TBC MEMBERSHIP SURVEY REVEALS INTERESTING RESULTS

We recently completed a survey of our paid members. Our purpose as an organization is to focus on our Baptist heritage, answer fundamentalist charges which are untrue, encourage Texas Baptists to stay true to historic Baptist principles, and reject fundamentalist leadership for the BGCT.

In several issues last year, we wrote of the need for Texas Baptists to exercise their autonomy and have an “arms length” relationship with the SBC. If we are not a “farm team,” then we, and our BGCT leaders, need to quit pretending we are. Besides that, it is bad Baptist polity.

Our TBC members have some strong opinions regarding the issues of the day. Our survey dealt with four areas: budget, theological education, home missions, and literature. Here are the results.

We had 476 surveys returned, or about 18% of our paid membership. This is a standard response for a survey.

Budget question: We gave three budget examples for a local church.

One was the divide Cooperative Program gifts between the BGCT and the SBC. This option received 3.36% of the votes.

Option #2 divided CP gifts between the BGCT, CBF, and the SBC Foreign Mission Board. This option received 25.63% of the votes.

Option #3 divided CP gifts between the BGCT and CBF. This option received 58.82% of the votes.

12.18% of the survey respondents did not choose an option. Some wrote they liked the options their local church already had better than these three. Some wanted an option 4 which was BGCT only and some wanted a modified option 2 which included more SBC programs.

The options were not designed as recommendations. The purpose of the question was to ask if our supporters still wanted to primarily support the SBC, CBF, or a combination of the two. The interesting result in that 84.45% personally want other options to the SBC.

Theological Education questions: We asked, “Would you like for the BGCT to take the $4.5 million dollars sent to the SBC seminaries last year and put that money in the Texas Budget?” The answer shocked us. 91 percent of the respondents said yes (some indicated all the money and some indicated part of the money)!

We asked what they would want the money used for:

78% want to fund a seminary education consortium housed as Baylor and Hardin-Simmons.
29% want a new BGCT seminary.
64% want to provide scholarships to the consortium seminary students.
17% would like part of the money to fund theological education for the laity.

Many respondents chose more than one option.

Clearly our membership wants Texas Baptists to provide for the theological education of our next generation of ministers somewhere besides an SBC institution.

Home Missions questions: We asked, “Would you like for the BGCT to take the $4.4 million plus currently going to the Home Mission Board in the SBC budget (an additional $5 million was given through Annie Armstrong offering and Texas received back only $1 million for home missions work in Texas) and put that money into the BGCT budget for Texas Baptists to do Home Missions work themselves?”

88.5% of the surveys returned said yes! Then we asked if the BGCT should take over all or part of home missions work? 67% said all, and 33% said part.

Finally we asked, “Would you prefer Texas to enter into partnerships with pioneer states for home missions themselves or work through the Home Mission Board or CBF?”

61% chose CBF, 53% chose BGCT, and 10% chose HMB.

Many choose both CBF and the BGCT, and nearly all the respondents who chose to continue working with the HMB also chose both other options indicating they want Texas to control the money and selectively do home missions themselves, and work with both the CBF and HMB on a selective basis.

Literature questions: We asked, “Would you like alternatives to SBC literature?” 83% of the respondents said yes. Only 53% said they would like for the BGCT to produce literature as there was much concern over costs. Many who want other options were already using other options they were pleased with like Smyth and Helwys, David C. Cook, Gospel Light, and others.

WHAT DOES THE SURVEY MEAN? First of all, it means that TBC members are united against the BGCT turning to fundamentalism. They are not united regarding exactly how to relate to the SBC or CBF and other national organizations. TBC and the BGCT must be sensitive to all Texas Baptists including those who still hope the SBC will moderate and those who have given up on the SBC as being Baptist in anything but name only. Texas must remain a place for everyone.

Second, it shows something very positive. TBC members are tired of fighting and are ready to get on with ministry. The majority of them want the BGCT budget expanded to include Theological Education and Home Missions funds. Then Texas Baptists can decide the most effective method of using that money in a “worldwide causes.”

This would be fair to everyone in the state, including fundamentalists, because if theological education was one line item, and home missions was another line item, the fundamentalists could delete those items, as is allowed in Texas, designate that portion to the SBC, and all their funds would still count Cooperative Program and go exactly where they want them to go. Remember, everything we do in Texas must be fair.

The survey results probably mean many other things. We will reflect on them and report more ideas in future issues.

April 1995