CHURCH
Pastors, former
missionaries join former
IMB trustees in calling
for removal of
controversial,
superfluous 'guidelines'
'Time to Change' group
opposes policies on
baptism, private prayer
practices
NORTH CAROLINA -
A group of 37 former
Southern Baptist
missionaries, former
International Mission
Board trustees and
Southern Baptist pastors
has issued a call for
rank and file Southern
Baptists to reverse
"guidelines" enacted by
IMB trustees in 2005
that prohibited
appointment of
missionaries whose
baptisms and private
prayer lives do not meet
those guidelines.
"We express our concern
over the restrictions
that have been put in
place in the form of
additional 'guidelines'
concerning a missionary
candidate's private
prayer life and
baptism," says the
statement, which was
released June 2, 2008.
"Our conviction is that
these guidelines stray
far beyond the
parameters set forth by
our denominational
confession of faith, the
Baptist Faith and
Message."
One position adopted by
IMB trustees prohibited
appointment of
missionary candidates
who were not baptized in
conformity with a
narrow, extra-biblical
definition of baptism.
The second position
prohibited appointment
of missionary candidates
who practice a "private
prayer language."
The group objects that
those restrictions
amount to "intrusive
scrutiny into the
sanctity of the personal
prayer closet" and
"dictating to local
churches what
constitutes a legitimate
Christian baptism."
The result of adopting
those "guidelines" –
with no evidence they
were needed – was that
"otherwise worthy
candidates" for
missionary service are
unnecessarily rejected
and "valuable, faithful
IMB personnel" are
leaving the field at a
time when the overseas
missions harvest is
greater than ever, the
group says.
"Each day, we are all
made painfully aware of
the scope of the
lostness of our world.
We agree with the words
of our Lord that,
indeed, the harvest is
abundant. We also, with
great sadness, agree
with His assessment that
the workers are few,"
the statement says.
"There are good, loyal
Southern Baptists who
see the multitudes also,
and just as Christ did,
feel compassion for
them. Let us as Southern
Baptists not
purposefully turn away
any qualified worker who
has heard and obeyed the
call to 'Go.'"
The group plainly
asserts that their
opposition to the
"guidelines" should not
be read as a lack of
support for IMB
missionaries, staff or
administration. They
"commend the obedience
and commitment to God's
call of the more than
5,000 dedicated brothers
and sisters who have
been appointed, sent,
and supported by
Southern Baptists to
carry the gospel to the
ends of the earth" and
declare that they
"enthusiastically
support our IMB
missionaries through
their praying, giving,
and going."
They also affirm that
the IMB's candidate
approval process "has
been fair, thorough, and
complete, producing a
dedicated, well-trained
missionary force" that
meet the criteria set
out by the SBC
Constitution that "all
missionaries appointed
by the Convention's
boards must, previous to
their appointment,
furnish evidence of
piety, zeal for the
Master's kingdom,
conviction of truth as
held by Baptists, and
talents for missionary
service."
The group "call(s) on
Southern Baptists to
hold the entities of the
SBC accountable to the
direction of the
convention's churches,
not the churches to the
sentiments of their
entities" and "strongly
urge(s) Southern
Baptists to seek the
removal of these
controversial and
superfluous guidelines
from use in the
candidate approval
process."
The group has created a
Web site at
imbchange.info to
"encourage appropriate
principles and
guidelines for
missionary service
through the
International Mission
Board of the SBC."
For more information,
contact:
Concern4Missions@bellsouth.net
Allan & Pam Blume
828-265-0220 or
828-266-9700
Steve Hardy 336-714-5468
