For what it’s worth, the guy who is spreading the anti-NBC stuff, a man named Jack Alda (if that’s reall his name) doesn’t always tell the Truth or the real story.

I saw his recent diatribe at the blog of Rick Davis. He’s a Roger Moran wannabe.

I can understand, perhaps agree, with your call for cooperation by toleration with other believers on the issues you mentioned.

But if the NBC is going to claim to be a “new prophetic” and “authentic Baptist voice,” the leader of the movement and keynote speaker of the much publicized event needs to hold to perhaps the most basic of Baptist values and beliefs–the exclusivity of Jesus Christ to save.

I wouldn’t have Carter teaching a Sunday School class, much less leading a “Baptist” movement I’m identified with, if his reported comments about Mormons and Judaism hold up.

Without a refutation of the reports of Carter’s inclusive and/or plural views, if the BGCT votes for, or just carries on as planned in, being the chief banner-waving sponsor of the Celebration, it will signal a new era: The political-left agenda of TBC will be proven to have won the day in the BGCT.

Supporting the SBC, much less the SBTC, and the BGCT will be a lost art, resulting in lost churches and $’s for Dallas.

Personally, I’ve been a Baptist long enough to know that cooperation with individuals who don’t share your exact theological, political or social perspective doesn’t constitute endorsement of their position. It’s been noted that Julie Pennington-Russell, an ordained pastor, once signed on with something that Planned Parenthood of Waco was doing. Supporting the New Baptist Covenant, which she is supporting, doesn’t mean that I either endorse female ordination or service as pastors or support the position of Planned Parenthood.

The scripture’s instructions regarding the conscience of the weaker brother, and the resolving of differences between brethren supercede my own personal preferences. It’s not about what I want, it’s about what God wants me to do. And as Paul says, if it is a matter of offending a brother, then I’ll set my own personal preferences aside.

The resolution to this problem is pretty simple. The BGCT needs a motion from the floor of the convention and an affirmative vote to proceed. That should not be hard to obtain, if I read things correctly, and would be the right thing to do.

Re: the young professionals network, I’m not sure what it’s about either, but Alexis Cooper is coordinating it out of Suzii’s office. I know she’s been doing coffees in various cities – I think Waco is (or was) on her agenda. The Austin meeting is in a couple of weeks.

Yes. David Montoya and I have had a handful of quality, reasoned emailed exchanges over the past few days. Though David is perceived in a negative light by some Texas Baptists, and even though we don’t always see eye to eye, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed our online encounters at BL.com and through email over the past year.

I noticed you’re part of that Texas Baptist Young Professional Network on facebook. Not exactly sure what it all entails (etc.) but it does look interesting. So, I signed up.

Carter should refute or defend his un-evangelical, non-Baptistic statements that “a Mormon is a Christian” and that Judaism is “an equally legitimate path to God.”
These statements do not refer to those “who are never evangelized.” Most, if not all, followers of Judaism deliberately reject Jesus as the Son of God. Mormons reject monotheism and the eternal deity of God the Father and God the Son.

As for Billy Graham, I’m grateful that God magnified and used his preaching the exclusivity of Christ to save, and minimized his questionable theological commentary. He should have been called on to make the same defense or refutation of his comments as I’m saying Carter should make.

What either of these men have to say doesn’t change the truth of what scripture says about salvation. That’s the authority for Baptistic faith and practice.

Has the NBC asked for any CP funds to support the Celebration? No.

Keynote speaker or not, Jimmy Carter is not THE New Baptist Covenant. The Celebration is much bigger than one man or woman….

Why should Jimmy refute his rather evangelical BELIEF that some who are never evangelized may nevertheless be saved by the mercy of God on account of their implicit faith (response to the light they have). This is a common position among Baptists and evangelicals (Billy Graham, C.S. Lewis, and even John Wesley).

It’s a wee-bit hypocritical for YOUR Southern Baptist executives to demean Jimmy Carter while using Southern Baptist dollars to hold an annual meeting which allows a confessed religious pluralist a chance to address SBCers….

And the professor? Roger Olson from a July Letter to the Editor in Waco Trib.

“Clinton’s faith

Conservative columnist Cal Thomas [July 30] criticizes “Hillary’s version of faith.” According to him, Sen. Clinton is guilty of “liberal faith” because as a Sunday school teacher she often addressed nonreligious topics.

Thomas should know that for the Christian no topic is “nonreligious.” Every subject is somehow related to one’s faith in Jesus Christ who is “Lord of all.” Thomas himself often addresses “nonreligious topics” as a Christian commentator.

He also scolds Mrs. Clinton for expressing some doubt about whether being a Christian is the only way to salvation. He suggests that this is contrary to a central tenet of Christianity.

He must not be aware that the Rev. Billy Graham expressed such doubt in an interview in McCalls, January, 1978. (Graham’s specific comments are available at a number of Web sites accessible via any search engine.) His published remarks in the April 14, 2006 Newsweek suggested his mind has not changed about the wideness in God’s mercy.”

I posted the stats about Cooperative Program giving in the BGCT not to complain that the NBC was going to ask for a chunk of the money (though it seems everyone else does, and someone is going to have to put up the deposits on all those hotel rooms and meeting space, and I would think that’s included in part of what being a “partner” is all about) but to point out the BGCT’s constituency. There’s a significant number of its churches who, in their worldwide mission giving, are sole supporters of the SBC and that would indicate to me that they are theological conservatives. At the moment, there hasn’t been a spark to ignite any kind of movement among them to do battle for control of the BGCT. But if this continues to get pushed, it could be a catalyst.

And yeah, the fundamentalists in the conservative resurgence that took over the SBC were pushy, rude, mean spirited and in some cases downright vicious in the path they took to control. Is that the same image that the moderates now in control of the BGCT want to project? Do they want to bring about, in retaliation, the same kind of backbiting and name calling that the conservative resurgence is known for? Do they realize that many conservatives have remained in the BGCT because the attitude and rudeness of the SBTC during its formation, and since, has a tendency to repel as much as it attracts?

Here’s a chance for Baptists to see some people in convention leadership actually paying attention to historic Baptist principles, and instead of a mean-spirited, winner take all retaliation, they have a chance to build on true cooperation by taking things carefully. It’s time to take the politics completely out of Baptist life, and play the game in a Christlike spirit. Let people make their choices about the NBC, and then leave them alone.

I’m assuming that eight or so BGCT employees didn’t make the trek to Atlanta in January 2007 to have their picture taken with Jimmy Carter without using Cooperative Program dollars to get there and back. I know they spent working time–time is money?

If Jimmy Carter isn’t the NBC, then I encourage you and others to remove him from the posters, photos and program as keynote speaker. Otherwise, he needs to refute the reports and reporters of his very current plural and /or inclusive views. (Please let me know who the professor you mentioned is).

I am a Southern Baptist, but the last time I noticed, President Bush doesn’t claim to be any kind of Baptist. If and when he does, I’ll be sure to check out his soteriology.