Sincere Christians can make ill-informed decisions
Jerold McBride,
pastor FBC San Angelo

We are not greatly disturbed by the threats of the fundamentalist SBC pastors in Texas. Most of the churches they serve are unaware of or ill-informed concerning the facts. They are told that all of us who do not blindly follow the right wing leadership of the SBC are “liberals.” I have heard many of my people chuckle when they hear that their pastor has been so labeled. The truth is that many of the problems I have had through the years in my church were because of my conservative views.

Just what are these pastors threatening to do? They are threatening to lead their churches to stop giving to the mission programs of the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

The sad thing is that people in these churches are good, sincere Christians who hear only the fundamentalist line and most of whom do not receive The Baptist Standard which reports the total story.

They are threatening to withhold funds because the BGCT (people such as you and I) honors the right of each church and each individual to give their money as they are led by the Holy Spirit. At the same time, churches such as ours and the BGCT refuse to be coerced by the “Nashville Brass.”

Why are we not greatly disturbed by their threats? Because of the giving example of most of these churches. For example, during the first half of this year, our church has given $40,631 to the BGCT, $98,193 to worldwide missions and $291,115 for total missions.

Prestonwood, Dallas, whose pastor is leader in this group, gave nothing to the BGCT. Other churches of similar mind are FBC Dallas which gave $6,134 to the BGCT, Second Houston gave $2,680 to the BGCT, but Tallowood, a cooperating Houston church, gave $184,104 to the BGCT.

The BGCT must remain true to Biblical Baptist principles even if we loose support. We refuse to sell our souls for a “mess of pottage.”

October 2000