SBC declines reconciliation effort
By Bob Allen, Baptists Today

ORLANDO, Fla. (ABP)-Southern Baptists declined to establish a committee aimed at healing fissures between conservatives and moderates in Baptist state conventions.

Messengers to the June 13-14 Southern Baptist Convention in Orlando, Fla., voted down a motion from the floor to form a committee to work toward "reconciliation and restoration" among various factions in the denomination.

The motion, proposed by Paddy O'Connor, a minister of First Baptist Church in Brooksville, Fla., asked the SBC president, in consultation with state leaders, to appoint a committee aimed at bringing together various "subgroups" in Baptist life.

Issues including the "inerrancy" of scripture that divided the SBC in the 1980s now have trickled down in some cases to state conventions. Several state SBC affiliates have competing moderate and conservative political organizations vying for control.

Conservatives have formed separate conventions in two moderate strongholds, Virginia and Texas. O'Connor argued in bringing his motion that such division does not honor God.

Messengers overwhelmingly voted the motion down, however, after SBC leaders argued against such a committee.

Morris Chapman, president of the SBC Executive Committee, said a committee is not needed, because fellowship issues such as doctrinal views were decided at the national level by the SBC Peace Committee 10 years ago.

T.C. Pinckney, leader of a conservative state group in Virginia, said denominational leaders should not negotiate with others who don't share their theology. "The Southern Baptist tent should be just as broad as God's word-no broader, no narrower," Pinckney said. "Scripture, not cooperation is primary. Let every Southern Baptist accept God's word, and cooperation will follow as day follows night."

July 2000