CO-CHAIR THOUGHTS FROM BILLY RAY PARMER
The Pendulum Stayed Put!

There is an alarming attitude going around among traditional Baptists. While this attitude is alarming, I wish it were true. But I am afraid the evidence says that the attitude is based on wishful thinking rather than reality.

The attitude I am directly referring to is this: “Jim Henry was elected. Now the SBC pendulum is moving back to the center.”

Friends, that would be nice. Nobody likes to fight, especially me. Would it not be glorious if suddenly all this political mess stopped? Would it not be wonderful if SBC leadership became inclusive of all Baptists, especially traditional Baptists. Would it not be encouraging if SBC leaders admitted the truth that all this talk of liberalism was false, repented of their takeover, and pledged to respect and honor our historic Baptist doctrines and principles?

But friends, that is not what happened. We need to give Jim Henry a chance to be open, but there is no evidence to suggest anything of substance has changed. Here is why?

1. The SBC election was an internal power struggle! The vote between Fred Wolfe and Jim Henry was between two committed fundamentalists. It was an internal struggle for power between the old guard and the new guard. Both are equally committed to the fundamentalist agenda. The only question was which group got to lead the agenda.

Let me put it in secular political terms and make sure I offend (tongue in cheek) both republicans and democrats. If you thought the Republicans were going to nominate Pat Robertson and chose Pat Buchanan instead, would you say the republicans were abandoning the conservative cause? Not likely! If the Democrats were expected to nominate George McGovern and chose Walter Mondale instead, would you believe they had abandoned liberalism? I doubt it.

The fact is one fundamentalist was picked over another. Nothing much will change. The pendulum stayed put!

2. Jim Henry is committed to the fundamentalist agenda. Remember that this same Jim Henry endorsed Morris Chapman over Daniel Vestal in 1990. He said he believed Morris would “broaden the tent.” How did Morris broaden the tent among Texas Baptists. Under his leadership, the committees Morris appointed put RALPH PULLEY back on the Southwestern Seminary board when FBC Dallas already had one person on the board.

Under Morris’ leadership, the committee he appointed put Miles Seaborn, of Birchman Church in Fort Worth on the Southwestern Board at the same time it was reappointing Lee Weaver from the same church on the board. That is how he “broadened the tent” and was inclusive. Jim Henry never said a word.

After his election Henry said he would continue the practice of restricting his presidential appointments to people who believe in biblical inerrancy and whose churches support the SBC’s financial pipeline, the Cooperative Program unified budget.

“I’m strongly committed, as I have been, to the conservative position—the inerrancy and infallibility of the Word of God,” he told reporters. This campaign hasn’t changed that.”

3. Style will change! Jim Henry is a generally nice man. He will be nicer as he carries out the fundamentalist agenda. But do not be fooled by a smiling face on the cover of the agenda book. The content will remain the same. The fundamentalist attitude will remain “my way or the highway.” Just after electing Henry, the same convention voted to instruct SBC agencies to accept the gifts of a local church only if given in a particular way. That is about as “unBaptist” as you can get.

So I would say it is always good to hope and dream, but we must keep our feet on the ground of reality. Be open to change, but do not be surprised if nothing changes. The track record for optimism does not look good. As Texas Baptists, we need to stay on our course of freedom and commitment to our Baptist Heritage.

Remember, it is the SBC that needs to COME HOME, not the BGCT. We never moved from where Baptists have been for nearly 150 years.

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