No Belmont Report at the Tennessee Baptist Convention Meeting

Belmont University president, Dr. Robert Fisher, was scheduled to deliver the Belmont University report at the TBC annual meeting in Cordova. An early announcement was made that no report would be given. I have given that lack of a report some thought and do not blame anyone from Belmont for not reporting. Let's review some of the circumstances from a perspective that you won't find in print at the Baptist state paper:

1. Belmont jumped through the hoops and gained the approval of a requested, new covenant relationship from the TBC Education Committee. That covenant included a super-majority of Baptists on Belmont's Board and a recommendation to use designated TBC funds for Baptist student scholarships. The TBC executive committee voted against the proposal. Belmont cooperated, the TBC chose not to.

2. Belmont provided the TBC a Resolution on Relationship (again, approved by Education Committee of the TBC Executive Board) at the Clarksville, 2005 TBC Annual Meeting that would have re-defined Belmont's relationship. That proposal was never voted on (tabled). Yet, without voting on a revised relationship, the convention extemporaneously re-structured the budget and re-allocated the cooperative funds that had been budgeted for Belmont. Again, Belmont cooperated, the TBC chose not to. (Interesting that budget alterations were so problematic at this year's meeting.)

3. The day after the TBC announced their irresponsible loss mis-placement of a 1951 document, Belmont produced a copy of the document on their own accord from historical files at the university. If Belmont had meant any ill-will toward the historical relationship between the two institutions, how easy would it have been to say, "Sorry, we could not find any such document". When provided to the TBC, this document became instant fuel and proof that Belmont's trustees (all duly elected by the TBC) are "liars and thieves - Tim McGehee". Belmont demonstrated integrity, the TBC chose not to.

4. In a contentious, called May meeting at Jerry's Place, the convention voted one-by-one, to vacate Belmont's board of trustee members without allowing any discussion whatsoever on any of the individuals who they were asked to remove. Put these in order: Acusation. Execution. Trial.

5. After charging the Belmont Study Committee to negotiate, mediate, and arbitrate...and as a last resort, litigate; the committe met only a few times (in 6 months) and engaged vacated board members minimally before filing a lawsuit, without even the professional courtesy of notification extended between opposing legal counsels. TBC claims: No malice intended. (really?)

6. Most recently, part of Belmont's counter-complaint included allegations that TBC leadership advised Belmont to file its revised charter before the annual convention meeting in 2005. Those claims have been refuted in the B&R: The TBC Executive Director and the conservative leaders all deny the claim. In light of the history between the university and these same people, I can easily understand why their recollection of that conversation might be misplaced different.

I suppose Dr. Fisher shouldn't have taken any of the above personally. He is, after all, busy running a successful university (with the help of some incredibly Baptist and Christain trustees) and has run ito nothing but resistance from TBC leadership and the conservative takeover crowd. If the TBC's own newspaper wasn't willing to provide coverage of the good things going on at Belmont, why then, should the institution's president subject himself to a group that has demonstrated nothing but contempt for Belmont for the last two years.

From my perspective, Dr. Fisher did the right thing. His priorities are focused on the success of some 4,000+ students... and it doesn't take a genius to figure out that the TBC is not interested in being a team player in that effort.

When this is all over. I want Tennessee Baptist families to understand that conservative convention leadership led the charge to turn down millions of dollars in scholarship monies to help Tennessee Baptist families send their children to college. I am still hopeful that Belmont will prove to be more gracious and extend that opportunity in spite of the grief heaped on the university and the slanderous claims against duly elected Baptist trustees. Do not be fooled by those who use the guise of "doctrinal accountability" to cover their motive of "institutional takeover".