NOTICE:  These issues reflect the research of First Baptist Church of Rio Grande City.  We advise you to do your own research and prayerfully consider what decision God may be leading you or your church body to make.  This report is for information only.  Your investigation and opinion about the same information may be different than ours.  This data is simply the best understanding of the issues we could develop. 

 

Update 2-15-05

The BGCT has continued to distance themselves from the SBC by joining another Baptist Fellowship!  According to the February 7, 2005 edition of the Baptist Standard (the newspaper of the BGCT) the BGCT has been accepted as a member of the North American Baptist Fellowship.  The NABF is described in the Standards as “one of six regional bodies in the Baptist World Alliance.”  The BGCT will now relate to the Baptist World Alliance through the NABF instead of the Southern Baptist Convention. 

 

STATE CONVENTION ISSUES, CONCERNS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

November 2004 Business Meeting

 

In a time when it would seem there is a great need to draw our Texas Baptist churches together in unity, the BGCT has chosen to further fan the flames of separation.

 

  1. They continued move away from the SBC and towards the liberal Cooperative Baptist Fellowship - CBF (CBF is a different denomination than the SBC.)
    1. BGCT speakers openly endorse CBF over SBC.
    2. No SBC seminaries were allowed at the BGCT convention.
    3. BGCT openly ignores SBC policies and ideals.
  2. Elected a BGCT “employee” as new president.  Albert Reyes, president of the BGCT’s Hispanic seminary in San Antonio.
    1. BGCT hierarchy has power over the president.
    2. His job may be at stake.
    3. At a minimum, this presents the appearance of a conflict of interest.
  3. Approved a change in the bylaws that further limits input and participation by the lay people, pastors and churches of the BGCT.
    1. Alienates churches
    2. Less voice from the churches
    3. Less participation from member churches
    4. Less accountability
    5. I have yet to understand how cutting 144 (or 290 with committee cuts?) of our pastors and lay leaders out of the convention will increase representation by our churches.
  4. Approved a vision statement that opens the doors to the liberal agenda into our pulpits and convention leadership.
  5. BGCT is in decline and is seeking any means necessary for funding [SBCT is growing]
    1. Allow churches in other states to join the Baptist General Convention of TEXAS.
    2. Redirecting more funds to the BGCT from the SBC.
  6. BGCT spends about 50% of its money maintaining institutions [SBTC 11.6%]
    1. Institutions that have value
    2. Institutions that are duplicates of pre-existing SBC institutions.
    3. Institutions that are promoting and teaching their liberal views.
    4. Institutions with high overheads and little accountability.
  7. BGCT spends 28.4% on missions, evangelism, church health and growth, associational missions and Christian ethics and public life COMBINED.  [SBTC 66.75%]
  8. BGCT spends 16% of its budget on administrative overhead. [SBTC 10.3%]
  9. Of every dollar we send to the cooperative program through the BGCT:
    1. 79 cents stays in the BGCT  [SBTC 47 cents]
    2. 21 cents goes to “worldwide causes [SBTC 53 cents to SBC only]

                                                               i.      SBC, CBF or BGCT

  1. BGCT has re-directed millions of dollars from SBC seminaries to other BGCT budget items.
  2. BGCT has placed itself in direct competition with the SBC in missions, bible seminaries and printed materials.
  3. BGCT has rejected the SBC adopted 2000 Baptist Faith and Message because of it’s emphasis on the Bible as the authoritative, accurate and trustworthy Word of God and it’s emphasis on the value of the Word over the opinion of man.  The SBTC takes a strong stand for the Bible as infallible and without error.  The BGCT does not accept this premise or use this language.  The BGCT says the Bible “is the record of God’s revelation to man” while the SBTC says that the Bible “Is God’s revelation of Himself to man.”

 

SUMMARY

 

  1. The Baptist General Convention of Texas (BGCT) has made clear and identifiable steps away from the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC).
  2. The   BGCT has moved to alienate local churches and associations of churches from the governance and accountability process of the BGCT.
  3. The BGCT has placed itself in opposition and competition with the SBC.
  4. The BGCT has made clear and identifiable steps toward both an association worldwide with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF) and developing its own worldwide convention.
  5. FBCRGC has a responsibility to God to be faithful stewards of all of our resources.  We need to know that our funds are used for the glory of God and with the appropriate accountability.
  6. The Southern Baptists of Texas (SBTC) is in clear cooperation with the SBC.
  7. The SBTC has purposed to work with SBC institutions and ministries already in place.
  8. The SBTC now sends 53% of all cooperative program funding to the SBC to fund these existing institutions and ministries.
  9. Funds sent to the SBTC will be used for theologically sound ministries and institutions with accountability.
  10. In our state, only the SBTC is in theological, methodological and missiological agreement with the SBC.
  11. The SBTC is now over 5 years old and is rapidly maturing into a major mission and evangelistic body in our state.
  12. Mike Gonzales, former Director of Missions for the Rio Grande Valley Baptist Association, is now the Director of Hispanic Initiatives for the SBTC.  Mike knows the Valley and has a heart to minister in our area.
  13. The SBTC now consists of 1,583 churches. (10 in the Rio Grande Valley).
  14. Unique affiliation with the SBTC will not affect our association with the Rio Grande Valley Baptist Association and will strengthen our relationship with the Southern Baptist Convention.
  15. The SBTC better represents the traditions, practices and faith of First Baptist Church of Rio Grande City.
  16. FBCRGC needs to decide whether we are going to be SBC, Independent, CBF or BGCT – they are mutually exclusive of one another.  Another way to put this is whether we are conservative or liberal and whether we want to associate with a state convention or not (we do not have to – we can go straight SBC).

 

RECOMMENDATIONS

  1. I recommend that First Baptist Church of Rio Grande City (FBCRGC) uniquely affiliate with the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention effective December 1, 2004.
  2. I recommend that FBCRGC adopt the Baptist Faith and Message as adopted by the SBC on June 14, 2000 effective immediately.
  3. I recommend that FBCRGC actively seek to be an asset to the SBC, SBTC and RGVBA.   This may be through partnerships, service, missions, evangelism or other methods.  Simply put, I am seeking permission for FBCRGC and our pastor to become an active part of these groups.

 

SBC/BGCT Events quick summary

January 2004 Business Meeting

 

BGCT developed their own Sunday School Material for distribution, duplicating operations of the SBC

 

1998 Amendments to BFM by SBC

            BGCT re-affirms 1963 BFM

 

2000 BFM adopted b SBC

            BGCT re-affirms 1963 BFM

 

2001 – SBC Annual conventions has outreach focus on “how to evangelize Jews”

BGCT Director of Christian Ethics and Public Life states that we should not bother people of other faiths with our beliefs – during BGCT Annual meeting in Dallas.

 

2002 – NAMB no longer will endorse ordained women as chaplains

                        BGCT has become an officially recognized chaplain endorsing agency

 

IMB – Requires missionaries to endorse and not act in opposition to the 2000

BFM – many state organizations and other SBC employees do the same

 

BGCT develops a fund to help allow IMB missionaries who resign because of this requirement…(to date only 23 have stated they were opposed to this)***IMB has had this, or another forms of doctrinal accountability since its beginnings)

 

2003/NOW:

 

BGCT is currently recommending that they form a Worldwide mission network – duplicating/replacing IMB/NAMB

 

In times of financial struggles in BGCT mainly due to over 1200 churches going to the STBC; BGCT leaders are proposing to increase the amount of co-op program funds that they keep to 79 percent.  The remaining 21 percent is to be divided between the SBC and the Co-operative Baptist Fellowship – a liberal focused mission sending agency.  (Proposed SBTC distribution is 52 percent to SBC and 48 percent stays in Texas)A large portion of this money will be spent on areas that are duplicates of long standing SBC ministries.

 

The BGCT has positioned themselves to be a international Mission Sending Agency and a denomination on their own.

 

I believe that the BGCT is being financially irresponsible with our co-operative program money and that our NAMB and IMB missionaries will be damaged by their actions.

 

I believe that the BGCT and the SBC are acting in rebellion towards one another and a split is not only inevitable but will occur soon.

 

How does the church want to deal with:

 

  1. the financial issue at hand. 
  2. our long term relationship with the BGCT                                                   January 2004