Baptist General Convention of Missouri elected leaders

While those attending the first annual meeting of the new alternative convention as messengers were allowed to “vote,” they were actually only allowed to “ratify” what had already been predetermined by the “incorporators.”  The officers, board of directors, constitution, bylaws, business and financial plan, “cooperative program” allocation budget and other such things, were all predetermined by the “incorporators” and could not be altered by the “voting participants.” 

Elected as president of the new convention was Dick Lionberger, pastor of First Baptist Church, Savannah.  Lionberger served on the board of Mainstream Missouri Baptists (MMB) and was the Mainstream-endorsed candidate for second vice president of the MBC in 2000.  According to the March 2001 issue of the Baptist Voice, the newsletter of MMB, Lionberger led his church to reduce “by 50% what was going to the Cooperative Program” and to “allow [church] members who so desire to designate the CP portion of their mission offering to Mainstream Missouri Baptists or the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.” 

According to Lionberger:  “We are conservative Southern Baptists, we are traditional Southern Baptists.  But we are not today’s Southern Baptists – not at least according to the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message.”  

Elected as vice president of the new convention was Owen Taylor, pastor of Manchester Baptist Church in St. Louis.  Taylor served on the board of The Baptist Home when it voted unanimously to become a self-perpetuating board.  He also serves on the board of Missouri Baptist College, which also voted to become self-perpetuating. 

Elected as Secretary of the new convention was Sondra Allen, a recent past member of the MBC Executive Board and a member of First Baptist Church, Jefferson City, whose pastor, Doyle Sager, was president of the now-defunct Mainstream Missouri Baptists.  In 1998, First Baptist Jefferson City hosted the Missouri CBF General Assembly.  The churches’ associate pastor, Jeanie McGowan is a recent past member of the national CBF Coordinating Council.  The MBC nominating committee did not recommended Ms. Allen for a second term on the Executive Board because she indicated on her nominating committee questionnaire that she supported the CBF.    

Elected to the 16-member board of directors was: 

·        Martin Barker, pastor of Bethany Baptist Church in Marceline, was a board member of the now-defunct Mainstream Missouri Baptist and a Mainstream candidate for MBC president at the 2001 convention.  Barker lost to Bob Curtis in a 1486 to 517 vote. 

·        Glen Haddock, a member of the now-defunct Mainstream Missouri Baptists and member of First Baptist Church, Rolla, whose pastor, Dr. Robert Johnston served as chairman of the board of Word & Way and on the board of Missouri Baptist College, both of which voted to become self-perpetuating. 

·        Charles Davis, pastor of Armour Heights Baptist Church in Kansas City, served as an officer on the board of the now-defunct Mainstream Missouri Baptists. 

·        Nan Olmsted, a member of University Baptist Church in Springfield.  Nan is the wife of Michael Olmsted, pastor of the church and a former member of the Missouri CBF Coordinating Council.  According to the February 2001 issue of Connect, the Missouri CBF newsletter, University Baptist Church was the top CBF giving church in Missouri.  The May 2001 issue of Connect states that:  “Five lay members as well as [Michael] Olmsted have served on the CBFMO Council and deacon Lois McCullars [serves] on the National Council.  Deacon June Brown serves as Missouri Moderator-elect.”  Wayne Bartee, chairman of the deacons, serves as chairman of the Missouri CBF’s History and Principles committee.  Tom Boone, the churches’ associate pastor, is also a recent past member of the Missouri CBF Coordinating Council.  The CBF newsletter also notes that University Baptist Church is affiliated with the American Baptist Churches and the CBF, but “gifts specifically designated for the SBC will be forwarded according to the donor’s wishes.” 

·        L. D. Silvey, a member of First Baptist Church in Bolivar, was not recommended for a second term on the board of Southwest Baptist University because in his questionnaire to the MBC nominating committee, stated that he supports and financially contributes to the CBF. 

·         Randy Fullerton, pastor of Fee Fee Baptist Church in St. Louis is chairman of the new convention’s board of directors.

Who is Randy Fullerton?

At the 2000 annual meeting of the Missouri Baptist Convention, Randy Fullerton, pastor of Fee Fee Baptist Church in St. Louis and Chairman of the Administrative Committee of the MBC Executive Board assured messengers that a “New Directions” recommendation from the (then moderate-controlled) Executive Board to spin off Word & Way and Windermere out from under the direct control of the MBC Executive Board “does not remove Word & Way and Windermere from the Convention.  The nominating Committee will still nominate their trustees.”  However, by the time of the 2001 annual meeting of the MBC, Word & Way, Windermere and Missouri Baptist College (whose chairman of the board is Randy Fullerton) all voted to become self-perpetuating boards.  Fullerton’s comments to the messengers was in opposition to a motion to postpone the “New Directions” recommendation for one year.  Had that motion passed, Word & Way and Windermere would still be under the direct control of the MBC Executive Board.  Fullerton, whose church hosted the founding meeting of the Baptist General Convention of Missouri was elected "chairman" of the new convention at its founding meeting. Fullerton's church had members serving on the boards of four of the five “stolen” MBC agencies.  Currently, Fullerton’s church has members serving on the boards of all five “stolen” agencies.