Trust while Praying for Scriptural Principles to be followed: Thoughts on the Lawsuit

If your church gives to the “Co-operative Program”, you have a vested interest in what the MBC does as you support them along with all of the SBC programs. 

We are all familiar with the chaotic culture of the Missouri Baptist Convention.  The history of the MBC regarding Executive Directors is alarming. The two previous Executive Directors left because of conflict situations.  This is Not healthy!

As I see it, two big issues face our convention.  If you read the MBC news journal The Pathway, you are familiar with some of the pressing issues such as the continued decline in Co-operative Program giving.  However, the giving decline is only a symptom of the issue.  While we can spend lots of time and energy, bemoaning the lawsuit, the fact is, we are committed.  When this lawsuit first began, there was the possibility that it could have been settled Biblically with Christian Mediation.  Facts and truth gets confused with time and retelling as boards and leaders change.  While every one of the issues wrapped in the lawsuit can be settled with a Biblical Mediation, absent the control of each litigant’s lawyers;  until there is desire on both sides, we are committed to the lawsuit. 

Those who serve you on the MBC Executive Board are caught in a difficult position.  They  are party to information that if made public would jeopardise our case.  They want very much to inform us but cannot at this time. I would encourage pastors and churches to: Trust the MBC Executive Board;  knowing that the American system of justice is a bureaucratic monster run by many who have a vested interest in keeping issues tied up in that system for eternity.  While there is a settlement out there, somewhere, only God knows when.

Every issue and concern of the MBC and the breakaway agencies can be settled quicker and cheaper with Christian Mediation but both the MBC and the breakaway agencies have to want that in order for it to happen.  Each party would need to trust the scriptural principle of Matthew 18.  They would have to tell their lawyers to take some time off and then prayerfully, openly, and honestly commit to the Biblical principle of Christian Mediation.  Pray with that this will happen but until it does, “trust the board to do what is best for the convention”.

Many of you know that I can see the day when buildings will become a millstone around the neck of our churches and conventions.  Even now with decreased funding through the redirecting of NAMB and the decreased giving to the Co-operative Program, the building on High Street, an old deteriorating building with costly up-keep and vacant rooms, drags us down.  Our new MBC Executive Director has some creative thinking about the building and given time can take a liability and turn it into a valuable asset.  Can you, will you Prayerfully Trust?

I subscribe to "World" magazine, a Christian based news magazine.  One of the articles in the most recent issue dealt with the alarming number of Churches who were filing for bankruptcy.  This is most certainly not a postive witness for the Christian faith but is another reason why I believe that Churches (true followers of Jesus Christ) must give serious consideration to getting out of the property ownership business.

I do think that the economy will turn around most likely sometime after the 2012 elections.  But there is more persecution and tribulation ahead for the "Christian" organizations that own buildings and other property.  The United States government has already made probes into the taxing of church related properties.  This never satisfied monster called government will constantly be seeking sorces of revenue.  While the monster's hunger for finance grows there is a rapidly increasing antichristian atmospher developing in the United States of America.  The day will come when your churches' property will be taxed.

Add to the above reasons the biblically based principle that believers are to be salt and light and w have a very compelling reason not to own buildings.   The light cannot be light unless it penetrates the darkness.  Salt must get out of the shaker to be effective in being salt. 

Recently my wife and I made our first venture onto the stage of live theatre.  While we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves we met and made many new friends.  Some were of different denominationa labels than we, others were obviously not believers in Jesus Christ; but we met them and made friends with them, even to having conversations about who Jesus is.   We would NEVER have met them or gotten to know them if we had stayed in our church building hovered in the sanctuary of those like us.

We must get out of our buildings into our local culture and be who we are; fully devoted followes of Jesus Christ

Why has the focus of GCBA been so heavily on Missions?