THE POLITICS OF FEAR AND THE NEED TO PRAY
By David R. Currie,
Coordinator

In the first chapter of 2 Timothy, the apostle Paul writes Timothy these words, beginning in verse 3:

3 I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have a remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day.

4 Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy;

5 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.

6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance, that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.

7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

As I read the daily news stories that came over the fax regarding the turmoil at Southern Seminary, I thought of those professors, having to cope with the politics of fear. The list of what one has to believe (besides in Jesus) in order to be a “good” Southern Baptist, and thus qualified to teach, seems to grow daily.

The politics of fear is now a reality at all of our institutions. At any moment, the dreaded charge of “liberalism” may be spread across the land. And unlike our secular judicial system, in Baptist life these last 17 years, you are considered guilty until proven innocent.

I remembered Paul’s words to Timothy about not being given the spirit of fear. I got my Bible and read the chapter. Then the memories began to come.

I remembered my grandmother, Ruth Patton, who described herself as a “soul-winner.” I remembered how when I would come home from Howard Payne for the weekend, she would have scriptures written down for me to study regarding a biblical topic, or copies of Billy Graham’s Decision magazine, with parts circled and underlined for me to read. She died during my sophomore year (eighty-eight years young), but for the last year of her life I was the interim pastor at our rural church. I still believe those wonderful people were willing to listen to a kid with no idea how to preach, week after week, for the joy it brought my grandmother.

I thought of my own mother, still going strong at 78, taking me to camp as a child, and going to WMU house parties. Any preacher who comes to preach a revival at our small home church will leave knowing my mother does not care for fundamentalism. To apply Walter Shurden’s term, she is “not a silent people.”

I thought of the late Nat Tracy at Howard Payne. I took all eight courses that he taught. He literally changed my life and made me fall in love with “the beauty of the Gospel.” He made the “adventure of the Christian life” so exciting, that to give your allegiance to anything less was sheer stupidity.

And James Shields, now teaching at Hardin-Simmons, with his flattop haircut, stern look, demanding you work hard, and as full of grace as any man alive

I remembered Southwestern Seminary, where Boo Heflin made the Old Testament come alive for me. You can not take Dr. Heflin without falling in love with the Old Testament and seeing the love he has for it.

I smiled at the thought of William Hendricks, peering over his glasses and asking to see your eyeballs, and giving you a “C” if you made 100 on all his tests. To get an “B” I had to describe how I would creatively witness to a Thailand Buddhist (which forced me to study the religion), and to get an “A,” I had to read E.Y. Mullins Systematic Theology and critique it according to How to Read a Book? I guess I responded to the challenge.

And Leon McBeth. I certainly see now how important it is to understand Baptist history. I use it every day.

I could write pages about Southwestern and the men who gave and still give their lives to train men and women like me. Bob Adams (mentioned in another article), Doug Ezell, Yandall Woodfin, Ebbie Smith, and on and on.

And now all, or their successors, must live under the cloud of suspicion, the politics of fear.

A pastor friend, (Mike Chancellor, Crescent Heights Baptist Church, Abilene), has led his church to a prayer ministry for the professors at his alma mater. They pray for one professor per week and send that professor a note saying they appreciate them and are praying for them. This is a wonderful idea.

I wish 1,000 churches would do this. Gather all the names of the professors in our seminaries, our BGCT related universities, our Baptist building employees, our Directors of Missions, our staff at Buckner’s, Baptist hospitals, retirement centers, and children's’ homes, and start praying for them and sending them words of encouragement. Yes, include the english and geology professors, the janitors, and the house parents. Pray for them all.

Please read the article on the Prayer Ministry of Crescent Heights Baptist Church, Abilene:

June/July 1995