Comment from a Friend for the past 50+ Years: I remember thinking back in the 80s that the devil himself couldn’t have come up with a better plan to undermine Bold Mission Thrust than what was beginning to happen to the SBC.
“Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right” is also true in our adapted church home of the UMC (although I tend to describe myself as an “expatriate Baptist” as well as “too liberal for my conservative friends and too conservative for my liberal friends”.)
It’s sad. As Jesus wept over Jerusalem, I see him weeping still.
Comment from a Long-Term Ministry Colleague: "Thank you for today's post. The way you expressed your journey probably articulates many of us who had similar experiences and chose to remain committed to missions and to the SBC.
After reading your post, I remembered convention meetings years ago when it seemed we genuinely believed a statement attributed to (Herschel H. ) Hobbs: "We don't have to be twins to be brothers, do we?" I still believe that today and try to serve as you do.
You are a gift to the Body of Christ. May you continue to bear "fruit that remains".
In 1985 I was interviewed for the position of associate director of the SC Baptist Convention Evangelism Department by then SCBC executive director Dr. Ray Rust. There is one part (probably the only part) of that interview that I remember vividly. This is obviously my paraphrase, but close enough to put in quotes. Dr. Rust said "Bill, as you know, there's a lot of division these days in the convention with a lot of people choosing sides. I want you to know that I'm not out to hire people from just one side or the other. In fact, I'm not even going to ask you which side you're on. All I want to know is whether or not you think you can work with all of our people no matter what side they are on." My answer was "Yes, sir, Dr. Rust, I believe I can do that." I appreciated and respected his approach tremendously, and it became my own. It guided me as I interviewed and hired hundreds of people for our summer student conference staffs over the years, not just while I served the convention but also afterwards when I left the SCBC and our ministry continued on as non-denominational. It has allowed me to work with a wide range of ministers and churches over the years while trying to focus on things other than what divides us. I will forever be grateful for Dr. Rust's leadership and example. I'm sure I didn't know him as well as you did, George, but I can still only imagine how different things might be had we had more leaders like him.
I'm now in the GMC after 35 years in the UMC, so I know first hand about denominational struggles and splits. In the UMC I was among the conservatives when it came to theology. Unlike some, I was never angry or vituperative about my differences with the denomination. When I moved to my current appointment in the summer of 2022 the congregation was on the verge of entering "discernment" as to its denominational affiliation. I tried to keep them informed & educated & dealing with essential issues. I told them that the official doctrine of the UMC was essentially identical to that of the new GMC - though the way each held that doctrine and the trajectory of doctrinal reception was different. I told them the decision was theirs; though my theological sympathies were with the GMC, 35 years in UMC would be difficult to give up. I'm of an age that this is most likely my last appointment before retirement. Moving is hard on my family, not to mention expensive. I told them I'd stay with them whichever way we went.
I knew that whatever decision the church made we would lose some people. The way we went, I think we lost fewer people than we would have lost otherwise. I'm still working through the feelings of loss.
I left SBC for The American Baptist because I felt I had to. I appreciated the SBC but the radical turn of the denomination was already happening in 1972 while I was at SBTS. It was to serve in a seminary church but I didn’t leave after I found it was ABC. We have had churches go independent, the influence of the dark side is great. It’s happening everywhere. This isn’t the first time the church has divided but it comes at terrible time for America. We need Jesus glue to bring us together again.
Comment from a Friend for the past 50+ Years: I remember thinking back in the 80s that the devil himself couldn’t have come up with a better plan to undermine Bold Mission Thrust than what was beginning to happen to the SBC.
“Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right” is also true in our adapted church home of the UMC (although I tend to describe myself as an “expatriate Baptist” as well as “too liberal for my conservative friends and too conservative for my liberal friends”.)
It’s sad. As Jesus wept over Jerusalem, I see him weeping still.
Comment from a Long-Term Ministry Colleague: "Thank you for today's post. The way you expressed your journey probably articulates many of us who had similar experiences and chose to remain committed to missions and to the SBC.
After reading your post, I remembered convention meetings years ago when it seemed we genuinely believed a statement attributed to (Herschel H. ) Hobbs: "We don't have to be twins to be brothers, do we?" I still believe that today and try to serve as you do.
You are a gift to the Body of Christ. May you continue to bear "fruit that remains".
In 1985 I was interviewed for the position of associate director of the SC Baptist Convention Evangelism Department by then SCBC executive director Dr. Ray Rust. There is one part (probably the only part) of that interview that I remember vividly. This is obviously my paraphrase, but close enough to put in quotes. Dr. Rust said "Bill, as you know, there's a lot of division these days in the convention with a lot of people choosing sides. I want you to know that I'm not out to hire people from just one side or the other. In fact, I'm not even going to ask you which side you're on. All I want to know is whether or not you think you can work with all of our people no matter what side they are on." My answer was "Yes, sir, Dr. Rust, I believe I can do that." I appreciated and respected his approach tremendously, and it became my own. It guided me as I interviewed and hired hundreds of people for our summer student conference staffs over the years, not just while I served the convention but also afterwards when I left the SCBC and our ministry continued on as non-denominational. It has allowed me to work with a wide range of ministers and churches over the years while trying to focus on things other than what divides us. I will forever be grateful for Dr. Rust's leadership and example. I'm sure I didn't know him as well as you did, George, but I can still only imagine how different things might be had we had more leaders like him.
I'm now in the GMC after 35 years in the UMC, so I know first hand about denominational struggles and splits. In the UMC I was among the conservatives when it came to theology. Unlike some, I was never angry or vituperative about my differences with the denomination. When I moved to my current appointment in the summer of 2022 the congregation was on the verge of entering "discernment" as to its denominational affiliation. I tried to keep them informed & educated & dealing with essential issues. I told them that the official doctrine of the UMC was essentially identical to that of the new GMC - though the way each held that doctrine and the trajectory of doctrinal reception was different. I told them the decision was theirs; though my theological sympathies were with the GMC, 35 years in UMC would be difficult to give up. I'm of an age that this is most likely my last appointment before retirement. Moving is hard on my family, not to mention expensive. I told them I'd stay with them whichever way we went.
I knew that whatever decision the church made we would lose some people. The way we went, I think we lost fewer people than we would have lost otherwise. I'm still working through the feelings of loss.
Insightful and resonant. Thanks.
George,As you know the number of pastors seeking new networks is rapidly increasing. Thanks for this posting.
I left SBC for The American Baptist because I felt I had to. I appreciated the SBC but the radical turn of the denomination was already happening in 1972 while I was at SBTS. It was to serve in a seminary church but I didn’t leave after I found it was ABC. We have had churches go independent, the influence of the dark side is great. It’s happening everywhere. This isn’t the first time the church has divided but it comes at terrible time for America. We need Jesus glue to bring us together again.