WAYS TO RESPOND TO RUSSELL DILDAY’S FIRING

The TBC phones have rung constantly since the news of Russell Dilday’s firing. Most calls have been pastors asking what should they do. Below are some suggested responses for Texas Baptists opposed to this action.

First, mentally accept the FACT that the Southern Baptist Convention we once knew is history, never to return. The SBC is now Baptist in name only. Baptist heritage, polity, and principles are not believed in or practiced by the current SBC leadership.

Because of the refusal of SBC leadership to cooperate with anyone who does not totally agree with them, there is no possible chance of reconciliation in the future (and if they try to change now, how could you believe them?).

Second, pastors, get in your pulpits and tell the people the truth. Explain to them that the SBC is now Baptist in name only. Cite the facts that the SBC no longer believes in the Bible as our final authority WITHOUT A CREED (we are now a creedal denomination); no longer supports the Baptist Joint Committee and the traditional belief in the separation of church and state; no longer believes in the priesthood of the believer but rather in the authority the pastor as ruler of the church, etc.

Third, ask your church to start denominational relations committee study and report to the church regarding the events of the last fifteen years SBC life. We have copies of the reports of several denominational relations committees and will gladly send copies to you.

Fourth, consider that it violates our Baptist heritage to send money to the SBC Executive Committee in light of their un-Christian acts and in light of the character assassinations carried out by the trustees of many of our SBC agencies. You can still support the missionaries by sending money directly to both the Home Mission Board and the Foreign Mission Board, and to the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, but you do not have to support Seminary education that will be more right-wing indoctrination than education, an ethics agency involved with the political religious right, etc.

Fifth, in prayer, open yourself up to whatever new things God is doing in Baptist life. Friends, God will not allow His work to be limited to a group of people who often do not tell the truth, who operate in secret, and who believe the end justifies the means. We do not yet know all the new things God will do with the people called Baptists, but we can be assured that the work of grace must go on and we can position our hearts and minds to be a part of God’s new endeavors.

Sixth, make a strong commitment to never allow a fundamentalist takeover of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Texas Baptists, if they were a denomination by themselves would be the fourth largest denomination in the United States. The budget of the BGCT and its related institutions (hospitals, universities, children’s homes, etc.) is larger than the budget of the SBC and its related institutions.

God has blessed Texas Baptists and we must be good stewards of all he has given Texas Baptists. Texas Baptists stood and kept J. Frank Norris from destroying our state convention once, and we must, with integrity under the grace of God, stand against his spiritual children today. WE MUST NEVER ALLOW THIS STATE CONVENTION TO TURN FROM OUR BAPTIST HERITAGE!

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