Don't Just Sit There in Church: Do Something

Bob Cleveland is my kind of Southern Baptist. Bob is seventy years young, having spent fifty years in the property and casualty insurance business in Alabama. Bob and his wife Peggy have raised two boys, Brian (48) and Brad (45), pictured here with their father, who each now have families of their own.

Bob is a teacher and leader at his local Southern Baptist Church. He also has a blog called Eagles' Rest. Bob made a decision a few years ago to be involved in the Southern Baptist Convention - not just on the local level, but at the national level. He has spoken to the Southern Baptist Convention from the floor of the Convention in each of the last three years, including providing one of the clearest articulations for why the Southern Baptist Convention should adopt the Garner Motion. His persuasive reasoning led our Convention to pass the Garner Motion by an overwhelming majority vote. It is because of people like Bob that the Southern Baptist Convention is now turning toward more of a cooperative attitude and away from an isolationist, separatist spirit that has characterized our Convention actions these last ten years.

Bob recently wrote me to explain why he decided to become involved in the Southern Baptist Convention and the necessary politics that go along with involvment at the national level of the SBC. His email should be mandatory reading for every Southern Baptist who is concerned about our future. I print it here with his permission:

I read a story nearly 50 years ago in Reader's Digest that I think you may find interesting. It explains a lot of things, one of which is why I speak up (even though I am, by nature, shy and insecure).

They ran a test, in NYC as I recall. The premise was that it would be helpful for people to be able to share their fears, vices, etc, anonymously in a group, without fear of reprisal, but just to know that others didn't think them weird etc. The format was to call volunteers in and give them a number and show them to a soundproof booth with mic & earphones. Then they would, in turn,by the numbersm share what it was that concerned them. They had groups stated from two people to ten people.

#1 was always a guy who'd had a gambling problem and got terribly in debt and had a heart attack. He'd recovered; the doctor said the next one would be fatal. The guy then said he'd gotten out of debt and settled down but had gotten back into debt, stole from his employer, was sick the auditors would catch him, hed' been having chest pains lately... then he starts screaming and they hear a thud. Then silence.

Now .... the kicker was that there was only ever ONE guy (at a time) in the experiment. Some of them thought they were in a group of two, some three, some four, etc on up to ten. Here's what they found out:

When a guy thinks he's in a group of two .. him and #1 .. he ALWAYS comes out of the booth yelling for someone to help guy #1

When he thinks he's in a group of three, him, #1, and someone else, he comes out of the booth one out of FOUR times.

When he thinks he's in a group of four or more, he NEVER comes out of the booth.

That's why more people will volunteer in a small group than in a big one. Why it takes longer to get a second in a meeting of 1000 then in a meeting of five.

And why ONE guy is carrying the visible load in raising the issues that are threatening to destroy the SBC.

There are, if course, what CB calls "baloney-eating boot-strappers" who will always defend the status quo powers. Others are intimidated by rank and power, etc.

In my case, I have known the thing about group response for so many years, it's second nature to get involved as I do. Knowing what I know, I cannot now hide in anonynimity. Even if I'd far rather do that. I had a chat with your father about that a couple years ago, in fact.

Thanks Bob.

May your tribe increase.


Wade

A Possible Solution for Turning Around the SBC

The Southern Baptist Convention has been hit with a recent slate of bad publicity due to a handful of SBC leaders who seem to be directing the SBC at their personal whims. It's fine for Southern Baptist individuals, seminaries and churches to hold to extra-biblical, narrow views regarding church life and culture, just don't force it on all Southern Baptists. For for that matter, even if a handful of Southern Baptists wish to defend their narrow views as biblical (not "extra"-biblical) and their peculiar tenets of Baptist Identity as "historically Baptist" (and not "narrow"), that's just fine with us too - as long as there is a spirit of humility in those Southern Baptists to understand that there are others who disagree with their conclusions. Southern Baptists cooperate around the essentials of the gospel for the sake of missions and evangelism, and many of us will not remain silent when the SBC begins to demand conformity on matters that have historically never been a test of fellowship.

I am hopeful that a step taken yesterday by Oklahoma Southern Baptists will have long reaching consequences in terms of grassroots involvement and increased cooperation within the Southern Baptist Convention. The Board of Directors of the Baptist General Convention overwhelmingly passed a motion to appoint a task force to . . .

"(E)xamine hosting satellite conventions and/or LIVE interactive internet broadcasts in conjunction with the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma begining at the 2010 Baptist General Convention."

The BGCO Board of Directors motion went further . . .

"We request the task force to design the report and/or recommendations as a model for the Southern Baptist Convention to possibly begin implementing satellite conventions and/or LIVE interactive internet broadcasts in conjunction with the annual Southern Baptist Convention meeting."

The technology is already available. These satellite conventions could be held at churches, civic arenas or associational mission offices. Hundreds of people are already observing the church services, conventions and meetings LIVE via the internet - all we need to do is implement the technology to allow those viewers who are duly elected messengers to vote online. It's not hard - it just takes planning, and the BGCO is beginning the process for everyone. By the way, Oklahoma Southern Baptists have a very good track record of implementing creative, cutting edge ministry that is later picked up by other states and the Southern Baptist Convention.

We regularly hear our SBC leaders say that they exist to "serve the churches." We all know that the highest authority in our Convention is the local church. When Southern Baptist church members can participate in the Convention without the high cost of travel expenses, we get grassroots involvement. Imagine for a moment the possibilities for our Convention. What would happen if those missional, cutting edge churches that are being planted by our young Southern Baptist pastors and evangelists (like Andy Stanley pictured above) could go across the street, watch the Convention, and vote their conscience? What would happen if those older Southern Baptists who are in love with missions, but don't like the narrowness they see creeping into Baptist life, could be elected as messengers and go down the street rather than across the country to participate in the process? Can you imagaine our 5,500 missinaries around the world participating in the Convention? What would happen if people came to auditoriums all across the country, or logged onto the Internet, to join in the prayers, praise and preaching that takes place at our national and state Conventions?

I think the action of Oklahoma Southern Baptists yesterday may well be a defining moment in our Convention. It will be very interesting to hear the arguments of those who are against the idea. Pay close attention to the debate over the BGCO's coming report and recommendations.

I am excited about the far reaching impact upon both the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma and the entire Southern Baptist Convention because of the BGCO Board of Directors' foresight and wisdom displayed in the adoption of this motion.

In His Grace,


Wade

An Opportunity to Speak to the Entire SBC

It seems the Lord has deemed fit to give me an opportunity to speak to the entire Southern Baptist Convention which will convene in Indianapolis, Indiana in June of 2008. Two weeks ago, just as I was boarding a plane with my wife to travel overseas to visit several of our missionaries I received a copy of an email sent to William Harrell, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention. The email, copied below, is from Hiram Smith, member of Olive Baptist Church, Pensacola, Florida.

To: Rev. William F. Harrell, Chairman
Executive Committee, SBC
Nashville, TN

Dear Mr. Chairman:

It is my intention, and the intention of others, to introduce a motion to immediately remove Rev. Wade Burleson from membership on the Board of Trustees of the International Mission Board of the SBC at this year’s convention in Indianapolis, Indiana. Numerous other good faith efforts have been made to get Reverend Burleson to bring his incessant Internet publishing into line with biblical standards of communication within the Christian family. Regrettably, these efforts have failed, making this most unpleasant initiative necessary.

Southern Baptists need to reestablish an appropriate level of responsible and respectful dialogue and debate within the appropriate forums of the Convention, and not “before the unrighteous,” as Paul cautioned the Corinthians. The Internet is not the proper forum for any agency-entity trustee to attack and criticize SBC leaders, nor fellow trustees, nor the carefully and prayerfully voted decisions by trustees of any SBC agency-entity. All these things Rev. Burleson has done and continues to do.

Draft of motion: “I move that Reverend Wade Burleson be removed immediately from the most honorable position of trustee of the International Mission Board of the SBC, and that the current Nominating Committee be asked to recommend his replacement.”

After seeking to obtain information on appropriate protocols for submitting this action and having my requests declined, I am “shooting this off in the dark.” Therefore, please adjust the content and format of this communication, taking whatever action is necessary to assure (sic) that the opportunity to introduce a motion to this effect in Indianapolis will be secure.

Please feel free to contact me by phone (at any hour), email or postal delivery, especially if I am required to submit any more information. Details on my identity, church membership, etc. are in Executive Committee office files from numerous resolutions that I submitted at the last SBC conventions in Indianapolis and Nashville.

Sincerely,

Hiram Smith (member, Olive Baptist Church)

I do not know Hiram except for a few of his comments on this blog, including this one (the fifth comment down) in a post from last November. Hiram is also the one who recommended to the 2005 Nashville, Tennessee Southern Baptist Convention that ten percent of the SBC ELRC budget be given to Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church Ministries to support efforts 'to reestablish the rights to acknowledge God in America.'

The Lord works in mysterious ways.

In His Grace,


Wade Burleson