What Does it All Mean? Loving Others in a GCR Environment
Noll, Hatch and Marsden went on (The) Search for Christian America. What they found in the left and right versions of the foundation of America were myths and legends. Some of which contained some measure of truth but did not hold all truth much less represent “the” truth. No doubt there were some solid Christian influences. But, as they point out, even the Puritans failed to connect their principles with their actions, just ask the Native Americans in the new colonies.
We still suffer the myth of the left and the right. Just when we think the call to the center might compel us to dispel said myths we uncover more of the same – playing to our myths. Enter the GCR. Recent events have left me dazed and confused. Some may wish to leave me there, others will offer rescue. I have more questions than answers.
For instance, Clark Logan’s departure from the EC comes with a statement denying immoral or unethical behavior but little else. He may be the first to be asked to resign from the EC in the past 18 years. Watching the Twitter feeds with the hashtag #clarklogan made the pit on Wall Street seem calm. Clark Logan is asked to resign and all of the sudden calls from Ronnie Floyd suggesting the need to contact the EC and express displeasure is re-tweeted like gossip around a high school locker room.
Where was the buzz when Sherri Klouda felt the ax fall? Which entity head or veep chimed in when Dwight McKissic offered an alternate view on spiritual gifts during a chapel sermon and subsequently suffered the same feeling as a Trustee? Anyone asking questions about Greg Kingry? Are we to assume we have suddenly a conscience when “our person” suffers a perceived wrong? Where were the SBC Texan and the Florida Baptist Witness? Where were Al and Russ? Why even EC Trustees are tweeting the events. Please refrain from the excuse Twitter was not around to help Klouda or McKissic. There were other ways.
The question begs to be asked by those rushing to judgment, “How often have you laid out personnel issues of outgoing staff members for the entire congregation?” There are laws dictating what is permissible. Calls for accountability aside.
Are we really to believe no one on the EC knew about this? Do we really suspect the VP of the EC did not know? Other officers? I would suspect turning this into a call for Morris’ head on a platter serves someone’s agenda but completely ignores how these decisions are made and what is prudently legal to announce. Someone on the EC knew.
Questions abound as to the manner in which Clark Logan was treated. Could his departure been handled better? Maybe? Certainly these are legitimate questions. But, let’s remember to be even handed. When we call for action we must ask ourselves where we were when others may have been treated in a manner less than we would expect ourselves.
What about Baptist Press? Who is Baptist Press accountable to? What is the BP doing being used to further the agenda of an extreme group in Missouri? News or propaganda machine? I was once told by a state paper editor it was OK to have a newsletter as opposed to a paper. That is fine. How many churches use their newsletter to take shots at their own?
Actions by our own press to smear our own folks and engage in slander against a minister with whom some disagree must stop. The incendiary insinuations create questions surrounding the EC and matters of oversight. We may deserve to know what has been done by the EC to clean this up.
And thinking about taking shots at our own. When will we get over our habitual practice of “guilt by association.” At every level of our denomination we see people shunned, shut out, and scapegoated for whatever ill found among our friends. We do this in our publications and from our Convention floor. I know, I know. I read the words of entity heads and spokespersons that we give anyone access to a microphone. But, that is precisely the way we expose our condition. We pass this off as “the way we do business.” But, it reveals more about the atmosphere in our convention.
Let’s acknowledge the political beast that we are. Some shout down the EC. Some shout down Morris Chapman. Did anyone stop to consider the very make-up of the EC may well be a microcosm of our differing visions regarding unity and moving the SBC forward? Take some time to see “whose appointee” represents whom. You do not need to be a political hack to see how likely competing visions exist. And when they do, we Southern Baptists sure know how to hack each other. Now extend that to the GCR Task Force. What are the connections?
What does it say about these kinds of actions when we look to see who shouts the loudest in protest or defense?
I wonder, have we the cart before the horse? How about a Great Commandment Resurgence? As Bart Barber ably noted, the only action taken in Louisville was to investigate reorganizing the SBC. Are we really to believe we can organize our way to fulfilling the Great Commission? What happened to living our way to the Great Commission?
I suspect the spinning will continue and questions will go unanswered. But alas, Dalls Willard’s little book may do us all a bit of good – The Great Omission from the Great Commission. Ordering our lives around the Great Commandment may well lead us to live lives that would fulfill the Great Commission.
Declaring a resurgence does little more than offer profession without confession. Saying “it” does not make it so. Signing “it” does not bring it to pass.
For my energy, I am hopeful we can gather around the Great Commandment for a day when they will know us by our love for one another. O haste the day.
Dr. Todd Littleton celebrates his 15th year as pastor of the Snow Hill Baptist Church in Tuttle, OK this month. Married for 26 years to his best friend, Patty, they have two married daughters. He has served in the Union Baptist Association, the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma, and the Southern Baptist Convention as an elected representative in his 23 years in vocational ministry, 20 of those years as pastor. He writes regularly at toddlittleton.net.
Todd,
Thanks for your guest contribution. While I fear I’m doomed to disagree with you more than agree–it’s the water in Georgia I’m told–I must confess your insights ever make one pause. Again, thank you.
I too am particularly puzzled at the calls for Chapman to go away. And perhaps for the same reason as you–consistency. However, I would travel the other direction. Just as fat cats did not involve themselves in the SWBTS’s woes, second guessing an Administration’s legitimate decision–albeit disagreeable to some–absent the relevant, necessary facts, why weigh in on this one against MC? Unless, of course, your punch has spike in it after all–agendas. Not since the beginning of the CR has entity heads been so cavalierly criticized. Yet then the criticism came exclusively from those on the outside looking in. Now it’s prominent, inside CRs cavalierly criticizing other prominent, inside CRs.
I am more puzzled concerning your query concerning BP: “What is the BP doing being used to further the agenda of an extreme group in Missouri?…Actions by our own press to smear our own folks and engage in slander against a minister with whom some disagree must stop.” Assuming you’re referring to BP’s articles on Driscoll (I could be wrong, of course), I’m wondering how factuality and legitimate reporting is so easily judged as “smear” and “slander.”
Interesting.
With that, I am…
Peter
Ah Peter,
Here in Oklahoma we often purify out water if we fear the water to be our trouble.
I often wonder the toll taken by an Executive who has to navigate egos more than competing visions/goals/etc. At some point the toll is too great and should serve notice it is time to move on to more peaceful terrain after serving faithfully. Your note of criticism within the confines of the “prominent” CR should be more telling than puzzling. You are too smart to be confused by that.
Interesting that you single out Driscoll and fail to consider others “in” the SBC who have been publicly maligned. That too is telling. And, may be indicative of your own biases. Then again, it may be perceptive on your part. We will see.
Todd,
Thanks for putting this together. You’ve certainly given us plenty of things to sit back and chew on for a while. I’m fascinated sitting here trying to connect all the political dots.
Like you, I am concerned that the Great Commission Resurgence gets the cart before the horse. I wonder, in the end, what good any sort of politically-enabled convention restructuring (that portion of the GCR that gets all the attention, at least) can possibly have to help move us toward fulfilling the Great Commission when we seem to neglect the Great Commandment. After all, if we Baptists have trouble loving each other (as often seems to be the case in our internal political struggles), how in the world are we supposed to love the lost?
I may be overstating the state of things, of course… but these are things I ponder.
John,
Overstate on …
“the way we do business”
You nailed it…we seem to accept that this is the status quo. I see both sides taking pot shots at each other with both claiming the authority of scripture is on their side. And if someone questions a leader…omg…it’s equal to denying the deity of Christ. Ridiculous.
As far the GCR goes…I’m truly afraid that by signing it we simply put ourselves at ease and left the convention being able to pat each other on the back and say “Boy we sure do love the Great Commission”. I don’t expect much if anything to change or else that would have been at the center of the conversation. Whats happened since the convention?
All we’ve done is decided that we want to study something….
Grady,
In the movie “Cold Mountain”, Inman says, “I’m sure God is weary of being called down on both sides of the argument.” Set during the Civil War, it is an obvious reference to preachers and people on both sides laying claim to be on God’s side or rather having God on their side. (I used this in 2003)
This quote continues to seem to fit us still.
We cannot organize our way to overcome matters of the heart.
I don’t normally follow Twitter, so I’m a bit out of the loop on all of this. And, I may be a bit naive, but I am betting that God is going to be a bit more lenient on me, in the Day of Judgment, for being too naive than He would for being too cynical.
Thus, whenever I hear rumors and rumblings about fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, whatever “side” they may happen to be identified with, I choose, until I have specific evidence to the contrary, to believe the best about them.
I believe that the great majority of those promoting the GCR are doing so primarily with a sincere desire to see God’s Kingdom advanced. I also believe that many, if not most, of those who have expressed some misgivings about the GCR, are sincerely motivated as well. Do some public figures in the SBC have ego issues? Undoubtedly. So do I. Don’t we all? But, by the grace of God, He keeps calling us to repentance, brokenness, and humility.
If there are specific problems that need to be dealt with, by all means, let’s deal with them. But, on the basis of specific evidence. Not rumors and innuendo. And, let’s go to “the offending parties” personally, and try to make things right first, before casting doubt publicly on the motives of anyone.
David,
I am certain following Twitter, FB, blogs and any other social media will not count for much one day. As I am sure publishing pamphlets, conference calls, and whistle stop tours promoting much the same in a bygone day will matter little.
Plenty of people promoting the GCR find hope in the entire document. But, alas, we did not debate or approve the entire document. We approved a study of our organization. And it is that which prompts the questions. Some of us do want to believe there is more than a structural/political move to this – and so we ask questions that demonstrate some things do not seem to comport with the goal.
Who would argue with our common brokenness and need for repentance?
These are public questions about public actions. None are intended as innuendo and rumor.
Todd,
Good post. Everyone needs to take a deep breath on this and make sure they have the facts before making premature judgments.
David,
As usual, I agree with you completely. If the GCR is not about a heart change, then what is it about? Will restructuring save us? Absolutely not. It has to be about a heart change.
I have very little advice left to give to the SBC and what little I have is likely of even less value, but I would hope that Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger would write a new book, title it Simple Denomination [or Simple Convention for those who do not like the concept of the SBC as a denomination] and give the Task Force free copies.
In fact, they could probably just change the dust cover on the one they’ve already written and accomplish pretty much the same thing. Clarity – Movement – Alignment – Focus. Four words for the Task Force from someone who doesn’t know much about anything.
Brother Todd,
I like your approach.
The way I see it… get personally involved in the mission of planting a few churches every year and you will be hard pressed to find time to yak about political reorgs as you are making disciples. Acting in love makes ill political motives evaporate at a much faster rate.
Blessings,
Chris
Good post.
I would echo one point you made. If Morris Chapman had given a public enunciation of his reasons for asking for this resignation, he would be violating employee confidentiality codes and be staring down the muzzle of a lawsuit.
His “rumors” comment was unfortunate, but an employer should not publicize his reasons for ousting an employee.
I’d like to know what happened, but Morris Chapman should not be the one to tell us, as I understand things.
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