A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE:
BGCT Remains Committed to Grace, Freedom and Fairness
By David R. Currie,
Coordinator

Texas Baptists calmly and with determination moved forward in their efforts to be a more effective organization for building the Kingdom of God in the 21st Century. In a series of historic votes, messengers approved without amendment the 16 recommendations of the Effectiveness and Efficiency Committee. These recommendations authorized the BGCT to expand its ministries to families, increase its involvement in multicultural ministries and partnership missions, expand its efforts in theological education, including the formation of a Bible College and a program of theological education for the laity, and start its own literature program.

Texas Baptists Committed supported the passage of all 19 recommendations and we are thrilled at the support each received. The questions many people are asking is “What does this mean? How does this affect the SBC? Are Texas Baptists forming their own denomination?”

No one knows the answers to those questions, but I will attempt to try to answer them from my perspective. I want to make clear that this is only my perspective, not the official position of Texas Baptists Committed or our Executive Board.

What does this mean? First, I believe this convention means Texas Baptists understand GRACE and are committed to GRACE! Resisting fundamentalism equates to supporting Grace as the heart of the Gospel message. Fundamentalism is legalism, pure and simple. It is the same mind-set as that of the Pharisees in the New Testament. Each year as Texas Baptists reject fundamentalist control of the BGCT, they are also making a statement that they understand the Gospel to be about God’s grace, not rules and regulations.

Passage of the E/E Committee recommendations was a statement on the part of Texas Baptists that we want theological education, missions, literature, etc., that focuses on God’s Grace.

Second, I believe this convention shows Texas Baptists commitment to freedom, autonomy and historic Baptist principles. In passing the E/E recommendations, we loudly declared our autonomy as a state convention that would attempt to fulfill the Great Commission as we understand it.

Texas Baptists understand Baptist polity. They understand the SBC does not control the BGCT or have any authority over the BGCT, or vice versa. Both are autonomous conventions and will relate to each other freely and cooperatively or not at all. Texas Baptists understand that they have the freedom to cooperate with others who share their understanding of the Gospel on Texas Baptist terms.

Likewise, Texas Baptists understand that each local congregation is free to relate to the BGCT on the terms of that local church. There is no effort in Texas to control local churches. Those who went to microphones and said they were being driven out of the BGCT are WRONG! They are free to cooperate with the BGCT on their terms and should only leave if they dislike everything Texas Baptists are doing. Otherwise they are FREE to pick and choose how they relate to the BGCT, the SBC or CBF.

Which brings us to the third point — Fairness. We are committed to fairness, especially to those who disagree with the direction of the state convention. As already mentioned, whatever we do as an autonomous state convention will never supersede a local church’s right to approve or disapprove. Local churches can already designate their funds as they choose and the BGCT treasurer will pass those funds to others as directed. Texas Baptists have the freedom to delete items from the approved budget and still be considered supportive of the Cooperative Program.

Texas Baptists conduct their meetings fairly. At this year’s convention, an attempt was made to amend nearly every one of the 16 recommendations of the E/E Committee. People were allowed to speak their minds and make their points. It took hours to pass the recommendations one by one. Why the marathon process of one by one? So that persons had a FAIR chance to amend the ones they specifically had a problem with.

Sure, a motion could have been made to pass the E/E Committees recommendations as a package and they would have passed easily in a matter of minutes. But that is the SBC way of doing things, not the Texas Baptist way! In Texas, we do not cut microphones off while people are dissenting. In Texas, we do not rule people out of order simply because they are being critical.

I hope the BGCT moves forward in many more ministry areas and less money goes to support the fundamentalist controlled SBC. I personally think money given to much of the SBC program is poor stewardship of God’s money. But whatever we do as an autonomous state convention must be fair to all Texas Baptists and allow all Texas Baptists who disagree with our decisions to follow their own convictions. To do less would not be fair and not be Baptist. It would also be acting like the SBC.

How does this affect the SBC? That depends mainly on the leadership of the SBC. Currently, the Southern Baptist Convention is basically “Baptist” in name only. The SBC does not operate according to Baptist principles; it does not stand for Baptist principles; its institutions do not advocate and teach traditional Baptist principles.

Why would we even want to cooperate with such programs? It violates our Baptist heritage and is not an effective way to share the Gospel.

If the SBC continues to practice fundamentalism, Texas Baptists should distance themselves from the SBC for the sake of a more Biblical witness. Supporting theological education at Truett Seminary and Southern Seminary is beyond my understanding. Those two institutions have totally different approaches, and it is a contradiction of one’s values to support both. Texas Baptists should not support institutions that oppose our values. Texas Baptists will not do so for long.

If Southern Baptist leaders move away from radical fundamentalism and back to our Baptist heritage, begin affirming local church autonomy, the priesthood of all believers and religious liberty, Texas Baptists will cooperate with them as an organization which shares our vision. If they continue on the path they are on, Texas Baptists, over time, will have little relationship with the SBC outside of supporting foreign missionaries. The choice will be up to them.

In truth, our focus should not be on the SBC at all. Nothing we as Texas Baptists do should be punitive to the SBC. That is not a Christlike spirit. Rather we should look forward to fulfilling the Great Commission and keep our focus on how we as Texas Baptists can be effective in our Kingdom building work. If we do this, we will make changes in our cooperative relationships, but we will make them for effectiveness and for the Kingdom, not to be punitive.

Are Texas Baptists forming their own denomination? I do not think so, but I do not know the future. My impression is that Texas Baptists are simply exercising their Baptist autonomy and doing things they believe are priorities for building the Kingdom. It seems to me that Texas Baptists are going to be more selective in who they partner with in the future but are not in the process of forming a new denomination.

I do wonder what Baptist life in America will look like in 20 years. It seems clear that Jesus chose a different path than the legalism of the Pharisees. From reading the Scriptures, it seems clear that Paul did not approve of the Judizers. I do not believe God wants fundamentalism to be the dominate emphasis of the Baptist witness in America.

Therefore, the next 20 years are going to see major changes in Baptist life. Texas Baptists should play a major role in these changes. If the fundamentalist leadership of the SBC does not change direction, a new denomination is certainly a possibility. I am excited about the future and hope God allows me to be a part of the process.

December 1997