Editorial:
Holding widows and orphans hostage
By Marv Knox

Imagine someone tossing your grandmother out of her home. Or refusing to provide medical care to your pregnant sister. Or turning his back on an abused and neglected child.

That’s the sum of an attack on Buckner Baptist Benevolences by Baptist Press, the public relations arm of the Southern Baptist Convention, and the Southern Baptist Texan, the public relations magazine of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. A news story on this grievous episode appears on page 3.

The Baptist Press article, also featured in the Texan’s October issue, repeatedly connects Buckner with Planned Parenthood, a nationwide organization linked to abortion.

Never mind that Buckner’s Children and Family Services center in Amarillo and the local Planned Parenthood facility were only two of 24 sponsors of an abstinence program for children. Never mind that other sponsors included the American Red Cross, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, several health care providers and numerous churches. Never mind Planned Parenthood in Amarillo does not provide abortions. Never mind the Amarillo Buckner facility is a leader in birth-mother referrals for adoptions. Never mind that exposure at these kinds of programs increases community awareness of Buckner so the Baptist organization can minister to out-of-wedlock birth mothers, enabling more adoptions instead of abortions. Just never mind the truth.

Instead, the story leads readers to believe Buckner recklessly partners with an abortion provider. Therefore, its reasoning goes, Buckner is not trustworthy. Buckner does not deserve your support. And if Buckner, one of the Baptist General Convention of Texas’ crown jewels, is unworthy, then the BGCT somehow must be corrupt and does not deserve your support. So, this article implies, your church should leave the BGCT and affiliate with Southern Baptists of Texas.

Unfortunately, this pattern has been repeated time after time by Baptist Press and surrogates of the leadership of Southern Baptists of Texas. Their “modus operandi” is guilt by association. If they can convince Texas Baptists that somehow the BGCT is “liberal” and not worthy of trust—not in its own right, but through circumstantial association with suspect organizations—then they can build up the competing state convention. However, their “modus” is bogus.

Anyone who knows Buckner realizes it is one of the most outstanding Christian organizations in Texas or any state. Pregnant girls carry their babies to term and give them to adoptive families because of Buckner. Battered and abused children find safety, protection, nurture and love because of Buckner. Broken families discover reconciliation because of Buckner. Unskilled single mothers learn how to earn a living and raise their children because of Buckner. Needy senior adults live out their days in safety with dignity because of Buckner. People come to Christ because of Buckner. If BP and the Southern Baptist Texan will mislead you about Buckner, just imagine what else they’ll mislead you about.

Don’t doubt the misleading. BP defenders claim its stories contain facts, but the presentations are designed to lead readers to false conclusions. Here are comments Texas Baptists wrote to Buckner after reading the BP story: “We have always supported and hosted the (Buckner) Christmas lunch … to raise funds, but in light of your support for Planned Parenthood, I think we will re-think our position. This grieves my heart that Buckner would partner with an abortion supporter,” one pastor wrote. “I am concerned in your yoking to Planned Parenthood, … a group that profits from abortion,” another said. “I want to go on record as opposing Buckner’s partnership with Planned Parenthood,” another stated.

The BP/Texan story led longtime Buckner supporters to question the fidelity and credibility of one of the most faithful, reliable abortion-preventing organizations in the state. Imagine the ramifications if such defamatory propaganda leads Texas Baptists and their churches to reduce their support for Buckner. That’s where the rejection of the aged, pregnant teenagers and abused children comes in. Buckner already receives more requests for aid than it can fulfill. So, every dollar diverted from

Buckner creates even greater need among those Jesus called “the least of these.” As Buckner President Ken Hall notes, “This attack won’t hurt Buckner so much as it will harm the most vulnerable residents of Texas.”

And that’s a very important reason the slander has to stop. You may be weary of the Standard reporting stories like this. We’re weary too. But this newspaper’s board of directors and staff have considered our calling, and we resolutely agree you must know what is happening.

The time has come for Morris Chapman, president of the SBC Executive Committee and publisher of Baptist Press, and Jim Richards, executive director of Southern Baptists of Texas, to publicly disavow this practice and command their employees to cease and desist. The Standard stands ready to publish in full any pledge Chapman and Richards give to stop the slander of BGCT ministries. If they will not do so, they are as guilty of the malice as the staff members who produce the stories. If they will not, they are accountable for the damage they do to fine institutions like Buckner, the host of ministries sponsored by the BGCT and God’s children—like grandparents, pregnant teenagers and abused children.

October 2001