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CBF
leader confirms ties between “Mainstream” Baptist groups and CBF By Russell D. Moore ORLANDO,
Fla. (BP)--The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship sponsored a seminar informing CBF
activists how to spearhead moderate political activity in their state
conventions through "Mainstream Baptist" and "Baptists
Committed" networks. Participants
were told that such state-level movements could lead to partnerships with the
CBF by state conventions and to the defunding of SBC agencies by their state
conventions. Participants were counseled, however, not to identify these
networks overtly with the CBF. The
seminar, "Your State Mainstream Baptists Organization and CBF: How Do the
Two Relate?" was held June 30 at the CBF's annual General Assembly. It
was led by David Currie and Charles McLaughlin of Texas Baptists Committed;
Bruce Prescott of Oklahoma Mainstream Baptists, Tony Woodell of Arkansas
Baptists Committed, and Rob Marus of Mainstream Missouri Baptists. "CBF
of Missouri will have a difficult time to grow, if they have a hostile Missouri
Baptist Convention," Marus said, explaining his organization's strategy to
recapture moderate control at this year's "pivotal" state convention
meeting. "If
you win your state convention, you can partner with the CBF," Currie told
participants. The
Baptist General Convention of Texas' increasing alienation from the SBC is not
"an isolated incident," Currie said, but is an example of what can be
done in other states. He
pointed to the defunding of the SBC seminaries as a high priority for Texas
Baptist moderates. "If
the BGCT decides to change giving and doesn't give money to Southwestern
Seminary -- guess what -- Paige Patterson doesn't get that money," he said.
"Maybe
they'll sell Southwestern to us one day," he said. Currie
spoke optimistically of moderates in the state conventions diverting money from
the International Mission Board to other groups since "conservatives don't
care about missions ... they're fighting a culture war." "I
think we ought to take up a 'Save the Missionaries' offering instead of Lottie
Moon and write 'em all a letter and say 'y'all want to work for someone
else?'" The
panel counseled CBF activists not to identify their "mainstream"
organizations with the CBF since such an overt identification would alienate
potential moderate voters. "We
have people in our group who wouldn't touch CBF with a ten foot pole,"
Woodell said. "There
are lots of people in your churches who are not fundamentalists, but who will
never be a part of the CBF," Marus said. The
panel suggested various strategies to keep or gain moderate control of the state
conventions. Telling laypeople that conservative SBC leaders are putting the
Bible over Jesus and are threatening the priesthood of the believer and soul
competency is one factor. Others
include assisting pulpit committees in finding moderate pastors, organizing
moderates to come to the state convention and association meetings, and
providing subscriptions to the Texas Baptist Standard to laypeople across the
nation. The
panel handicapped moderate chances of success in the various state conventions.
The Florida and Oklahoma conventions are "hopeless cases" for
moderates, the leaders said. They
noted that conservative-led Louisiana is a prime target for a moderate victory
at this year's state convention. Georgia may also be reclaimed for the
moderates, Currie said. The Mississippi and Alabama state conventions are the
"most untouched" by conservatives, they said, while Tennessee seems to
swing back and forth between conservative and moderate leadership. Noting
"the real battle has now shifted from the states to your association and
your local church," Prescott urged participants to mobilize moderates to
prevent associations from adopting the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message since the
confessional statement "reflects a completely different understanding of
what it means to be Baptist than what we believe to be Baptist." Prescott
said that although he can rarely assemble a majority of moderate messengers in
his state, "my chance right now is to stop [the BF&M] with a 1/3
vote" since his local association requires a 2/3 vote to adopt a new
confession of faith. Prescott
said that moderates should fight the new Baptist Faith and Message state-level
"Mainstream" groups instead of through the CBF since the CBF has never
adopted the 1963 Baptist Faith and Message. "They
can't fight that battle," he said. "It's not their confession of
faith." "The
battle has been lost on the national level and we have to realize that,"
Woodell said. "Now the battle turns to the state conventions, to the
associations, and to the local churches." "This
is going to be won or lost at the state convention elections and it's up to
you," he continued. Marus
refused to be interviewed by Baptist Press following the panel, but told BP he
was combating "liars" and "cunning fundamentalists such as
Missouri conservative Roger Moran" who utilizes "guilt by
association" tactics. When
asked about specific Moran allegations of moderate Baptist collaboration with
gay and lesbian, abortion rights, and other liberal groups, Marus retorted that
the SBC supports "whacko right-wing causes" such as home schooling and
Richard Land, president of the SBC's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. |
