Kenny Qualls: “You see
Roman numeral three on your sheet here, ‘Our Concerns.’ Number one,
let me share what this is not about. These are very important issues
in Baptist life today, but this is not what this is about: It’s not
about Calvinism; It’s not about alcohol -- I think I
clearly understand where everyone in this room would be on the issue
of alcohol. It’s not about that; It’s not about the emerging
church. And number two, it’s not even about the recent firing
of Dr. Clippard. That needs to be very clear. It’s not about
the recent firing of Dr. Clippard, though we do have our own
opinions about that. I’m sure across this room there are different
opinions. Bottom line, that’s over and done. This is not about the
past. It’s about where we’re going into the future. As one pastor in
this state, I have a great concern about where we’re going in the
future.
“The concerns you see
there in number three are two-fold: The continued power control
of certain Project 1000 leaders and the Missouri Baptist Laymen’s
Association that has led to the micro-management of Missouri Baptist
Convention staff and exclusion of many fine Missouri Baptists.
You see there also, we are concerned about a spirit of
legalism that refuses to cooperate with those who are not in
total agreement, and set parameters that exceed the Baptist Faith and
Message. These are my words, my own opinion. I have no desire
to be a part of a convention in which we swap out liberal Sadducees
for legalistic Pharisees. And then finally, we are concerned
that these two forces -- a political powerbroker machine
and a spirit of legalism -- in our opinion, will lead to
the destruction of the Missouri Baptist Convention and also
potentially to bring harm to our institutions.”
Dewight Blankenship: “What
is our purpose? To break the power hold that a small group
has on Missouri Baptist Convention. Two: To halt the spread of
a legalistic spirit and allow for diversity of opinion on
non-essentials. Three: To include all those who want to work
together with Baptists -- the Baptist Faith and Message as our
guide.”
David Sheppard: “I know a
lot of people would say, what’s the big problem? What is behind all
of this? We want to share a number of things with you from a number
of people at this time about the evidence, the fact that there’s a
small group -- we believe a small group -- who has really taken
control of our convention. And in reality, started out with a
good purpose, and yet has moved us from here, and gone to the opposite
extreme. And basically, we have exchanged one set of power
brokers for another set of power brokers.
David McAlpin: “…on this
[Ad Hoc Theological Study] committee, I see an alarming, an alarming
degree of insistence that we narrow and narrow and narrow our
theological stream, until we exclude more and more and more folks who
in the past, they affirmed the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 --
that’s not good enough. And so we see a narrowing and a narrowing and
a narrowing of the stream of what is acceptable. And we see a growing
-- I see a growing intolerance for those who may disagree on
secondary and tertiary issues with those that are right now in
control of our Executive Board. And I am deeply alarmed.”
David Sheppard: “I hope
that you can begin to see from this that it’s not just a matter of
power control, though that’s part of it. There’s nothing wrong with
having authority and having power if you exercise it in the right way
at the right time. There is something wrong with having
control and power if you exercise it in a wrong way and at the wrong
time. And basically, that’s what we’re concerned about, is not
only is there a power control group, but it’s been exercised in the
wrong way to the point of narrowing things down.”
Jim Breeden: “Many
churches are expressing to DOM’s across the state alternative ways of
supporting and doing missions and evangelism in Missouri. Some are
very radical. The majority of the recommendations are to bypass MBC,
channeling monies to associations and straight to Nashville. This is
not only a possible new mode of giving, but would greatly impact the
MBC institutions in our state.”
“There is a loss of
trust in the Pathway newspaper. A large number of Missouri Baptist
believe the Pathway has fueled the current conflict by focusing on
controversy, reporting events in a very biased manner and writing with
inflammatory tone. The vast majority across the state believe the
Pathway ought to work with and not against the MBC staff. It is
a sad day when Missouri Baptists trust secular papers and the Word and
Way more than the official state paper.”
Bruce McCoy: Speaking
at the SOC rally as chairman of the MBC nominating committee and
encouraging those in attendance to make nominations to his committee,
McCoy stated: “Certainly we want [theological]
conservatives. I would hope no one wants a legalist.”
“… I say this everywhere
I’m invited, if at the end of that meeting [August 9th
meeting, where all new nominees are approved by the committee] that
our nominating committee is indeed presenting what some fear will be a
group of people that are not representative of inclusiveness of
conservatives, I will have the character to say to them, that I
want you to know that I will present this report, but I’m also between
now and the convention, I will be preparing, with some help, a
minority report. And we hope it doesn’t have to come to
that. But I will do it if necessary.
David Sheppard: “You’ve
had the opportunity to hear from the other side. You’ve heard
from them through the Executive Board, you’ve heard from them through
the Pathway, you’ve heard from them through other sources.
It’s time now for us to have our voice and that’s why we’re here
today.”
“We want to share with
you today the things that need to be done. Number one is you need to
give Bruce McCoy those nominations. He’s got the forms back there.
Give him, flood him with nominations. Make sure they are people who
are, number one are conservative, and are in churches that are strong
CP givers. Secondly, if we’re going to turn this thing around, we’re
going to have to go to the Missouri Baptist Convention this fall. And
many of us believe that we’ve got the next five months to do this.
Quite honestly, somebody came in here this afternoon and said, if we
don’t get this done at the convention this fall, there are a lot of
guys that are ready to bolt and leave. And there are a lot of guys
that just don’t have the heart and stamina to stick it out after
that. And so we are in a full court press, all out effort to go to
the convention this fall and turn this.
“And there are three
things that have to be done. And I want to encourage you to
concentrate on these three things and only these three things. Number
one is to elect a full slate of officers, president, vice president,
second vice president and secretary-treasurer, who really represent
all of Missouri Baptists. Not in a legalistic spirit, not in a
narrowing down, but who want to include all of Missouri
Baptists who are conservative. And so that’s the first key.
“The second key is
that many of us have a great fear that the nominating committee, this
year, is overwhelmed with people who are not of that [inclusive]
spirit and that we are going to receive a nominating committee report
that will be exclusive. But it will be that narrow group of folks
that we’ve seen the last couple of years.
“Now, if they bring back
a report that is positive and includes all of Missouri Baptists and
moves away from this legalistic power brokering that
we’ve seen the last two years, we’re going to be fully behind that
report. If they don’t, we intend to reject it. And here’s how we
plan to do that. Bruce [McCoy] has already mentioned that. If that
report does not come back positive, there are some folks on that
nominating committee who are going to stand up immediately and move
for a substitute report. And the chairman of the committee is going
to speak in favor of that. Now we’re telling this all out front. The
president knows it, the executive director -- interim executive
director knows it. Everybody knows it. That’s the plan. Now if
somehow -- by a parliamentary move -- we have it ruled that that
substitute report can’t be presented, here’s plan B. Just vote no on
the full report. When you vote no on the full report, it nullifies
it. Somebody then has to come and give another report and that opens
the door for the minority report. It’s that plain and simple folks.
And we would encourage you, when you go to the convention, that
report’s going to be given. If it’s not the report it ought to be,
one of those committee members will get up and say I move that we
adopt a minority report. And there’ll be a second and Bruce
McCoy will speak to it and then there will be an opportunity
for one person to speak against it and then we’re simply going to call
for the question. There’s no need to debate it for two hours.
There’s no need to run it into the ground. We either accept it or we
reject it. That’s the second step, the nominating committee report.
“The third thing that
needs to be done that is key to this, is the president will nominate
eight people – must be nine since Bruce [McCoy] is not going to serve
– nine people to serve on the nominating committee for three years
starting the next year. Now that’s important. And if the
president chooses to be inclusive of Missouri Baptists, and to get
beyond the power brokers and the legalists, we’re prepared to vote yes
on his nominations. If he chooses to select power
brokers and legalists to nominate, to be on the nominating committee,
we can vote no.”
