The death knell?
I am sick! After reading Wade Burleson's blog today, I am convinced that the Board of Trustees of the International Mission Board have gone too far! Marty Duren is in Tampa for the BOT's meeting and gives another perspective here and here. Is this the end of the Southern Baptist Convention as we know it? I pray not!
Some of the BOT's are trying to force Dr. Rankin out of the International Mission Board. I don't speak for anyone but me, but I am very concerned.
Our church gives 10% of our budget to the SBC Cooperative Program. We give to the Lottie Moon and Annie Armstrong offerings. It may not be what the "Mega-Churches" give but if you took all mid to small churches out of the Cooperative Program there would be no CP!
Why in the world did the SBC radify the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 if our missions entities will not abide by it? We need to quit adding rules and hoops for people to serve as missionaries.
I would never want to be an SBC entity President, because you have 100 BOT's looking over your shoulder. Dr. Rankin and Dr. Reccord have been called by the SBC to run our missions organizations--LET THEM LEAD! Yes, we need accountability! But neither of them has done anything to warrant the "witch-hunt" that has been displayed over the last year.
Now the IMB BOT's are proposing a motion that Trustees can not dissent. That scares me. Baptists have always believed in the Priesthood of the Believer. We need dissenters. We may not always like what they have to say, but they keep us on our toes. I urge the IMB BOT's to support Dr. Rankin. Abide by your own Blue Book.
From what I read on Marty's and Wade's blog, some of the BOT's were rude and arrogant to Dr. Rankin. How does that glorify God? What do we do now?
Update: thanks to Jeff Richard Young for pointing out I don't know how to spell. At least there is something to laugh at --me!
posted by Kevin Bussey at 3/22/2006 01:04:00 PM
13 Comments:
What now? We turn death into a fighting chance to live. We temper anger with patience. We trust that God has raised up men for this hour of need in our convention. Though the days seem grim ... all is not yet lost.
Yes, you are right! When are we going to keep taking steps backwards? I was @ SWBTS when Dr. Dilday was fired and that was very disillusioning. So is this.
We will be taking care of business in Greensboro.
I hate this, Kevin, but it seems to me like they don't care whether or not they split the convention over these non-essentials.
Actually, the real issue is control.
Unfortunately, you are right. The optimist in me is looking for the silver lining. Right now it is tarnished!
Dear Kevin,
When Dr. Dilday was sacked, my head was in the sand. Now it's out, but I'm still not sure what to do with it!
Dear Dorcas,
Don't tell me you're a fan of LOTR and and a Trekkie, too! Yes, I recognized it.
Love in Christ,
Jeff
Kdawg wrote, Is this the end of the Southern Baptist Convention as we know it?
Hopefully this DOES mark the beginning of the end of the SBC as we know it. Hopefully this marks the last grasp of those who seek power and control. Hopefully this will demonstrate the futility of trying to force uniformity of belief. Hopefully this will reveal the danger of silencing dissent. Hopefully this will cause a generation that is committed to cooperation and openness to rise up.
All that being said, I don't know how much of this hope is realistic. The same bunch that is behind all of this is basically the same bunch that controls the agenda and floor of the convention. We have an uphill struggle, but one that is worth it.
Tim,
I pray you are right!
Jeff,
I hid afterwards but have gotten back involved after this mess.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
this news is truly disheartening. makes me want to weep. let us continue to pray for those in positions of responsibility to discern god's direction...
btw, i recommend that if wade is in fact censored, we continue the dialogue on his blog and other blogs (huge thanks to marty for doing so much work to keep everyone informed!)
I'm with you Adam!
Adam,
We will have to keep the dialogue on other blogs because Wade said he will no longer post comments as long as he is a trustee. This is a very sad day.
Kevin,
Your church's 10% is probably much higher than the megachurches' percentage giving. Check out the record of the percentage giving by past SBC presidents' churches and you'll be astonished at how little most of them gave. I posted a comment on Dorcas' site about my pessimism regarding the possibility of effecting change at Greensboro due to the politics that the powerbrokers in control play. I grieve too over how Dr. Rankin has been vilified by the BoT, but was present at the only SBC convention I ever attended in 1992 in Indianapolis when the bigwigs controlling the SBC at that time arose enmasse and exited the auditorium during Dr. Parks' address to the convention. They did so because he dared to ask where we would be as a convention in the quest to fulfill the goals of Bold Mission Thrust if we hadn't spent so much enery on political infighting in an effort to gain control of the convention.
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