Editor's Note: Last year, Ted Kersh, then president of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma sent a letter to Oklahoma Baptists that was critical of both Mainstream Baptists and Texas Baptists. The following is McBride's response.    Dr. Jerold McBride, a former Oklahoma pastor and past BGCO Director of Evangelism, took exception to Kersh's denunciation of Texas Baptists and Mainstream Baptists.  McBride is pastor of First Baptist Church of San Angelo and is a past President of the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

Some of the happiest years of my ministry were the years I served in Oklahoma. Two of the finest churches in the state gave me the privilege of being their pastor C the First Baptist Churches of Chickasha and Ponca City.

Then the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma honored me by my election as Director of Evangelism. Serving with Dr. T.B. Lackey continues to bless and enrich my ministry.

Because of the years spent in Oklahoma and the two years I served as president of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, I read with interest and dismay the letter sent by Ted Kersh to Oklahoma pastors. I was shocked to realize that such a drastic change has taken place in the state convention that had made such a contribution to my life and ministry.

The letter mentioned the BGCT several times. He stated, "I am not interested in following a plan that has polarized the Texas convention to the extent that some are compelled to form a new convention." Ted went on to say, "We, faithful and free Oklahoma Baptists, are not interested in the Texas Plan."  Not knowing exactly what Ted had in mind, I would like to share with you what the real Texas Plan is doing.

Real Results

Last year Texas Baptists baptized 69,266 people. This is the second highest total in our history and the most baptisms in more than 10 years. In 1997 Texas Baptists accounted for 22.9% of the SBC's Cooperative Program increase this past year. Oklahoma and any other state convention would do well to follow this Texas Plan.

Texas Baptists gave more than $24 million through the Cooperative Program in 1998 with more than $22 million going to SBC agencies and programs. In addition, we gave more than $14 million to the Lottie Moon Christmas offering. Our BGCT budget is more than $49 million and receipts were 4.2 percent over budget this year.  Receipts have exceeded our budget for several years. These facts seem to indicate that the Texas Plan is working quite well!

What makes Texas Baptists different is that they are not different. They have not changed despite the transformation of the SBC. They have remained steadfastly true to the old time Baptist beliefs and principles on which the SBC was formed in 1845. We believe the Bible is the Word of God and as such is the sole and final authority in all matters of faith and practice.

We are truly faithful and free Baptists who will bow to no one, save Jesus Christ our Lord. We believe that every Christian has the right and responsibility to interpret the Bible, under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, for himself. This does not mean he is free to deny those great Baptist doctrines grounded in God's Word. We believe the pastor is to follow the servant role set by Jesus and that he is not the ruler of the church.

One reason Texas Baptists are flourishing is found in their belief in and practice of the autonomy of the local church. Giving showed a marked increase when the BGCT assured the churches that they have the right to direct how their mission dollars are channeled.

As a current member of the BGCT Administrative Committee, I can affirm that our state convention has no desire to dictate to churches whom they may call as pastor or whom they may ordain.

Furthermore, it is our conviction that the state convention (and the SBC) exists for the good of the local church rather than the local church's existing for the good of the convention. There is no hierarchical mentality in the BGCT!  Coercion, pressure, and intimidation are met with zero tolerance among Texas Baptists.

Everyone Free

Dr. Herschel Hobbs expressed the spirit of Texas Baptists well when he said, "So in reality Baptists are the most broad-minded of all people in religion. They grant to every man that he shall be free to believe as he wants. But they insist upon the same right for themselves. The moment that a Baptist seeks to coerce another person C even another Baptist C in matters of religion, he violates the basic belief of Baptists."  For this reason we support the Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs.

We are mainstream, traditional Baptists. We are fair Baptists and consequently we make room for all Baptists. We are aware that some Texas Baptists sincerely support the radical right turn of the SBC and the fundamentalist movement. These are still Texas Baptists and therefore are included, heard and considered equal to any other Texas Baptist.

Such consideration and respect for any who may differ, led us to make some changes. We began permitting churches to delete up to five line items in the BGCT budget and still have their gifts counted as Cooperative Program giving. Why did we do this? Because some did not want to support Baylor University or the Baptist Joint Committee and others did not want to support specific BGCT programs. We acknowledged these honest differences of opinion and made it easy for people to express their convictions. We refused to force our way on any person or church. This is the Baptist way of doing things. This is the Texas Plan.

Inclusive Policy

In 1994, while I was president of the BGCT, we began to treat all the gifts of local churches equally. If a church wanted to give to the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, we said that was fine. If a church wanted to give to Criswell College instead of one of our BGCT related universities, we said that was fine. We reached out to all sides by being inclusive of their various differences of opinion. While messengers at our state conventions have chosen to elect officers such as I, we have made certain that everyone is heard. That is why there was a minority Cooperative Program report at the 1994 BGCT annual meeting. Six people on the committee disagreed with the report of the majority. Others and I saw that these individuals were included on the committee and given every opportunity to present their perspective.

I am convinced we must focus on Jesus Christ, practice historic Baptist principles, respect differences of opinion and those who hold them, reach out to those who disagree and include all viewpoints.

Should you be successful in moving beyond fundamentalism and returning to a traditional Baptist state convention, you can be sure fundamentalists will form their own state convention as they have in Virginia and Texas because that is the nature of fundamentalism, be it political or religious. Fundamentalism either must be in control or seek to destroy that which it cannot control.

I love Oklahoma and Oklahoma Baptists. For more than 30 years I have spent a week of my vacation in Oklahoma. I believe the vast majority of Oklahoma Baptists are real Baptists C the kind I worked with as a pastor and denominational leader in Oklahoma. They are intelligent Bible believing people who, if given the facts, will make the right decisions. They do not need to be protected from hearing both sides of the story.

Become informed, refuse to be intimidated or coerced, and stand up for the things you know in your heart are right. The 50‑plus years I have spent in the ministry have affirmed our Lord's words, "The truth shall make you free!" This is important to the Kingdom of God. Together, Baptists can be known as a people of grace.