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Regarding the
Demand for Missionaries to Sign
the BFM 2000
Never before has suspicion of heresy been leveled at the corps of veteran
missionaries serving faithfully around the world. Never
before have missionaries been required to sign a creed.
This current demand reflects the change that has occurred in the SBC.
It is the theology of the present leadership that fails to reflect our Baptist
beliefs, not that of the missionaries. This
demand for a creed is heresy in itself, from the standpoint of the Bible, as well as Baptist heritage.
It is demeaning to missionaries who have already stated and demonstrated their
doctrinal acceptability.
This current demand is different from what was expected of missionaries in
the past. My wife and I went through the former
process. During the 38 years I was a missionary or home office employee of the Foreign Mission
Board, I was involved in the personnel screening process. Part of the time
I worked directly in the candidate process as candidate consultant; part of
the time I was responsible for helping determine policy and monitor this
process.
This most recent demand for missionaries to sign the 2000 BFM is a drastic
and unacceptable change.
Louis Cobbs directed this process for many years. He
wrote of his dismay regarding these changes in
a letter
to the Editor
(scroll down to "Not Enough") of
The Baptist Standard published on February 18,
2002.
Scores of missionaries appointed under the earlier process are so convinced
of the difference that they are struggling with the decision to sign or
resign.
Previously persons seeking missionary appointment were examined for
doctrinal beliefs to determine if they represented basic beliefs of Baptists
in general. THEY WERE REQUESTED TO STATE WHAT
THEY BELIEVED IN THEIR OWN WORDS.
Staff and board
members reviewed their statements and raised questions if needed. They were also asked if they were in general agreement
with the BFM. Occasionally someone would state disagreements with parts of
it, but I do not remember anyone's being denied appointment because of
differences of interpretation.
I personally stated that I could never sign anything except a Bible as my
statement of faith. Nor did I expect or desire
missionaries to sign a statement about the Bible written by fallible human beings.
We expected missionaries to have strong biblical doctrinal beliefs. And
they did!!!! Missionaries are heard in many forums and are under careful
scrutiny. During my nearly 13 years as president
only 10 missionaries were charged with heresy. (This was during a time
when many were trying desperately to discredit the staff at the FMB.) Trustees
and staff were involved in a careful examination of each accusation. Two persons had
drifted from acceptable Baptist doctrine: one of these could not affirm the
uniqueness of Christ as the only Savior; the other had over-identified with
his Catholic environment and was praying to saints. Both of them had to be
terminated.
These were the only accusations regarding the doctrinal integrity of
missionaries or staff (including myself) as far as I
know. We were working with nearly 3000 misionaries, most of them career. The
former system was reliable as well as Baptistic.
R. Keith Parks
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