Thoughts on supporting the Southern Baptists of Texas

Thoughts on supporting the Southern Baptists of Texas
Jerold McBride,
pastor, FBC San Angelo

I am sad to see any church stop supporting the Baptist General Convention of Texas because as Texas Baptists, we are doing some wonderful things for the Kingdom of God. Yet, as a Baptist, I respect any church or individual, who out of conscience, decides how they voluntarily want to cooperate in carrying out the Great Commission.

I am concerned that churches and individuals make informed decisions based on the facts and based on the truth, to understand what their decisions mean. I would like also for persons supporting SBT or considering supporting SBT to realize what that means they are not supporting in Texas Baptist life.

If you are supporting SBT, the following items are not in the SBT budget--

Howard Payne University, Hardin-Simmons University, East Texas Baptist University, Wayland Baptist University, Houston Baptist University, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, Baylor University, Dallas Baptist University, George W. Truett Seminary at Baylor, Hispanic Baptist Theological School, Logsdon School of Theology at Hardin-Simmons, San Marcos Baptist Academy, Valley Baptist Missions/Education Center in Harlingen, Buckner Baptist Benevolences (children and family services, adoption and maternity services, children's Ranch (Camp Buckner), Buckner Retirement Services, Baptist Child and Family Services, San Antonio; South Texas Children's Home, Beeville; Texas Baptist Children's Home, Round Rock; Baptist Memorial Ministries, San Angelo; Hendrick Retirement Living, Abilene; Baptist Community Services, Amarillo; Baptist Health System, San Antonio; Baylor Health Care System, Dallas; Hendrick Health System, Abilene; Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center, Waco; Memorial Hermann Baptist Hospitals, Beaumont; Valley Baptist Health System, Harlingen and Baylor Health Care System, Dallas.

Texas Women's Missionary Union -- Mary Hill Davis state missions offering and all that goes with it,

The River Ministry -- our work along the Mexico border with its programs for church planting, evangelism, health care and community development.

Baptist Student Union ministries at 131 colleges and universities in Texas which involve 38,000 students, Super Summer, Singing Men of Texas and Singing Women of Texas.

When churches decide to divert money to local programs or to a competing state convention they make a direct hit on these ministries.

Are you aware that when you attend a church that is uniquely aligned with the SBT convention, you are not supporting a single institution or ministry mentioned above? Are these ministries that you do not approve of? Are these ministries that you believe are liberal or are not helping people?

I hope every layperson in a church that supports the SBT convention will go ask their pastor why their church is not supporting these ministries. If they tell you they are liberal ministries and that the people who work there do not believe the Bible, they have deceived you.

It is very possible your church leaders have been deceived also. They are spreading a spirit of fear and intimidation around our state in order for the SBT to gain market share. As business managers know, the easiest -- but most unethical -- way to start a business is to demonize and misinform about what they perceive to be the competition.

1. Why does the SBT convention exist? According to their web site they formed the SBT to encourage churches to support the Southern Baptist Convention. OK. The Texas Cooperative Baptist Fellowship exists to encourage churches to support the CBF, yet, they have not formed a separate state convention to compete with the BGCT. In fact, they encourage churches to support the BGCT and send their national Cooperative Program gifts to CBF. Why doesn't the SBT take this approach?

If the true goal is to encourage support for the SBC, why then is the SBT a separate state convention that encourages churches not to support the BGCT? They could simply have formed a "Support the SBC" organization without forming a state convention. This is what the Texas CBF did without forming a separate state convention. If BGCT related institutions are worthy of support, as the SBT showed they believe by writing the 28 institutions above and offering to support them, again, I ask, "Why form a separate state convention" if you like the institutions related to the BGCT? I am just curious.

2. The BGCT will send the SBC any money designated to the SBC through the approved budget or designated to the SBC or any institution related to the SBC.

I want to be fair to every church in Texas. The SBT does not need to exist to make sure that the SBC receives money. The BGCT is fair to every church in Texas and honors the choices they make in Cooperative Giving. The Texas CBF knows this. Thus, it does not accept money to pass along to the national CBF because the BGCT will pass it along just as they will SBC designations. Again, I ask, why a separate convention to do what the BGCT is already willing to do in relation to the SBC?

3. Another question I have is why does the SBT keep so much of the money given them? I find this particularly interesting. The SBT states that it is the only state convention that sends more than 50% (51% to be exact) to the SBC. They claim they do this because they have a small overhead and have not created a bureaucracy. Of course they have no bureaucracy. They do not support any institutions or ministries! The SBT has no use for 49% of the money given. It does not support a single institution in Texas, not one college or university, seminary, hospital, children's home, retirement home, nothing! What is it doing keeping 49% of the money given it and what does that money support in Texas? My question is, "why don't they give 80% to the SBC?"

Yes, the BGCT keeps 67 to 72 percent of the money given it (unless a church designs its own giving plan, which every church is free to do). However, look what the BGCT supports -- more than 200 ministries from disaster relief teams to GA and Acteen retreats every summer, to scholarships for Hispanic ministers, to children's home, to church starting resources, to church loans and the list goes on and on. The BGCT supports more institutions than the SBC.

If a church wants to support the SBT, I wish them well. Nevertheless, I have to wonder if laypersons in those churches are truly aware of what supporting the SBT really means in relation to supporting Texas Baptist institutions and ministries? Do you really want fewer dollars to go to adoption services, programs to strengthen families, hospital chaplains, the River Ministry and our Church Starting Center that have helped Texas Baptist churches begin more than 1,500 new congregations in the past five years?

If you want to support the SBC, you can do so without joining SBT and hurting BGCT related institutions. I hope everyone is aware of that truth. The choice is not between the SBC and the BGCT but between the SBT and the BGCT. Are you sure you want to stop supporting the work of the BGCT? Do you understand the facts? Make sure that you have all the facts and then do what honors God.