TEXAS HAS NOT MOVED!

Speech by Betty Rutledge at the BGCT meeting in Austin, Messenger from North Baptist Church, McKinney

*Editor’s Note: To my knowledge, I do not know Betty Rutledge, but I would like to meet her. Many excellent speeches were made from the Convention floor but this one was especially outstanding. She surprised me with her clear expression of the TRUTH! The following is what she said from a floor microphone to refute arguments against the E/E recommendations.

The Effectiveness/Efficiency Committee has been given the challenge of dealing with a tragic reality that someone in Baptist life has moved off true center in cooperative sharing of the Gospel.

The Texas convention has not moved to exclude from planning and policy-making those individuals and congregations whose generous contributions to Baptist work are readily accepted.

The Texas convention has not moved its leadership selection process to a self-appointed group of power brokers.

The Texas convention has not moved toward a purge of dedicated denominational employees through forced terminations and firings, because they held to convictions of conscience.

The Texas convention has not moved to a practice of closed meetings, security guards, and restricted sharing of information.

It would be irresponsible of Texas Baptists to conduct out work in God’s kingdom as if nobody had moved, when someone has!

December 1997