Thoughts about FBC Dallas
By Charles C. McLaughlin,
Associate Coordinator

It was a sad day for me when I read about FBC Dallas essentially pulling out from its support of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. However, I was not surprised.

My father was the director of State Missions for the BGCT and a deacon at FBC Dallas. I remember him telling me several times about the deacons’ meetings in which he stood for the vital ministries being done at the BGCT when other deacons wanted to eliminate the funding of these ministries.

It was when he still had good health that he told me if his church ever quit giving to the BGCT he would be forced to leave the church. He died over a year ago, so I am glad he did not have to consider that decision.

Home Church

The decision of FBC Dallas affects me because it is my home church. Much of my conservative theology and understanding of ministry were shaped by my experience of being raised in the ministry of this church.

This is where I was baptized, attended years of Vacation Bible School, received orange colored shoulder pads from my Sunday School department for my good attendance, sang in the choir, took youth choir trips, surrendered to the call of the ministry and was ordained.

You should understand that in spite of their decision to leave the significant ministries of the BGCT, that I will respect and care for so many fine Christians that are in that church. The friends I grew up with that are still there will remain friends in my heart.

The Sunday School class of my father and mother has some of the finest Christians I know.

The decision of a small handful of deacons and small percentage of votes does not in fact speak for all believers in that Thoughts about FBC Dallas church, but it does mark the direction in which the church has been going for many years.

Regrettable Decision

The regrettable part is seeing many fine people who love the Lord and generously want to participate in His work being led away from partnering with God in ministries that make a vital difference in peoples lives.

They have chosen not to participate in so much of what my father devoted his life to:

• the River Ministry which touches millions of lives along the Rio Grande;

• Baptist retirement and nursing centers across Texas;

• the many thousands of families touched by child care institutions and medical hospitals which offer help and witness under the Baptist banner (about 40,000 children and two million patients)

• eight Baptist universities including almost 4,000 students preparing for church-related vocations;

• Baptist Student Ministry providing support and witness on more than 130 university campuses across Texas;

• other schools meeting special educational needs;

• Many services to help churches with evangelism, stewardship, conflict, music, Sunday School/education and leadership needs;

• victim relief efforts;

• counseling and support for staff families of thousands of churches; and

• helping to start new churches, nearly 1000 since October 1995.

They will not cooperate with Baptists who have gone on record as believing the Bible is the authority for matters related to faith and practice and is truth without any mixture of error.

They will refuse missions cooperation with Baptists that have embraced the Truth that Jesus is the Son of God, born in human flesh to a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on a cross for our sins, rose bodily from the grave and is one day returning to make all things right.

Texas Baptists that have been inspired by the Texas 2000 vision to share Jesus with every person in Texas by the year 2000. How sad it is to see my home church walk away from cooperating with those sacrificing to accomplish God’s high calling.

Cooperation Offered

It is disheartening to watch them turn away when the BGCT has put out its hand to enhance cooperation by offering the Criswell College as a cooperative program item and inviting their choir and orchestra along with their former pastor, O.S. Hawkins and former interim pastor, Ken Hemphill, to lead in the BGCT Texas Evangelism Conference 2000.

It is my perception that FBC Dallas is just the first of many high profile churches that will make their way from the BGCT to the Southern Baptist of Texas Convention. As they leave, SBTC leaders will try to make this appear like a significant exodus.

Nevertheless, Texas Baptists need to remember the low percentage of the budgets or even the amounts that many of these churches gave to the BGCT.

FBC Dallas gave $24,000 to BGCT, $12,000 designated to Criswell College and $12,000 to Southwestern Seminary BEFORE their decision to dually align with Southern Baptists of Texas. Any church is a loss, but it should not be exaggerated. For 1998, records show they gave $252,143 for national missions causes apart from designated gifts and special offerings.

The lamentable part is what these churches with such fine Christians are missing out on by not partnering with the BGCT. They will become uninformed and persuaded to believe only one side of a complex issue. Many of these people have a simple faith, Godly desires to make a difference in our world and they have followed leadership that leads them away from the most significant ministry to people across Texas.

December 1999