SHAME, SHAME, I'M SO ASHAMED
The following was a recent resolution put forth by the Missouri Baptist Convention of which brings me complete shame to be called currently a Southern Baptist.
The Executive Board of the Missouri Baptist Convention recently decided to establish a "no partnership" rule with regard to Acts 29, a church-planting network.
Motion. Effective Jan 1, The Acts 29 Network is an organization which the MBC Exec Bd. Staff will not be working with, supporting, or endorsing in any manner at anytime.
Amendment. While recognizing the autonomous nature of all areas of MBC life beyond that of the Executive Board Staff, the MBC Executive Board directs the Church Planting Department and other ministry departments to not provide CP dollars toward those affiliated with the Acts 29 Network.
Motion as amended passed by a vote of 28-10.
Pastor Scott Thomas, director of Acts 29, responds. Here's the conclusion:
. . . Justice was not served. On January 1, several church planters in Missouri will lose their promised funding, not because they were guilty of breaking a rule, but because they were associated with a small church planting network (only 9 churches in Missouri are affiliated with Acts 29 Network).
Acts 29 Network and the Southern Baptists share the same mission: to seek and to save the lost; to go into all of the world and share the gospel of Jesus and to baptize and teach the believers through the local church. For this reason, we love the SBC, have appreciated our partnerships throughout the country and are now mourning the loss of our fellowship with the MSBC. Since Acts 29 Network has never been contacted by the Missouri SBC to seek reconciliation, clarity and understanding, I am requesting justice and not retribution as an honorable response to an abstinence policy that we fully respect. I am asking you to consider reversing the vote to read, “We reaffirm the policy of the Missouri Southern Baptists to abstain from alcohol and will remove any funding from church planters who disavow this position. ” That way the baby church doesn’t get thrown out with the fermented bathwater.
For more info you can go to www.theologica.blogspot.com
Juan
The Executive Board of the Missouri Baptist Convention recently decided to establish a "no partnership" rule with regard to Acts 29, a church-planting network.
Motion. Effective Jan 1, The Acts 29 Network is an organization which the MBC Exec Bd. Staff will not be working with, supporting, or endorsing in any manner at anytime.
Amendment. While recognizing the autonomous nature of all areas of MBC life beyond that of the Executive Board Staff, the MBC Executive Board directs the Church Planting Department and other ministry departments to not provide CP dollars toward those affiliated with the Acts 29 Network.
Motion as amended passed by a vote of 28-10.
Pastor Scott Thomas, director of Acts 29, responds. Here's the conclusion:
. . . Justice was not served. On January 1, several church planters in Missouri will lose their promised funding, not because they were guilty of breaking a rule, but because they were associated with a small church planting network (only 9 churches in Missouri are affiliated with Acts 29 Network).
Acts 29 Network and the Southern Baptists share the same mission: to seek and to save the lost; to go into all of the world and share the gospel of Jesus and to baptize and teach the believers through the local church. For this reason, we love the SBC, have appreciated our partnerships throughout the country and are now mourning the loss of our fellowship with the MSBC. Since Acts 29 Network has never been contacted by the Missouri SBC to seek reconciliation, clarity and understanding, I am requesting justice and not retribution as an honorable response to an abstinence policy that we fully respect. I am asking you to consider reversing the vote to read, “We reaffirm the policy of the Missouri Southern Baptists to abstain from alcohol and will remove any funding from church planters who disavow this position. ” That way the baby church doesn’t get thrown out with the fermented bathwater.
For more info you can go to www.theologica.blogspot.com
Juan
13 Comments:
Glad we're in the Georgia Baptist Convention; they just make resolutions against blogging. :)
thanks, Pat Im not for blogging but I dont know anyone in the Missouri SBC
you wine-bibber
Scott Thomas calling for justice is a little disingenuous. It would appear that the MSBC is more just than Scott Thomas and his fellow pastors at MH were in the firings of two pastors recently at Mars Hill Church in Seattle
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004020898_webmarshill18m.html?syndication=rss
So why did they break the partnership? Because of alcohol?
Dear anonymous,
Scott is calling for the MSBC to honor their commitments they made to the MO church planters. The decision of the MSBC, in my opinion is both misguided and misinformed. These church planters have agreed to not violate the SBC's drinking policy and they have not, therefore, this isn't even primarily a drinking issue. Rather, looks like the MSBC is looking for any reason to get rid of anyone who associates with or interacts with anything Acts 29.
It is always unfortunate to fire pastors at anytime in anyplace and in this scenario though it is the responsibility of the congregation to deal with that on its own. Also I would be skeptical of fully trusting a story like this one from the Seattle Times. The Seattle Times more than anything is not trying to expose hard truths but I think looking for every opportunity to shed bad light on this situation.
P.S. If I know you, why don't we talk about it.
Juan
Dear Jeremy,
The churches who are losing the MSBC financial commitments are being dropped for associating with Acts 29. They have not broken the alcohol policy and have as far as I've seen stayed committed to that covenant.
Is it always about alcohol? Unfortunately a lot of times it is. In this situation I just believe the MSBC does not embrace Acts 29 as a viable partner in the gospel. They have said things like Mars Hill church is emergent, liberal, unorthodox, etc. All which are untrue. In fact Mark Driscoll, just spoke recently at the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in NC and he clears up al ot of the confusion concerning him and his ministry. Those can be heard at www.sebts.edu I don't think you can be emergent, liberal, and unorthodox when you like guys like
JI Packer
D.A. Carson
John Piper
John MacArthur
Bruce Ware
John Calvin
John Owen
CJ Mahaney
Mark Dever
Not to mention that he preaches the solid truths of the Gospel. He is a Bible Believing, Spirit-filled, Christ-exalting, God-centered man who likes to enjoy things like alcohol while understanding the Biblical prohibition of drunkeness.
There is a list that goes on and on. At the end of the day it has to do with alcohol but it also has to do with the 1 million dollar word of the day that not one likes: CALVINISM. Unfortunately, many are in for a rude surprise younger evangelicals who embrace this doctrinal confession are growing numerically. Many are at currently at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary where I attend. In fact it is the fastest growing and the largest seminary in North America. We have to talk about these issues quit throwing stones at each other.
PS -sorry for all the mis-types, Im in a hurry
who cares if Mars Hill handled firing well or not -- what bearing does that have on whether or not the MSBC acts moronic? (I have heard Mark and others say that they had a major budget crisis earlier this year and had to let several people go - only to have a major growth time directly after. Why shouldn't they be able to fire who they want? If my staff isn't on board with the vision of the church and the vision God has given me -- the pastor -- why would I want them on my team?)
It's just like our convention making a resolution against blogging. It is derived from ignorance.
Dang me and my big mouth.
Preach Patrick preach, you know at first I thought you were joking about blogging, did the convention really put forth a resolution about this?
I had heard also from the grapevine that the firings had more to do with a financial budget crisis!
well, why infer... you know? I don't think the Bible is overtly clear as to church government, so let them do it how they feel led. (I'd be more prone to say the bible speaks against congregationalism rather than for it)
and Yes... how ridiculous? I'm a rebel now in my state... I have a blog. :) They resolved in Augusta just last month against blogs.
I am just glad I'm still able to use Google Maps. I mean, a resolution against that will ruin my Blackberry potential (if they don't rule against blackberry's)
got it. it sounds dumb. i was looking at the acts 29 website, and thought it might have something to do with TULIP theology. i can say that im not suprised a baptist convention would do something as decentive as this.
you double-dang, Geneva lovin' wine-bibber
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