Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction

Ronnie Yarber, pastor of Gross Road Baptist Church in Mesquite, is also Administrative Director of Southern Baptists of Texas. Recently he wrote the following in the Texas Baptist newsletter.

“It appears to me that some inconsistencies and biases are showing. Maybe ‘Texas Baptist’ should stand up and clean up around the front doors of themselves. Maybe we need to get back to the main thing being the main thing, like supporting the worldwide causes as cooperating SBC churches and pastors. Maybe the Cooperative Program should once again become the vehicle to fulfill ALL of the Great Commission the Lord has placed on the plate of Texas Baptist churches.”

First of all, one notices the emphasis on the control mentality. His use of ALL to emphasis that only the SBC should be utilized by Texas Baptists in fulfilling the Great Commission. He is emphasizing a top-down ecclesiology. To be a Texas Baptist, one has to be a Southern Baptist. That is kind of like the folks in Galatians, who said one had to first be a Jew before being a Christian.

The second irony is that Ronnie Yarber and his church do not support the Cooperative Program or worldwide missions to any significant degree. In 1994, the BGCT annual reports that the church had total receipts of $492,141. Of this they gave $811 to the Cooperative Program. THAT IS NOT A TYPO—THEY GAVE $811 TOTAL TO CP! They gave the Dallas Baptist Association $270. They gave all mission causes $16,900, or 3.43% of total receipts.

How does that compare to some Texas Baptists Committed supporters? In 1994, the church where Phil Lineberger was pastor took in $2,824,267. They gave $226,422 to the Cooperative Program, $18,000 to the local association, and $437,673 (15.49% of total receipts) to all mission causes. The church where Jerold McBride is pastor took in $2,445,345. They gave $150,639 to the Cooperative Program, $40,369 to the local association, and $886,289 (36.24% of total receipts) to all mission causes. The church where Charles Wade is pastor took in $3,111,151 in total receipts. They gave $157,835 to the Cooperative Program, $28,941 to the local association, and $418,632 (13.45% of total receipts) to all mission causes.

The fact is, Southern Baptists would not have much of a missions program, and a very small local association program, if not for churches and leaders like Phil Lineberger, Jerold McBride, and Charles Wade. And none of these men could ever be appointed to a committee in the new Southern Baptist Convention.

If you want a clear difference between the SBC and the BGCT, here it is. The SBC focuses on control, politics, and exclusion. The BGCT focuses on missions, evangelism, and inclusion. Which model of leadership do you prefer?

August 1996