As is the fall tradition, Baptist state conventions across
the nation held annual meetings of business, inspiration and fellowship in recent
weeks.
The following wrapup offers a look at some of the significant
actions taken during those annual meetings.
As is the fall tradition, Baptist state conventions across
the nation held annual meetings of business, inspiration and fellowship in recent
weeks.
The following wrapup offers a look at some of the significant
actions taken during those annual meetings.
Baptist General Convention of Texas
The Baptist General Convention of Texas overwhelmingly approved
formation of a missions network that supporters say will change the way Texans
view missions.
Meanwhile, critics say the new organization is designed to
compete with existing Southern Baptist missions agencies and eventually to send
out missionaries.
The new network will match churches, associations, institutions
and individuals with short-term and long-term missions opportunities across
the United States and abroad.
The network will be set up as a separate, not-for-profit affiliate
of the convention. Supporters say it does not replace existing relationships
with mission boards of the Southern Baptist Convention but augments them with
flexible structures designed to respond quickly to changing needs.
Nevertheless, some Southern Baptist leaders have criticized
the plan, saying it will divert mission gifts and duplicate work already being
done by existing agencies.
In other business, messengers adopted a $50.8 million budget
for next year. The budget increases the portion of undesignated Cooperative
Program funding that will stay in Texas, allocating 79 percent for state convention
ministries and 21 percent to worldwide causes.
This years budget divides those gifts 72.3 percent for
state convention causes and 27.7 percent for Southern Baptist ones. State convention
leaders said the change was prompted by the loss of income from churches that
now support the Southern Baptist Convention through the fundamental/conservative
Southern Baptists of Texas Convention.
The 2003 budget also drops restrictions that designated funds
away from the SBC Executive Committee and Ethics and Religious Commission and
capped funding for six Southern Baptist seminaries in the last two years.
Convention messengers also approved a motion to develop a code
of ethics for ministers and referred to a motion to consider aid for Southern
Baptist international missionaries who desire to stay on the field without affirming
the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message.
Messengers easily defeated a motion to adopt the 2000 Baptist
Faith and Message as its guiding statement of faith. They also gave initial
approval to a constitutional amendment allowing Baptist General Convention of
Texas-related institutions to elect 25 percent of their trustee boards. Supporters
say the change is needed to allow such institutions as Wayland Baptist University
and East Texas Baptist University to elect trustees from out of state. Both
institutions draw a number of students from neighboring states, they say.
Florida Baptist State Convention
Florida Baptist messengers approved a resolution on the family
designed to influence pro-family legislation.
The statement reads, “The family results from marriage,
which is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime.”
It adds that “traditional Christian values of marriage
and family are under constant attack from materialism, secular humanism, substance
abuse and rebellion against authority,” all of which have contributed to
the decline and disruption of family relationships.
It calls Florida Baptists to support legislation, organizations
and ministries that “uphold the biblical standards of God concerning moral,
marriage and family values.”
Georgia Baptist Convention
Georgia Baptist messengers elected eight new trustees for Shorter
College, setting the stage for a battle – and possible severing of ties
– with the state institution.
None of the elected trustees were from the list of 16 candidates
submitted by college trustees. That means trustees of the college will reject
all eight, because a bylaw adopted in May requires all future members of the
board be approved by the college prior to election.
Rejection of the elected trustees likely would signal the end
of a relationship between the college and convention. The two parties disagree
on how trustees are to be elected, as well as over the reasons the college changed
its bylaws.
College leaders say they changed how trustees are to be elected
because of accreditation concerns. However, state convention leaders say the
action was taken in reaction to a fear of a fundamental/conservative takeover
of the school.
The convention recently released some funds to Shorter designated
as scholarships for Baptist students. However, remaining funds are being held
in escrow and likely will be redistributed to another state convention entity.
An additional $8 million in capital improvement funds for the
college are being held by the Georgia Baptist Foundation. Determining whether
the college or the convention gets that money might require legal action.
Baptist State Convention of North Carolina
North Carolina messengers agreed to look at doing away with
a giving option favored by moderate/conservatives.
Messengers authorized a study of Plan C, one of four giving
tracks available to the states churches and the only one that includes
funding for the moderate/conservative Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.
State constitution documents require the convention to cooperate
with the Southern Baptist Convention. Some interpret the phrase as meaning that
the state body must work exclusively with that body.
The fellowship received about $210,000 from the North Carolina
convention through the first 10 months of 2002, compared to more than $9.6 million
forwarded to the Southern Baptist Convention through the other three giving
plans.
Messengers also defeated a motion to reallocate funds for the
Baptist state newspaper Biblical Recorder in the “Plan D” giving track
to the Conservative Record, a publication for fundamental/conservatives in the
state. The editor of the Conservative Record opposed the motion, saying the
paper is not an agency of the state convention and does not intend to become
one.
Kentucky Baptist Convention
For the first time in more than a decade, Kentucky Baptists
elected a president unopposed.
Both fundamental/conservative and moderate/conservative spokespersons
supported the election of the nominee, who said he had a heart for all Kentucky
Baptists.
The convention president also ruled out of order an attempt
to resurrect a motion that would have denied state membership to churches that
sever ties with the Southern Baptist Convention. The motion was introduced last
year and referred to a constitution committee for study.
Another motion that would change the way churches qualify for
messengers to the state conventions annual meeting was referred for study.
Now, churches qualify for additional messengers based on their giving to the
Cooperative Program unified budget. The motion would change the formula so that
designated gifts also are counted.
Tennessee Baptist Convention
Tennessee Baptist messengers rejected a motion to expand the
role of their convention officers.
The motion received more than a majority of votes – 600
(58 percent) to 433 (42 percent) – but fell short of the two-thirds majority
needed for approval.
The motion sought to increase the role of convention officers
by giving the president and two vice presidents a voice and vote on the conventions
committee on boards and committee on committees during their one-year of service
as officers. In addition, the president also would be granted a three-year term
on the state convention executive board following his year as president.
Nevada Baptist Convention
Nevada Baptist Convention messengers affirmed the 2000 Baptist
Faith and Message in their annual meeting.
Noting that the Southern Baptist confessional statement reflects
the truth that the Bible is fully inspired by God and totally true and trustworthy,
messengers not only affirmed but also encouraged churches and associations to
consider affirmation of faith statement as well.
Illinois Baptist State Association
Illinois Baptist messengers rejected a proposal to create a
new position of state associate executive director.
The proposal drew considerable debate, with opponents saying
the state does not need to add new positions when it is in debt and has been
forced to eliminate some staff.
Meanwhile, a second motion to have a committee explore the
structure of the state convention easily passed.
(Article includes information from Associated Baptist Press, Baptist Press
and Religion News Service releases)