CO-CHAIR THOUGHTS JEROLD McBRIDE
Working To Keep Us Together

One of the things I truly believe in is unity among Christians. I believe Paul was right in Ephesians when he wrote: “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit — just as you were called to one hope when you were called — one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all (Eph.4:2- 6 NIV).

Our lack of unity is evident and I grieve that the SBC is so fractured. Now a group of Texas Baptists have formed another state convention. I wish none of this was real.

I hope you will read the article on page 6 of this newsletter. It was written by the editor of The Christian Index, the Georgia Baptist State paper. I especially like the sentence where Bill Neal says, “My support lies with those leaders who are legitimately trying to bring us together, rather than tearing us apart.”

I believe that Texas Baptists Committed is the group trying to keep Texas Baptists together. Let me explain.

First of all, what has destroyed the unity once held among Baptists? The facts speak for themselves. Twenty years ago a group of Baptists started to ignore the first part of Ephesians quoted above. They ignored the part about being “humble and gentle.” They stopped being humble. They announced they knew the truth and it was not being taught in our seminaries nor practiced by our denomination. They began years and years of outright lies regarding seminary professors and denominational employees. They proclaimed loudly that our leaders did not believe the Bible was the Word of God.

Too many people believed their lies and today we are a fractured denomination.

Today we have a group in Texas trying the same strategy. They are telling Texas Baptists that our leaders do not believe the Bible. Further, they are saying that many Texas Baptists support the ordination of homosexuals and abortion on demand. These statements are outright lies. But sadly, some people are believing them. The unity of the body is being fractured.

Texas Baptists Committed has been working for 10 years to encourage Texas Baptists to remain united. How? By urging Texas Baptists to stay true to our historic practices and principles. You see, even if we do not agree on everything, if we remain “humble and gentle...bearing one another in love,” and respect the priesthood of each believer and local church autonomy, we can remain united as a body on the bigger issue of fulfilling the Great Commission.

But when one individual or group decides they “own” the truth, or their interpretation of Scripture is the “truth” that all else must follow, that individual or group has ceased to be Baptist. Unity is impossible. Their arrogance, their lack of humility destroys any hope of unity.

Someone wrote a recent “letter-to-the-editor” of the Baptist Standard where they said our unity is being destroyed by “two radical groups.” By implication, he was saying Texas Baptists Committed is a radical organization and part of the problem in Texas Baptist life.

I disagree strongly. Without Texas Baptists Committed, the group of fundamentalists who control the SBC would now control the BGCT. Then we would really be fractured.

I challenge you to name anything Texas Baptists Committed stands for that is radical. We stand for and urge Baptists to support and practice our historic Baptist principles - period. That is who we are. If fundamentalists were practicing their particular interpretations of scripture in their local churches, but not trying to take overhand control the BGCT, we would never mention them. How individual fundamentalists interpret scripture, worship, give their money, etc., is strictly their Baptist right. I am happy to cooperate with them in ministry and missions as long as they do not try to control me.

But in reality, fundamentalists are seeking to control BGCT churches. They are seeking to force all other Baptists to agree with them and partner only with them. They want everyone to share their vision or be excluded from Baptist life. Standing up to fundamentalism is the only possible way for most of Texas Baptists to remain united. I am pleased to be a part of the effort to preserve unity among Texas Baptists.

March 1998