CO-CHAIR THOUGHTS FROM DEAN DICKENS
Restructuring Does Need To Take Place

Several days ago, my secretary mentioned that her young son had placed a collect call home for his mom. The person answering the phone knew that the mother was not at home but at her office. The relative at home, being asked if he would accept the collect call, began to speak, “No, operator, but transfer the call to her at this number.” Unfortunately, all the machined response was programmed to hear was a simple “no” or “yes.”

If only the program’s operation had been arranged to finish dealing with that sentence which had been begun. But it was not. And that made for one surprised, frustrated, and anxious Texas child.

By this date, the SBC has likely granted initial approval for the sweeping restructuring changes proposed. Candidly, the request for changes itself is not a bad idea. Almost all of us have, at one time or another, wished that our organization, business, or church would keep up and restructure appropriately for the day. Perhaps only the Lord and the few people with whom He spoke (inerrantly, no doubt), know exactly all the ramifications and intentions behind the restructuring proposal— but let’s be fair enough to say that it is not a bad idea to be current with today’s situations. Granted, the way it was proposed (1) showed lack of coordination with agency leaders who obviously did not know what was being proposed with the organization they knew better than anyone else; (2) showed real lack of consideration for the WMU—which has been the missions conscience for our churches; and, (3) reflects a not so-subtle consolidation of additional power for the SBC executive board.

I suggest we recognize that perhaps SBC restructuring to some degree likely will be healthy. But, like my telephone-answering friend, let us be very careful that the whole process is a healthy one… that we not stop short with the negatives only. Just as the desired response to the collect call would have been “No, operator, but transfer the call to her at this number…,” the correct response to restructuring may well be “yes, but let’s be sure to restructure everything that needs restructuring.”

For instance, Mauriece has definitively noted some restructuring that needs to take place in Texas and in our local churches. If Texas is to be a Great Commission state, we must find a way to add some money to our BGCT budget to begin needed new churches. That would be carrying the restructuring from a “NO!” into a “Yes!” for Texas Kingdom business.

Another area where the restructuring needs to continue is in the way Texas Baptists deal with theological education here in Texas. Mark Coppenger has been a longtime friend (and I do not choose my friends on the basis of the convention controversy) but I have real questions about sending great amounts of Texas money into a nonevangelistic calvinistic theological institution regardless of whether it is located in Kansas City or Louisville. Texas Baptist need to be putting their money and their efforts into evangelical passion, with personal integrity, and with enough funding to get the job done in our part of the world. That may very well mean that we in our BGCT need to continue restructuring until we have restructured enough to adequately undergird our theological education work. This is where we need to reinforce the theological programs already working for us. This is why, in addition to Southwestern (which may or may not continue to meet our needs), we need to undergird the additional efforts of Baylor’s Truett Seminary and Hardin Simmons’ Logsdon School of Theology. It is also where we need to rethink and restructure to provide theological education at a basic diploma degree and Bible college level.

I believe that the process of restructuring our BGCT budget would allow us to do all of this without hurting foreign missions (remembering that I was a foreign missionary) or our missions at home. I believe local churches will rise to the task, take control of our budgets, and see that both CBF and SBC missions get what they need (even if they have to designate it) if Texas Baptist swill boldly be willing to carry restructuring far enough to make a positive experience for the Kingdom business in Texas. The SBC may be right in that it is a day and a time for restructuring.

San Antonio’s BGCT meeting in November could allow us a wonderful opportunity for carrying the restructuring far enough that it becomes a great “Yes!” for Texas work in the coming years rather than a halting “No!,” which will leave more than one Texas child surprised, frustrated, and anxious.

Think about it.

June/July 1995