Conflict Among Baptists Is Not Always Bad

The International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention just completed their three day board meeting (September 8-10, 2008) in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Hershael York from Kentucky, a new trustee appointed last year, recently blogged about what he calls "this very historic meeting." I would like to agree with my friend Hershael and use his own words to show that the IMB is better off than they were three years ago because of controversy between trustees from 2005-2008.

Hershael's blog is called Confessions of a Pastor. Here are five reasons, using York's own words (in quotations below), why I know the IMB is better off than it wsa three years ago.

(1).

"I am just now returning from an historic meeting of the International Mission Board"

When Grace and Truth to You first began nearly three years ago, blogging was compared to trafficking in "internet pornography" by several IMB trustees during trustee meetings. It's refreshing that those kinds of things are no longer being said.

(2).

"Staff, trustees, and a special task force are working closely together, perhaps more than ever before"

An extraordinary turn of events for which every Southern Baptists ought to be grateful. The trustee system was never designed to be manipulated by outside parties in order to thwart the implementation of IMB administrative staff's vision. Trustees are not called to RUN the IMB. Trustees are called to support the vision of administrative staff (for heaven's sake, that's why we hired them), hold accountable the expenditures of budgetary monies, and offer support for those missionaries called to do the work on the field. Trustees are NEVER to micro-manage the IMB, but the closed door sessions involving trustees and staff in 2005 and 2006 usually denigrated into certain trustee leaders questioning the day to day decisions of administrative staff (i.e. (1). "Dr. Rankin, I heard you said 'this' in chapel with your staff? Is that true? (2). "Dr. Rankin, your Candidate Consultants don't seem to know how to "screen" candidates, so we'll help them. How about a couple of new "doctrinal" policies to help your staff weed out certain 'un-Baptistic' missionaries your staff of Consultants seem to be sending us?" (3). "Dr. Rankin, we are going to place an offer on your desk for early retirement? Don't you think it is time to step down?" This last one was behind closed doors that were behind the 'official' closed doors.) Sounds to me like there is a renaissance of trust among trustee for administative staff.

(3).

"We serve churches to facilitate their involvement in the Great Commission and the sending of missionaries to bring all peoples to faith in Jesus Christ."

Every Southern Baptist ought to be doing back flips over the adoption of the above Core Value. Though it has been a core value before, trustees seem to have forgotten it. In 2005, SBC churches were not being 'served' when the missionary candidates the CHURCHES sent to be appointed were REJECTED by trustees who felt they knew MORE than the CHURCHES about baptism. The idea that a group of trustees would reject a biblical baptism of a missionary candidate - that the candidate's OWN CHURCH HAD ACCEPTED - because the candidate's baptism was not performed in a Southern Baptist Church (or one that 'believes' in eternal security) - IS NOT SERVING THE CHURCH. Thank God the trustees are now understanding their servant's role of "serving churches to facilitate their involvement in the Great Commission is changing." It can't be long before the silly "doctrinal" policy change that arose out of a misconcepton of trustee "authority" will be overturned as well.

(4).

"We partner with Baptists and other Christians around the world in accordance with IMB guidelines."

Of course we do. That's why we better be doggone sure that we don't narrow those "guidelines." In 2005 we were going down the road of allowing certain idealogical trustee leaders to "backdoor" the Southern Baptist Convention into believing that the only GENUINE Christian is one who looks like this: (a). A Southern Baptist, baptized in Southern Baptist Church, and (b). one who renounces all belief in the possibility of the continuation of spiritual gifts,and (c). one who abstains from any belief in the "orality" of the gospel and always insists on using the 'written,' inerrant Word to share the gospel, and (d). believes that 'the church' is an institution established with 'officers,' who alone have the authority to dispense communion, baptize converts, etc . . . and, (e) any other "guideline" the IMB wishes to establish.

Kind of hard to cooperate with other "Christians" on the mission field who believe in those things when you can't even find but a handful of strident Southern Baptists in the United States who hold to such convictions. Maybe trustees are now seeing the danger of such narrow "guidelines."

(5).

"We took some positive steps to show greater trust in our Richmond staff as they work with missionary candidates and present them to the Board."

On a scale of 1 to 10 - this one is a 10.

Greater trust in Richmond staff in 2005 would have meant the "doctrinal" policies that exceeded the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message would have never passed. ALL OF THE RICHMOND STAFF OPPOSED TO THEM. The President, the Vice-Presidents, the Candidate Consultants, the Regional Leaders - all of IMB'S administrative staff were in unanimity that the policies were detrimental and harmful to the mission of the IMB.

So, maybe - just maybe, the conflict at the IMB over the past few years has made our IMB better. Trustees now know their place, and it is to be supportive of the people we hire to do Southern Baptist mission work and not to try to do the work ourselves.

Grace and Truth to You will be watching closely to see if the excellent progress made in Atlanta continues in the months to come.

In His Grace,


Wade