THOUGHTS ON PROPOSED GIVING PROPOSAL

According to the Baptist Standard, it looks like the Cooperative Giving Committee is going to propose some changes in cooperative giving for Texas Baptists. These proposed changes have been endorsed by our two most recent presidents of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. (See news story below.)

Texas Baptists Committed, as an organization, wants to wait for the final product before we endorse any such proposal. We do like what we are hearing. We believe Texas Baptists should be free to give as they choose and it all count as cooperative gifts. We believe strongly that we should start to follow our Baptist polity once again and have “no official ties between state and national conventions.” We do not believe any money should be passed to the SBC or the CBF by the BGCT unless a local congregation specifically requests such a transfer of funds. This is not a SBC verses CBF issue. It is a Baptist autonomy issue.

As stated elsewhere in this newsletter, real Baptist polity would be for each local congregation to decide to whom it will relate on a local, state, and national level, and send its cooperative dollars accordingly.

What we do want to endorse is the BGCT ending all official ties with national Baptist bodies. Again, that should be the choice of the local congregation. That is fair to everyone. All who want to remain a cooperating BGCT church can do so. All who want to remain a cooperating SBC church can do so. Those that want to relate to both CBF and SBC can do so. Those who want to relate to CBF only can do so. Those that want to relate to the BGCT and CBF or SBC can do so. It’s freedom and it’s Baptist.

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