Charges were leveled against the Louisiana Baptist Pastors’
Conference in the recent Executive Board meeting by Scott Shaver. Those
charges included that we are a Bible Conference for LIFe.
Charges were leveled against the Louisiana Baptist Pastors’
Conference in the recent Executive Board meeting by Scott Shaver. Those
charges included that we are a Bible Conference for LIFe. Our speakers
included LC staff; Dr. Wilton, who preached at last year’s convention;
an evangelist; a pastor; and the president of our convention. No one from
LIFe was presented, and no endorsements were made. In my desire to see our state
convention continue its historic ties to the national convention, Paul Pressler
was invited to challenge pastors to “stay the course.”
The LBPC was accused of being “staffed largely by representatives
of the Louisiana Inerrancy Fellowship,” and yet Perry Sanders was nominated
for president of the LBPC in 1989 but lost to Everett Geis, Sr., now pastor
of Victory Baptist Church of Monroe. The fact that Bro. Sanders was Mainstream’s
candidate at the convention suggests he does not consider himself a representative
of LIFe. If we are political, why was he and those who nominated and voted for
him at the pastors’ conference? There is no “staffing” at the
LBPC; each officer is elected by a majority of pastors present and voting.
Since moderates do not have enough pastors to elect their slate of officers,
it appears they must steal the name of the conference to have their way.
While Shaver accuses us of political motives, as executive
director of Mainstream Baptists, he led his own conference, featuring two very
political CBF leaders. Is this the type of “non-political” conference
he would hold?
In stealing the established name “The Louisiana Baptist Pastors’
Conference,” which for thirteen years has been acknowledged by the LBC,
he shows his organization’s true colors.
Darryl J. Hoychick,
2000 Louisiana Baptist
Pastors’ Conference President
Pastor, Trinity Baptist Church
Pineville