CO-CHAIR THOUGHTS FROM JEROLD McBRIDE
My Grief is Turning to Joy!

In the 16th chapter of John, Jesus spoke to His disciples regarding his impending death and the coming of the Holy Spirit. He told the disciples, “I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.”

I have grieved deeply about the Southern Baptist Convention turning away from an emphasis on grace and missions and from the SBC rejecting our historic principles and practices for the foolishness of fundamentalism. It has at times been a grief nearly too much to bear.

My life, and the life of my father, was deeply invested in Southern Baptists. My father spent twenty-five years as a pastor of Southern Baptist churches and thirteen years with the Annuity Board. I graduated from Hardin-Simmons and earned the Masters and Doctorate degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. I served in the Oklahoma Baptist Convention as Director of Evangelism. I was a teaching fellow in evangelism at Southwestern. I served on several committees in Southern Baptist life.

The takeover of the SBC by fundamentalists has caused some to rejoice while it has caused me to grieve.

But my grief is turning to joy as I see and participate in what Texas Baptists are doing to build the Kingdom of God!

Texas Baptists are “taking lemons and making lemonade.” They are responding to the crisis in Baptist credibility with courage and vision. They are moving forward out of the darkness to a bright new day. The Effectiveness/ Efficiency Committee Report is another step into the Light of God. I experience joy as I watch Texas Baptists respond to the crisis in theological education and form new seminaries and a Bible College to prepare our next generation of students.

I experience joy as I see Texas Baptists respect local church autonomy and treat all churches fairly in their mission giving.

I experience joy as I see Texas Baptists developing strategies to start more churches, reach various ethnic groups with the Gospel, and launch more mission endeavors as a state convention.

I experience joy as Texas Baptists respond to the need for Bible Study material with a plan to provide our Sunday School teachers with quality, distinctively Baptist materials.

I experience joy as I read of plans to provide theological education for our laity because we realize all God’s children are ministers and must be involved in evangelism and missions.

I experience joy as I observe Texas Baptists making a special emphasis to help families in an age of moral decline.

I experience joy as I watch Texas Baptists support the Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs and stand firm for religious liberty and the separation of church and state as our national convention leaves these treasured doctrines behind or redefines their meaning.

I experience deep joy as I watch Texas Baptists step up to fill the gap created by the turn of the SBC to fundamentalism. The world needs an authentic Baptist witness. As Texas Baptists we are assuming our responsibility to provide this witness as we expand our ministries, institutions, and programs.

Jesus was right. In all things, our grief will turn to joy if we stay true to Him and follow His example in our personal lives and in our corporate ministries. Come to Austin. Experience the joy of being a Texas Baptist! Support our efforts to leave the darkness and follow the light through the visionary recommendations of the Effectiveness/Efficiency Committee. Get involved in the mission of Texas Baptists and feel your sorrow turning to joy!

October 1997