Alabama Baptists Vote Down Home-School Resolution, BWA Funding
The highest legislative body of the Alabama Baptist Convention decided to support public education, traditional marriage and funding to the Southern Baptist Convention
Members of the Alabama Baptist Convention (ABC) rejected a suggestion to divert the $30,000 earmarked for the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) to the Baptist World Alliance (BWA), during its annual State Convention meeting at Montgomery, Alabama, Nov. 16-17, 2004. The ABC’s closely resonates with the decision made during the SBC’s national meeting in June, during which the 16-million member denomination decided to strip its membership and funding to the international alliance of 211 Baptist bodies.
According to the Alabama Baptist newsjounal, the motion to offer $30,000 of its $41.5 million annual budget failed to pass the show-of-hands vote. Last June, the SBC cut off its $300,000 funding to the BWA – a 100-year-old alliance established largely with the help of the SBC.
The controversial June decision to separate, which was also done through a show of hands, was a combination of many factors. According to SBC executives, the “liberalization” of the BWA forced the SBC to withdraw its support. However, BWA executives and member bodies rejected the claim, and rather blamed the SBC’s anger over the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF)’s acceptance to the alliance as the reason for the severance; the CBF is a moderate denomination that broke off from the conservative SBC over theological differences in the early 90s.
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While the majority of Southern Baptists agreed to the break, many others disagreed, saying the BWA helps Southern Baptists carry out Jesus’ mandate for unity.
Allan Murphy, pastor of North Shelby Baptist Church in Alabama, said he had tried to speak against the SBC’s break, but was cut off without a chance. During the Alabama conference, Murphy took the microphone and explained his situation and stance.
"I was standing at a microphone at the Southern Baptist Convention to ask us to re-consider [defunding BWA] when debate was cut off. We were not even allowed to discuss the issue," Murphy claimed.
"I do not believe that the Baptist World Alliance and its head, Denton Lotz, the brother-in-law of Billy Graham's daughter, Anne Graham Lotz, are theologically liberal," Murphy told the convention. Murphy said that while he and his church are "biblically ultra-conservative," he believes in supporting the BWA.
However, Craig Carlisle, speaking on behalf of the budget committee, warned that "to amend the budget at this time would do tremendous harm to the [State Board of Mission] and our entities who rely on us and to whom it is our responsibly to take care of."
There were no other dissenting voices as the messengers to the Assembly voted down the amendment.
The Alabama decision stands in stark contrast to the Baptist General Association of Virginia (BGAV)’s resolution to join the BWA as a separate entity and provide funds to the financially struggling group.
In other business, Alabama Baptists elected Henry Cox, pastor of First Baptist Church, Bay Minette, as president; Roger Willmore, pastor of First Baptist Church in Boaz, as vice President; and Gary Hollingsworth, pastor of First Baptist Church in Trussville, as second vice president.
The state messengers also struck down a controversial resolution that suggested all Alabama Baptist children be taken out of public schools. The separate education resolution, which passed overwhelmingly, affirmed Alabama Baptists’ support of education, including public schools.
They also passed a marriage resolution that affirmed “biblical and legal marriage is between one man and one woman” and is “the only marriage ordained by God.” Similar to marriage resolutions passed in dozens of Baptist state conventions, the statement calls on the U.S. Congress and Alabama legislature to pass a constitutional amendment to protect traditional marriage.
