The Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee again declined
to study the use of Cooperative Program funds in efforts involving groups
with differing beliefs.
The Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee again declined
to study the use of Cooperative Program funds in efforts involving groups
with differing beliefs.
During the 2000 national convention this summer, Jerry Moser
had asked committee members to study the expenditure of Cooperative Program
funds or assets “as pertains to any SBC-supported employees, entitys
or agencys cooperative involvements with organizations which include participating
individuals, groups, denominations or conventions whose professed be2liefs are
in conflict with or could risk possible compromise of the historic distinctives
or the unique witness of Southern Baptists to the world. ” Moser
is pastor at Bayou DuLarge Baptist Church in Theriot.
Moser had made a similar motion at the 1999 Southern Baptist
Convention, only to have the Executive Committee decline to initiate such a
study last fall.
The result was the same this year, with committee members reporting
last week that trustees and staffs of the various denominational entities “assure
the Southern Baptist Convention that they are maintaining the historic position
of Southern Baptists as they cooperate with various other groups in appropriate
evangelistic enterprises or moral-advocacy initiatives.”
Committee members issued the assurance after receiving reports
from each convention agency. The reports include a one-page response from the
Annuity Board, two-page responses from several seminaries, a seven-page response
from LifeWay Christian Resources, a 21-page response from the Ethics and Religious
Liberty Commission and a 43-page response from the North American Mission Board.
The International Mission Board is to submit a report to the Executive Committee
in February.
The reports and action by the Executive Committee failed to
satisfy Moser, who has been critical of Southern Baptist alignments with groups
that he says preach a “different gospel” from Southern Baptists. Moser
criticized Southern Baptist leaders several years ago for signing an Evangelical
and Catholics Together document. More recently, he questioned involvement with
evangelistic groups that he said holds radically different views from Southern
Baptists.
Working alongside those groups raises questions about what
Southern Baptists believe, Moser contended.
Despite last weeks committee decision, Moser said he
plans to continue to press the issue, but he is not sure by what avenue. “I
dont know what recourse I have left. I am going to continue to appeal
to the convention on this issue of ecumenism.”
In other actions during last weeks meeting, Executive
Committee members also:
Approved bylaw changes giving the Executive Committee
president more authority in hiring and firing staff. Under the new language,
the Executive Committee could have avoided a called meeting a decade ago to
fire two Baptist Press editors.
Declined to act on a motion recommending that 60
percent of those serving on denominational committees and boards be from churches
with 300 members or less. Current selection methods have resulted in committee
and board members from a wide array of church sizes, leaders said.
Voted to adopt the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message
as the confessional statement governing Executive Committee work and acknowledged
the responsibility of each convention entity to utilize the statement “consistent
with its ministry assignment.”
Declined to study the feasibility of establishing
satellite centers for participation in annual convention, citing “complexity
of implementation and negative impact on the group dynamic.”
Declined to place Pentecost and Ascension Day on
the convention calendar.
Responded to a convention motion to restrict the
solicitation of non-Cooperative Program funds from local churches by noting
it has initiated “an ongoing evaluation of methods to ensure that (Southern
Baptist Convention) entities are in compliance with the SBC Business and Financial
Plan.”
(This article includes information from Associated Baptist Press and Baptist
Press releases)