Charles Wade’s reign as executive director has been controversial in many respects including the departure of hundred’s of churches to the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. During his watch the organizational structure has undergone renewal, giving plans have been revamped, money was temporarily limited to Southern Baptist Seminaries, funds were increased to two seminaries started by Texas Baptist universities, financial improprieties were discovered in dealing with church planting operations, and baptisms have fallen from 69000 in 1999 to just over 41000 in 2006. Dr. Wade was the choice of Texas Baptist Committed and has been an active supporter of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship since its inception. His sharp vocal disagreements with the leadership of the SBC have resulted in a deteriorating relationship between the SBC and the BGCT. The BGCT has an opportunity to hire an executive director who will spend energy on invigorating evangelism across the convention and renewed cooperation with the SBC. While the state convention has drifted from its cooperation with the SBC, reports indicate that as many as 70% of the churches that remain in the BGCT cooperate with the national convention. There is opportunity for a new direction.
Two candidates have been announced in the running for this year’s election of a convention president. Joy Fenner has been announced and is the Texas Baptist Committed candidate. She represents the status quo in BGCT politics and leadership circles. She has been actively involved in missions around the world and the inner workings of the BGCT leadership. David Lowrie will also be nominated this year. David represents a voice in the BGCT that has largely been overlooked for the last 20 years. His church continues support for both the BGCT and the SBC. He says it is time for a move back toward the center. David represents a new wind in the BGCT. There is an opportunity for a new direction.
Will the BGCT hire an executive director that will keep it on the same path or will it seek new vision and direction with a renewed emphasis on evangelism? Will the BGCT elect a status quo president or a president that will encourage renewed cooperation and fresh vision? The answers to these questions hold the future of the BGCT. We will know by January.
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5 comments:
I don't know how they could ever move to the center. However, the recent evangelism hire is one such move. Interesting stuff
Thanks for checking out the article on my blog related to my interpretation of what this particular choice of candidates means. I don't think Lowrie's nomination is all that drastic a move, more of an adjustment than anything else. It remains to be seen as to whether he can get elected or not.
Noting that baptisms are down across the SBC by 30% since 1980, I'm not sure that electing a few state convention presidents, or the selection of an executive director will have much of an effect on a problem that is deep rooted and has a wide variety of causes. If you use per-capita numbers, and subtract the churches that left the BGCT for the SBTC since 1999, you'll find that the BGCT is actually doing a bit better in this regard than the SBC is overall.
Lowrie isn't a conservative resurgence, or SBC, flag waver by any stretch of the imagination. What he represents is a vision of the future in which churches network and build their own points of cooperation with various mission sending and educational entities, a much looser confederation of churches than the current convention model. That's a vision that will resonate with younger pastors and church leaders, who see the current convention model as a cumbersome dinosaur. It's not as much about theology as it is about methodology. Fenner and Wade represent the old way of doing things. Lowrie represents a new way.
Lee, thanks for your comments and welcome to Lifeeverday.
David may not be a huge departure from the status quo in terms of SBC support, however the symbolism here is huge. For a BGCT candidate to even suggest cooperation with the SBC is a shift in rhetoric. We all are well aware that there has been cooperation between the BGCT and the SBC on several levels. We also know many BGCT churches have not diminished their cooperation and financial suppor of the SBC. The greatest exodus of churches to the SBTC came after the defunding of the seminaries in 2001. Just the willingness to hint a shift toward the center looks large from my perspective.
As I post, I don't have my convention annuals with me, however, the best my memory serves me the most churches ever in the BGCT was around 4800 in 1999. Today the count is just over 4300. A drop of only 500 in churches with a 28000 in Baptisms is significant.
I believe you are spot on in pointing out that our problems with Baptisms are more than just the leadership. Even so, there can be little doubt that the political wranglings and negative press due to the wranglings have a direct correlation. We were told by our BGCT leadership that evangelism conferences were out. You won't convince Don Cass that and with the success of the conference sponsored by the SBTC it will be difficult to convince others. While the leadership has little opportunity to motivate our laity for evangelism, it does have the capacity to influence pastors to give time to soul winning. Soul winning, now thats a term that has just about been retired. I wonder why?
I think this years convention was good news for the BGCT. To only miss electing a president that says he wants to cooperate with the SBC by 40 votes. . . WOW! People have long thought these kind of numbers to be impossible to attain at the BGCT meetings. More people will show up next year if a similar candidate is run. Texas Baptists now have hope. . . they can change things by attending the convention. What a difference a real choice makes.
I have long believed that the minority was controling the majority in Texas. The BGCT 2007 annual meeting has proved my hunch right. This years convention was anything but a victory for the status quo. I believe things have just begun to get interesting in Texas.
Lastly, there is no doubt the BGCT needs change. No one could have done a worse job managing mission funds over the past two years. I pray that there is an even bigger showing at next years convention, and perhaps then competant, Bible believing people will be elected.
James, I love your optimism. However, after watching the rest of the officer nominations and elections, I am not so optimistic. 1st VP was clearly a flexing of the old leadership muscle as was second VP. I would like to believe the majority could rise up and regain some ground and that the new Executive Board will help. The political power that believes they have been the salvation fo the BGCT is well organized and have been successful at getting votes for almost 20 years now.
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