FACT OR FICTION: HOMOSEXUALITY AND THE BGCT
By H. Leroy Fenton

The price of bias is often confusion. The cost in terms of truth and emotion is tremendous. Accusations and innuendos that are without substance become hollow attempts at empowerment. There are statements in the magazine, The Texas Baptist, February, 1996, that are inflammatory and without foundation.

Don Workman’s recommendation, in San Antonio, to amend the constitutions of the Baptist General Convention of Texas “to not allow churches that have practicing homosexuals as deacons or pastors be seated as messengers” is at the heart of this dialogue. The motion as presented suggests that the proper way to deal with this issue is through a constitutional change. Constitutional changes can be far more impacting than this single moral issue. The messengers wisely, and by a large majority, referred this motion to the Executive Board. Mr. Walt Carpenter, editor of The Texas Baptist, wrote “Your apathy is allowing the BGCT to entertain clearly unscriptural positions.” “Your apathy” apparently refers to those who did not attend the Convention meeting in San Antonio. The fact is that the BGCT has not taken any scriptural position on this matter but is currently conducting a study of the above motion within the context of the entire constitution with the results to be reported back to the Convention. The Convention has not in any form or fashion condoned homosexuality by such a referral nor has it in any way compromised Scripture.

Furthermore, his statement, “The failure of the messengers to state quickly and forcefully that no church who condones homosexual behavior or places known homosexuals in positions of leadership will enjoy fellowship with the BGCT has already compromised the BGCT” is an abrasive and fallacious conclusion. In a similar vein, Mr. Carpenter makes a sweeping judgmental statements when he says that “Regardless of the strength of the statement that will ultimately be adopted, the fact that the BGCT majority has already sent the message that they will wink at homosexuality just as they wink at the total truth of Scripture.” It takes a great amount of impertinence to make this kind of judgment upon the messengers of the San Antonio Convention. The Convention has the ethical and legal responsibility of dealing with moral issues and convention polity prayerfully and wisely. The Convention through its normal processes will deal with the issue with order, decency, and scriptural appropriateness. I strongly suggest that Texas Baptists place their confidence in the usual convention process and wait for any recommendations or presentations made before coming to such preemptive conclusions as these.

Every Texas Baptist should be offended by Mr. Carpenter’s statement, “You can count on them (The Executive Board) coming back with a vacillating position, as they are permeated with individuals who agree with the CBF that it is time to do away with ‘old fashioned’ biblical ideas on how to deal with this issue.” Having chaired the Executive Board, I will affirm again that it is made up of outstanding laypersons and church staff who are committed to Scriptural authority and who stand tall in their leadership responsibility. To even infer that the BGCT is vacillating or influenced by the ideas and concepts of an outside entity, i.e. CBF, is a confession of obliviousness. The Executive Board is representative, and should be, of the different views of Texas Baptists. The Board Members are faithful Southern Baptist folk who love the Lord Jesus Christ and are committed to His way. Issues are hammered out thoughtfully and discussed thoroughly before decisions are made. It is such a complement to Texas Baptists to have leadership that demands such. By adhering to good sound principles of polity, the BGCT continues to maintain its leadership role with the SBC.

I am particularly embarrassed that a brother in Christ would print rumors such as this: “Already the word is out in the SBC grapevine that it is a dangerous undertaking to accept employment with the BGCT, as layoffs appear inevitable.” The truth is that in 1995, the Convention went over its budget for the first time in 8 years and the first three months of 1996 indicate that the average monthly receipts are $5.9 million toward a per-month budget of $5.3 million. I know of no one on the BGCT staff who is anxious about his or her job.

It would seem to me that information on the BGCT and its affairs can best be obtained from other sources that are careful to differentiate between fact and fiction. From those who demand an inerrant biblical text, there is a mockery of the principle when such license is taken with the truth from other sources.

Dr. Leroy Fenton is pastor of First Baptist Church, Waxahachie, and is immediate past chairman of the BGCT Executive Board.

April 1996