to fundamentalists
appears to be just as inerrant as the Bible itself. In practice
it sounds like they want Baptists to have God the Father, God
the Son, God the Holy Spirit and God the Bible with only those
lacking humility able to infallibly divide the Word of Truth. Cooperation
based on strict adherence to specific interpretations is not a
new stance for SBC leaders. Keith Parks, after resigning from
being the president of the SBC Foreign Mission Board in 1992,
noted this change, "When we changed from a missions denomination
to a doctrinal denomination, then the missions program and other
things dramatically changed." Like
a ripple effect, this legalistic change continues to tear the
fabric of what once made the SBC great. Defining Moment The
changes in the Baptist Faith and Message created a defining moment
between the SBC and mainstream Baptists throughout the United
States. The rhetoric of the SBC leadership is that anyone who
does not believe exactly as they dictate, does not believe the
Holy Bible. Anthony
Sisemore, pastor of First Baptist Church, Floydada, Texas, is
a good example. In a June 21 article by the Baptist Press, the
official news agency of the SBC, Sisemore is made out to be the
poster child of the moderate movement for presenting an amendment
to the proposed BF&M. Now Sisemore's belief in the Bible is
being questioned and scrutinized. So it will be for any who follow
their God given convictions and dare to defy the self-proclaimed
SBC Holy Men. Where
will the 2000 BF&M surface next? Of course the SBC seminaries
and mission agencies will implement these expressions of belief
as conditions of employment or cooperation. The
state conventions will feel the pressure from the SBC leaders
to follow suit. There are other groups that had better prepare
for the ripple effect of what happened in Orlando. Coercion
of Associations In
Texas and some other states the next level of conflict over doctrine
as the basis for cooperation will be in the associations. According
to a Baptist Press article, "Directors of missions face pressure
to choose sides in the SBC controversy," there are approximately
1,100 Southern Baptist associations. The fundamentalists will
make it appear as a choice between SBC and the Cooperative Baptist
Fellowship, but associational leaders should not be fooled into
believing this choice is the real issue. The issue is conforming
to whatever the SBC dictates as necessary. The
same methods of coercion will be used on associational leadership
to draw the circle tighter leaving more Baptists outside the lines. Associational
leaders that are fundamentalists will immediately push their agenda
to get churches in line with the 2000 BF&M as the standard
for cooperation. Pastors and church leaders in such associations
need to be prepared, because the train of the far right that blew
through Orlando is headed your way and I hope you hear the whistle
blowing. If you believe in historic Baptist principles, be prepared
to protect your association. I
have the most empathy for associational leaders that are neutral
or conservative/moderate. Like the vast majority of moderates,
neutral associational leaders want to work with any Baptists that
have a desire for missions and evangelism. Outgoing
president Ed Copeland of the Metro-Columbus Baptist Association
in Ohio said, "I had many Director of Missions, particularly
the young ones, say they are being torn apart by pastors and laypeople
in their associations who want them to take sides. They [DOMs]
simply want to do ministry and not get involved in politics." I
know many associational leaders want to focus on ministry needs
rather than fight a battle about doctrinal purity. They do not
have this option. Al
Mohler said, "There are two different visions of Baptist
life and the Baptist faith." If fundamentalists cannot have
the BGCT then they will seek to implement their vision at the
associational level. They will force every association in Texas
to choose if they are going to be loyal to the BGCT. It
should be remembered, however, who started this battle. If it
were not for the fundamentalists taking over the SBC and changing
the nature and character of what it means to be Baptists, then
Texas Baptists Committed and other mainstream organizations would
not be in existence. I encourage our readers to be involved in
your association and pray for your associational leaders because
fundamentalists will bring pressure to conform to the SBC and
not cooperate with anyone else. July 2000 |
