Tennessee Baptist Convention - Clearly Divided

The votes at this year's Tennessee Baptist Convention meeting appear to speak for themselves. One vote, to soften the stance on using the Baptist Faith & Message 2000 as a measure of a committee nominee's doctrinal accountability, failed by a 7 vote margin 497 to 490 (50.4% to 49.6%).

One proposal from the Concerned Tennessee Baptist party would have given the elected TBC President additional power to nominate two, hand-picked candidates. East Tennessee's timesnew.net reported,

"However, the amendment failed when the convention voted 338-331, which was a just shy of a 50.53 percent to roughly 49.47 percent vote — far short of the required two-thirds majority... Expressing his support of increasing the powers of the TBC president, Ron Stewart said, “What’s best for the Tennessee Baptist Convention is for a balance of power."

I'm not quite sure what Ron Stewart considers a balance of power noting that his Concerned Tennessee Baptist candidates have clearly dominated the TBC's elections in recent history.

George Miller offers thoughtful reflection on some of the proceedings at this year's convention. You can read the full context here. I believe he is on target with the following,

"It is no wonder we are divided as a Convention. First of all, even at an annual convention, the worship of our Lord should have priority over our business sessions. If we spent more time in worship together, we'd probably need less time for the business sessions. Secondly, if we can't worship together, how can we possibly work together for the glory of God. We're divided in our work because we are divided in our worship. Worship must always come before work. God is always more concerned about who we are than what we do. When we again make worshiping together a priority in our Convention, we'll see our divisions being dissolved and God working through our Convention to reach the lost and unchurched people of our state. And what is true in our convention is true in our individual churches as well. A house divided against itself cannot stand."

There are other ways our convention can take care of business using technology throughout the year...perhaps getting some of the nitty-gritty business out of the way electronically might allow for better time together for fellowship and worship.

And not a peep from Will in Guatemala. I am trying not to be a worrywart.

No Litmus Test - Really?

According to this article, Ron Stewart explains that affirming the Baptist Faith & Message 2000 is not a litmus test for someone who wants to serve on one of the Tennessee Baptist Convention's committees or boards. If that is the case, why then are there emails floating around with the names of replacement nominations for the seven individuals who did not agree to affirm the BF&M2000 on their nomination forms, clearly indicating that the replacement nominations do affirm the BF&M2000?

Todd Stinnett takes issue with Baptist and Reflector editor's reflections

Todd Stinnett, heir apparent to the TBC's 2nd vice-presidency, doesn't feel that enforcing* the BF&M2000 should be a problem with Tennessee Baptists and takes issue with Lonnie Wilkey, the editor of the Tennessee Baptist Convention's Baptist & Reflector. After all, the convention voted last year to adopt the Baptist Faith & Message as well as the RJSV nomination form. The votes weren't close. But now, the 20% who failed to vote for the BF&M2000 motion are second-class Tennessee Baptists, and, according to Todd are not 'doctrinally accountable' and thus should not be eligible to serve on TBC committees or boards.

Todd, I understand your passion to rid the Tennessee Baptist Convention of liberalism and make us all doctrinally accountable. It is a well intentioned and well-meaning goal...if it is to become the primary goal of the new conservative leadership in our convention, then please, at your earliest convenience remove the word Baptist from the name of the state convention. We, as a convention, have affirmed the BF&M2000, great. Can we get on with the mission of our calling? Please, let's not use the BF&M2000 as some pharisaical-looking effort to divide the convention further by marginalizing individuals who do not view their cooperative relationships with other Baptist churches in the state the same way that you do. It may be fundamental but it is NOT Baptist.

OK, so we're not going to be Creedal, we're going to be Doctrinally Accountable. I love buzz words. I hope I can get a rubber stamp on my hand with "DA" in purple ink so that I can get back into a TBC committee meeting. Or maybe it is time to get little DA tattoos, a secret handshake, some cool candles, gold embroidered vests, and pointy looking hats.

Just so this post will not be construed to be completely antagonistic, Todd and I agree on major problems within our denomination.

*Enforced is the word chosen by one of Todd's fellow co-conspirators Concerned Tennessee Baptists, Larry Reagan.