Report of the Baptist World Alliance Study
Committee
Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention
February 16-17, 2004
In an interim report released to the press on December 19, 2003, the BWA Study
Committee noted that Southern Baptists have, for nearly 100 years,
participated in the programs and fellowship of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA).
We also alluded to various examples demonstrating that in recent years the
relationship had presented certain challenges and difficulties for us. The
report and recommendations herein presented to the Executive Committee briefly
address issues raised more recently, and update our recommendations to include
a proposal to invite select BWA representatives to meet with the BWA Study
Committee between now and the 2004 meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention
(SBC) in June.
First, we should perhaps comment upon the reaction to the earlier statement of
our intent to recommend withdrawal from the BWA. The tenor of the responses
encompassed anger to sorrow and opposition to support. In a way, these
negative reactions that emanated particularly from fellow BWA member body
representatives were actually a blessing, in that they served to demonstrate
to all interested evangelicals why we had been experiencing increasing
discomfort in attempting to define the SBC to the world through the BWA. Some
member bodies had been led to believe our departure portended a kind of
isolationism, and mourned the loss of a natural ally, but others (and even
some of the BWA leadership, including its general secretary) took the
opportunity to vent what appears to be pent up feelings of hostility about our
Convention. Due to these revelations, we need not now justify or vilify, but
can simply do what we preferred to do in the first place, which is to politely
withdraw from an organization that, at least for us, no longer efficiently
communicates to the unsaved a crystal clear gospel message that our Lord Jesus
Christ is solely sufficient for salvation.
Second, we note that much has been made about the inclusion of the Cooperative
Baptist Fellowship (CBF) into the BWA as having been the cause of our present
recommendation to withdraw from the organization. One soaked by a rain need
not blame the last raindrop. We strongly affirm the right of the BWA to
determine its own membership and affiliations. It is the very right we now
recommend that our Convention exercise. The decision of the BWA to include
the CBF merely served as a confirmation that we must, as a Convention, allow
the world to see us without having to look through a BWA lens - a lens which,
for us, has become too cloudy.
Third, we want to underscore that our departure is not intended to cast
aspersion upon the many godly and enthusiastically evangelical Baptist
fellowships that are members of the BWA. We fully intend to continue to
partner with our oldest and best friends worldwide, and to develop new and
vibrant friendships and joint endeavors to reach the world for Christ. Those
who chose to cast this in any other way should not be allowed to dismay our
Baptist brothers and sisters in Christ who long, as do we, to take a giant and
unhesitant step forward in world outreach. For us, the decision is one of
stewardship. If we can multiply the harvest by reapplying the funding, there
is no true Christian who should take issue.
Therefore we, the BWA Study Committee appointed
by the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention, recommend to
the Executive Committee the following:
That the Southern Baptist Convention withdraw its membership from the Baptist
World Alliance, effective October 1, 2004, and encourage the Executive
Committee and the Empowering Kingdom Growth (EKG) Task Force to continue
studying how the Southern Baptist Convention may establish an even closer bond
of fellowship with conservative evangelical Christians around the world for
the purpose of growing in the grace of our loving Lord, preaching the Gospel
of our Lord Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth, and bringing glory to His
name through the advancement of Gods Kingdom on earth; and
That, effective October 1, 2004, the contribution to the Baptist World
Alliance heretofore included in the annual SBC Cooperative Program Allocation
Budget be deleted, making the funds available in the SBC Operating Budget to
develop and execute a new and innovative strategy for continuing to build
strong relationships with conservative evangelical Christians around the world
as together we witness to the saving power of our Lord Jesus Christ; and
That the portion of the 2003-2004 SBC Operating Budget allocated to the
Baptist World Alliance continue to be distributed, thus honoring the
commitment for this fiscal year ending September 30, 2004; and, That the
chairman of the BWA Study Committee invite select representatives of the
Baptist World Alliance to meet in Nashville with the study committee prior to
May 1, 2004.
Committee Members:
Morris H. Chapman, chairman
James T. Draper, Jr.
Thomas D. (Tom) Elliff
Paige Patterson
Paul Pressler
Jerry A. Rankin
Joe H. Reynolds
Gary A. Smith
R. L. (Bob) Sorrell