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Mainstream
Missouri Baptists endorse This
article is an editorial statement from the Missouri Baptist Laymen's Association
There are two very different and competing visions for the future of the
Missouri Baptist Convention. One
says that the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, with its commitment to
"freedom," "inclusiveness," and "diversity," -- no matter how
far from the Truth these commitments may lead us
-- best reflects who we are,
what we believe and where we want to go as a convention.
The other --
the vision of Project 1000 --
says that the Southern Baptist Convention, with its commitment to
missions, evangelism and theological integrity, best reflects who we are as
Missouri Baptists, what we believe and where we want to go as a convention.
This "Special Baptist Press Edition" of Viewpoint represents the full text of several recent news articles
published by the official news agency of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Most of these articles have never made their way into the pages of our
state Baptist paper, Word & Way. An
additional article on page five, published by Focus on the Family's Citizen
magazine, was included because it deals with a major CBF related organization,
which was funded by our convention for over 30 years.
Each of these articles reaffirm the multitude of concerns raised by the
Missouri Baptist Laymen's Association and Project
1000 about the CBF.
From the very beginning of Project 1000,
we have openly declared that our concern has been the growing influence of the
CBF within the Missouri Baptist Convention, and the liberalism that is so deeply
entrenched within the CBF. Likewise,
we have also stated, repeatedly, that our concern has not been about blatant
liberalism within the leadership ranks of the MBC, but rather, the willingness
of a significant portion of our "moderate" leadership to open the
doors of our convention to the liberal influences of the CBF.
The legitimacy of our concern became evident when about three months after the
formation of Project 1000, pro-CBF
leaders of the Missouri Baptist Convention, led by former MBC president Dr.
Doyle Sager, formed "Mainstream Missouri Baptists," an organization
that would operate as a political front-group for the CBF.
But even more alarming than its open embrace of the CBF has been its
public display of hostility toward the Southern Baptist Convention.
Despite the mountain of concerns that have been raised about the liberalism that
permeates the CBF and the organizations it "partners" with, Mainstream
Missouri Baptists (MMB) has systematically aligned itself with the CBF.
But, this should come as no surprise, considering that: ·
Three
members of the MMB board have served on the national CBF Coordinating Council ·
One board
member has served on the Missouri CBF Coordinating Council ·
Another
MMB board member, Harlan Spurgeon, this year's MMB endorsed presidential
candidate for the Missouri Baptist Convention, has served as an associate
coordinator for the national CBF ·
MMB
president, Dr. Doyle Sager, served as host pastor for the 1998 Missouri CBF
General Assembly ·
Dr. Sager
served as a "worship leader" at the 1999 national CBF General Assembly ·
Dr. Sager
and MMB coordinator Rob Marus served as "breakout leaders" at the 2000
Missouri CBF General Assembly ·
Rob Marus
led a breakout session, along with CBF leader David Currie, at the 2000 national
CBF General Assembly, entitled: "How Mainstream Organizations can Assist
CBF in Your State"
Equally revealing has been MMB's close relationship with Dr. David Currie, who
leads a group called Texas Baptists Committed (TBC).
In early 1998, TBC offered $25,000 interest-free start-up loans to as
many as 15 states to form "Mainstream Baptist" groups.
In April of this year, Dr. Currie and his pro-CBF allies created a national
network of pro-CBF political front organizations called the National Mainstream
Network. MMB was a part of this
founding meeting and is a part of this network. (This article can be seen at the Associated Baptist Press
website. The May 2, 2000 article is
titled, "'Mainstream' Baptists form nationwide network.")
The purpose of these state organizations is to fight against conservative,
pro-SBC Southern Baptists on the state level and to work to move the state
conventions away from the SBC and toward the CBF.
In its very essence, the political strategy of the National Mainstream
Network is to take back on the state level what they lost on the national SBC
level during the "conservative resurgence."
Like MMB, Dr. Currie's Texas Baptists Committed is closely tied to the CBF.
Currie serves on the CBF's Coordinating Council and as chairman of the
CBF's finance task force; Charles McLaughlin, associate coordinator of TBC,
serves as coordinator for the Texas CBF; and over a dozen members of the TBC
executive committee have served on the CBF's Coordinating Council.
However, even more revealing is the fact that Dr. Currie also serves on the
board and as an officer of The Interfaith Alliance (TIA), a leading
pro-homosexual interfaith organization, which brags about the diversity of its
membership. According to TIA's
website, its membership includes everything from CBF and Metropolitan Community
Churches (a predominately homosexual denomination) to Buddhism, Hinduism,
Humanism, Sikhism, Toaism and Wiccan. (See
the Baptist Press article on page one, entitled: "National Mainstream
Network Leader Serves on Board of Pro-homosexual Group.")
This year's annual meeting of the Missouri Baptist Convention will indeed be
historic, for in large degree, it will determine the future course of the MBC.
Will we as Missouri Baptists vote to continue our historic partnership
with the Southern Baptist Convention, or will we go the way of Texas and
Virginia, and begin the process of severing our ties with the SBC and begin
forging new partnerships with the CBF?
Mainstream Missouri Baptists' open endorsement of a former top leader of the
national CBF for president of the Missouri Baptist Convention reveals clearly
where Dr. Sager's organization intends to lead the MBC.
There are indeed, two very different and competing visions for the future
of the Missouri Baptist Convention. |
