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A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE
TBC, Candidates, Our Future
By David R. Currie
Executive Director

As you noticed on the first page of this newsletter, TBC is not endorsing a candidate for second vice-president of the BGCT at this year’s annual convention. I’m sure this has a few of you scratching your heads. Let me make an effort to explain.Starting in 1989 with the endorsement of Phil Lineberger, Ed Rogers and Billy Ray Parmer, TBC has endorsed officers for the BGCT at each annual convention. For many years, the Fundamentalists were also trying to elect officers of the BGCT. The Fundamentalists defined the rules: win or else they would control the BGCT, fire our university presidents and religion faculties, and turn the BGCT into a Fundamentalist clone of the SBC. Recent events in Louisiana confirm the end result of a Fundamentalist takeover of a state convention.

Texas Baptists in general and Texas Baptists Committed in particular, never controlled things the way the Fundamentalists did when they had control of a denominational entity. The BGCT has always tried to include all Texas Baptists, including Fundamentalist Baptists on key BGCT committees and boards. The BGCT has never refused to follow a church’s wishes in how they want to direct their Cooperative Program gifts.

Over the last few years TBC has continued to endorse candidates for BGCT officers. These candidates have never been opposed for office. We have continued to do this because we thought it was important to use our influence to make sure that representatives of all Texas Baptists were given opportunities for leadership and service. We are very pleased that the officers of the BGCT have in recent years been not only Anglo pastors but women, minorities and institutional presidents. We have no plans at this time to stop endorsing candidates.

But, this year we did decide to not endorse a candidate for second vice-president. There are a great many Texas Baptist pastors and lay persons who strongly support the BGCT but are not a part of TBC. We want these persons to have an opportunity for leadership as well. We heard that a candidate might be nominated that was representative of this group of pastors and decided that it would be positive for TBC to not interfere with this nomination. I do want to give a strong word however, that TBC will never allow a supporter of Fundamentalism to run unopposed.

Dan Wooldridge, pastor of Crestview Baptist Church, Georgetown is going to benominated. We will not be endorsing Dan, although many of us know him and have a great deal of respect for him. In the early days, he worked hard fighting a Fundamentalist takeover of the SBC, but I know he was never really comfortable with the influence of TBC through the years. Many pastors agree with him. I think they appreciate what TBC did in protecting the BGCT, but they really don’t feel as strongly as I do about the SBC.

TBC has always been an organization dedicated to education regarding historic Baptist Principles and Practices, and combating Fundamentalism in any form. We have never had any sort of litmus test for cooperation except support for the BGCT and opposition to Fundamentalist control of the BGCT. Beyond that, we, as traditional Baptists, respect local church autonomy and the priesthood of each believer.

After attending the Baptist World Alliance meeting this summer, I am more excited than ever about the future of Texas Baptists. God has special plans for us in partnering with him in spreading the Kingdom and I appreciate your support of the BGCT and TBC.

What role will TBC play in the future?

1. We will continue to fight Fundamentalism in every form and fashion. No, the Fundamentalists currently do not run candidates for officers of the BGCT, but they are actively attempting to take each and every church out of the BGCT and into the Southern Baptists of Texas convention. They continue attempts to destroy religious liberty in America. They continue to ignore historic Baptist principles and practices like local church autonomy. We will continue to help churches and individuals fight Fundamentalism and educate members about Fundamentalism.

2. We will redouble our efforts to save America from the Religious Right. Many talk about the rising threat of secularism in America, and while there is certainly a grain of truth that many do not love and worship God in America, sadly the greatest threat to freedom in America is Christian Zealots trying to deny religious and personal freedom to all Americans.

3. We will continue to provide leadership to the BGCT. How long we endorse candidates is a serious discussion for our board each year at our board meeting. We do want all Texas Baptists to feel a part of the BGCT, but we do not want or need leaders who do not understand the threat of Fundamentalism to our Baptist witness.

4. We will continue to host young ministers’ retreats, key pastor retreats and our convocation to both provide encouragement and information to Texas Baptist pastors and lay persons.


October 2005