A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE For Guidance, Read the Scriptures
By David R. Currie,
Executive Director

The famous Dickens novel begins, “It was the best of times and it was the worst of times.” I can relate to that as I feel sure many of you can. For many Texas Baptists, it is a confusing time. It is a frustrating and painful time. It is an exciting time and it is a critical time. I want to speak to these emotions and then end on a positive note. Hope and guidance can be found in the Scriptures.

It is a confusing time. There are now two state Baptist conventions: The Baptist General Convention of Texas, which has existed since 1846, and the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention that was formed in 1998.

Two national organizations exist, the Southern Baptist Convention formed in 1845 and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship developed in 1991. Now, we have a national network of Mainstream/Baptists Committed-type organizations from 11 states called the Mainstream Baptists Network. We explain it in detail elsewhere in this newsletter.

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, which was started by Texas Baptists, but now controlled by the SBC, still operates in Fort Worth, but now Baptists have two new Texas seminaries, the George W. Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University and the Logsdon School of Theology at Hardin-Simmons University. Last year at the state convention in Corpus Christi, Texas, Baptists adopted a budget to support the two new Texas seminaries with more funds and give fewer funds to Southwestern Seminary because Southwestern is controlled by the Fundamentalists.

Persons who have not kept up with events the past 22 years feel confused.

It is a frustrating and painful time. I receive many letters from heartbroken Baptists from across the country about what has happened to Southern Baptists. They feel like the children of divorced parents. They deeply wish things could be like they used to be, that we could all respect our differences and cooperate to share the Gospel. They wish there was not so much division and these new organizations did not exist.

They especially wish they did not have to decide what kind of Baptists they are and who they should cooperate with in carrying out the Great Commission. Sadly, out of their frustration, many Baptists are not willing to try to understand what caused all the division. Thus, they blindly support the SBC as if nothing has changed. In reality, everything has changed. The SBC of today is different from the organization that existed from 1845 until 1979. Many have no idea this is reality.

They have trouble understanding the division and the reasons the new organizations have been formed. Yet it is really quite simple. Fundamentalists do not want to cooperate with anyone except those who interpret Scripture exactly as they do on every issue. The SBC is trying to impose a creedal faith, which in reality is old fashioned legalism, like that rejected by Jesus and Paul. This makes cooperation difficult for traditional Baptists who want to cooperate out of their freedom, not because of coercion.

Herschel Hobbs, chair of the 1963 Baptist Faith and Message committee, predicted that, “In all likelihood the only thing that would divide Southern Baptists with regard to their faith would be for one group — to the right or left of center or even in the center — to attempt to force upon others a creedal faith.” The attempt on the part of Fundamentalist leaders to impose upon others a creedal faith is the one and only reason for the current division and division will only cease when Fundamentalists abandon their efforts to impose a creedal faith on all other Baptists. Reality is, Fundamentalists will never stop this effort on their own.

Traditional Mainstream Baptists are frustrated because they are under constant attack for being real Baptists. They are under attack for daring to interpret Scripture for themselves. They are under attack for wanting theological education to be about teaching future ministers to think rather than indoctrinating students.

Painful examples include a church in Florida called before their local association for not believing the Bible because they ordained a female minister of education. Are women leaders in the church liberal and out of the historical norm? Hardly.

The first president of the Southern Baptist Convention, elected in 1845, was W.B. Johnson, from South Carolina. In 1846 he wrote a book that included a chapter on the role of the woman deacon. Johnson valued the role of women. Certainly, he was a traditional Baptist.

Baptists have always had various opinions of many issues, including the role of women in the church. This was never a question historically until 1979, when Baptists changed and began a crusade to make all Baptists think alike. The result: a destruction of cooperation. Many Baptists today act as if they are on an inquisition to root out all heretics, which they define as anyone who does not agree with them. For me, this pain is worse than that of being divided.

Painful examples also include churches Fundamentalist pastors have divided. Recently, I spoke with members of two churches. One had voted to stop all support of the BGCT and the other had voted to give 50 percent to the BGCT and 50 percent to the SBC. In both churches, the pastor did not allow much discussion nor did he explain clearly what members were voting on. It was just “shoved down the people’s throat” with most church members having no idea what was being done or why.

I get calls weekly from laypersons in churches who called a pastor who lied to the pastor search committee and sometimes, the entire church, before they called him as pastor. He looked the committee or church body in the eye and said, “I am not a Fundamentalist and I am not involved in the Baptist controversy.”

After being called as pastor of the church, he built a strong base of followers and then began to set up his Fundamentalist agenda. This has been very frustrating and painful for many people. Until all Baptists are educated about the truth in Baptist life, this will continue to happen repeatedly. The frustration and pain will continue.

It is a critical time.

With all the organizations mentioned above and with all the changes that have taken place, it is a critical time for decision making. Most would prefer not to have to make a decision. I understand that feeling because as I mentioned above, it is frustrating and painful to have to deal with this mess. The problem is, if you do not deal with it, matters will be worse. You could lose your church to Fundamentalism.

Some want to blame Texas Baptists for having to choose. Some want to blame Texas Baptists Committed for problems in Texas Baptist life. A few even like to blame me personally. The BGCT, TBC and I are not to blame. Fundamentalists are to blame. They are the ones who changed everything and are trying to impose a creedal faith — legalism — on every church and person and now every Baptist faces a critical decision: What kind of Baptist am I going to be?

The answer to this will determine the effectiveness of the Baptist witness in Texas for the next century, and possibly around the world. The question is serious, however, I think it is an exciting one.

It is an exciting time.

Having to decide what kind of Baptist you are going to be is truly energizing. It forces you to ask some tough questions, to dig deep into your soul and wrestle with some intensely personal issues. You can become a stronger Christian and a better Baptist.

I encourage you to:

1. learn the truth about the Fundamentalist takeover of the SBC. Authority of Scripture is not and never has been the issue. It is about power and control and God’s nature and character. Purchase a copy of The Takeover of the Southern Baptist’s Convention for $3 and The Battle for Baptist Integrity for $6. We have both books and will be happy to send them to you.

2. learn the biblical and historical principles that made Baptists so effective from 1845 until 1979 and why we must preserve those principles for future generations. A good place to start is by reading Four Frag Fragile Freedoms by Walter Shurden. You can purchase this book on our website as well.

3. read the Gospels and allow God’s word to reveal to you the character of Jesus Christ. Notice the way Jesus treated people—women, the poor, sinners—and then notice the examples of the Fundamentalist mind-set in the encounters between Jesus and the legalists of His day.

Notice the way some of the religious authorities in Scripture tried to exercise power and control and impose a creedal faith. Notice their concept of God’s character. Notice how Jesus related to these religious Fundamentalists. Compare the attitudes of those religious leaders with the current leaders of the Fundamentalist-controlled SBC and the SBT Convention. Let God’s written word reveal to you the kind of Baptist you want to be, the kind of Baptist with a heart and attitude like that of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

4. after reading the Gospels and spending a great deal of time in prayer, decide what you believe about Jesus’ character. Then decide what kind of Baptist you want to be and act on it. Consider the following actions:

(1) commit yourself to being a follower of Christ no matter what the cost;

(2) commit yourself to being a traditional Baptist and partnering with other traditional Baptists;

(3) work to understand the realities of current Baptist life and be an advocate to keeping your church supporting the BGCT;

(4) join TBC and help us spread the truth so that the Baptist witness in America will be preserved and focused on Christ’s true character.

It is a time when revival is possible.

We could get out of this controversy and experience a revival in our state if all Texas Baptists made a firm decision to stay focused on Christ, to support the BGCT and to reject Fundamentalism. The devil loves this controversy. He wants it to continue as long as possible.

We will never be able to cooperate with Fundamentalists unless we acquiesce to their every demand. As a follower of the Living Christ, I cannot and will not ever do that. I love Jesus too much to be a legalistic inquisitor. The world needs Jesus’ love and grace too much for me to abandon the true Gospel for a yoke of slavery.

We have to make a clear and definite break with Fundamentalism and Fundamentalism’s false God. We have no other choice if we are going to be effective partners with Christ. We must declare who is our Lord, the SBC leadership or Jesus. What kind of Baptist are you going to be?

Read the Bible. Read the life of Christ as recorded in the Gospels. You will find the answer you are looking for. You will know what you have to do.

May 2001