Fearless and Faithful

As the recent meetings of the Board of Trustees of the IMB has created a windstorm of interest and drawn a variety of conclusions, I thought I would add my thoughts.

1. The decision to not attempt to remove Wade Burleson as a trustee was wise. It was wise, first of all, because it was wrong. I’ve explained my thoughts on that many times on this blog. Secondly, however, it was wise because if they had continued with it I’m convinced that they would have experienced a sound defeat in Greensboro in June (more on that to come.)

2. The new handbook on Trustee Policy is both positive and negative. The policy on public dissent is frustrating. Trustees are supporters and mobilizers and policy makers, not robots. This is a departure from hisotric Baptistic polity, and a policy without biblical merit.

The policies regarding communication about IMB personnel, missionaries and other trustees is a very good thing. This will keep ridiculous dissent concerning Dr. Jerry Rankin and other IMB leadership limited and for that I’m grateful.

3. From all accounts Dr. Tom Hatley did a wonderful job moderating the meeting. I like to think that this is a combination of his own personal character and the message that he got from so many Southern Baptists regarding recent trustee actions.

4. Finally, in reference to the message that Hatley received and in reference to the potential showdown in Greensboro, I’m thankful to hear that the trustee’s recoginze and respect the Younger Leaders in the convention. The Baptist Recorder in North Carolina reported, “Hatley said IMB trustees are now more aware of the younger generation of Southern Baptist pastors and leaders who rallied to Burleson’s defense. “This high-tech generation is fearless,” he said, adding their fearlessness is often taken for insolence.” This is a wonderfully positive move in the right direction and one that could lead to beneficial dialogue in the future. I praise God for that.

In conclusion, I’m certainly not ecstatic after the meeting. I would like to have seen more change. However, I realize that in order to achieve harmony we must give some and they must give some. This appears to be what has occured. This brightens my day. If we can continue to meet in the middle we may yet be able to save much of what God is doing among Southern Baptists. Let’s pray to that end.