During the October 29, 2007 North Carolina Baptist State Convention Board of Directors meeting, a motion was made to study the feasibility of our various giving plans. Dr. Scott Eanes made a motion to study these various plans with the intent to determine if they are doing what they were designed to do.
The BoD study will be one that studies all of the plans and not just one. In the past we have had study committees to study on Plan C. That committee returned a report that it was retaining churches that would otherwise leave the convention, thus, it was performing with the intent it was established. However, no other plans were studied. We now have a proposal on the floor to study all four plans. Let’s look at these plans and then determine by the results of the plans what is needed. I do see this motion as a positive motion for unity within the BSCNC.
There are still some concerns that I have with this proposal. First, is the concern that 100 people had a chance to decide on this idea instead of 4,000. The motion to study, while it presents a case for unity, is not really an accurate assessment of the desires of NC Baptist. If you want to get a clear understanding of what NC Baptist desire, why not ask the convention to approve the recommendation to study the plans? Second, is my concern with the one appointing the committee. Brother Allan Blume is a great man of God and it is evident that he is being used of God in a marvelous way at Mount Vernon Baptist Church in Boone, NC. He is a wise leader and one that can be trusted in his decisions. However, it would do well for NC Baptist to remember their history concerning the giving plans. The late Dr. Mark Corts was one of our conservative leaders during the conception and gestation period of the birth for these giving plans. Let me be clear, neither Dr. Corts, nor any of our current conservative leaders were in on the conception of the idea for multiple giving plans. He merely did all he could to negotiate a plan that he believed the conservatives of North Carolina could support if the convention approved such a move. There are some conservatives in leadership in our convention that were influential in negotiating these giving plans. As a matter of fact there is rumored to have been a covenant made when Plan D was negotiated that these conservative leaders would not do anything to do away with Plans B & C. Some of these conservative leaders serve on our BoD today. Thus I am observing this study committee with an optimistic, but cautious eye. It will be interesting with what the feasibility study says about Plan B the original negotiated plan and Plan D the last negotiated plan.
**Update** After having conversation with Dr. Steve Hardy, I need to correct something that is presumed. Dr. Hardy and the late Dr. Corts were the only two conservative leaders involved with negotiating giving plans. No one else in leadership within the Conservative Carolina Baptist were involved with the negotiations of the giving plans. Dr. Hardy is planning an article that will give the complete background with the giving plans. When he does so, I will write a post and link to his article. I will trust the leadership of the current Board of Directors of the North Carolina Baptist State Convention as they study these various giving plans.
Now, back to Dr. Scott Eanes. Brother Scott is a dear friend of mine and he called me after the BoD meeting to inform me that he had made the motion. I respect him and am honored that he felt the need to inform me. It speaks highly of his integrity and his desire to keep unity among Brothers. You may think I am just saying this because his motion effectively kept the motion I was planning from being presented at the convention. You would be wrong in that assessment. I respect and honor Brother Scott. He and I are dear friends that trust each other’s word. I am not just blowing smoke and saying all of this with him feeling something opposite. He thinks so highly of me he has honored me with an invitation to be one of a various number of speakers at Fairview Baptist Church’s Revival. That is right, I am the speaker at the 11/7/07 meeting. I think so highly of him in this regard that I led our church to move our Wednesday evening service to this Revival service and my choir is going to be singing that evening. We are looking for a great time of fellowship as we Worship together. So, if you really desire to see Brothers serve together in ministry but have disagreement in denominational life, come on over to Fairview Baptist Church in Statesville. Make certain that you arrive at 7pm as begin a Worship Service that will say to the naysayers, we may not agree on every issue, but we certainly agree on reaching a lost world for Christ.
What do we do now? We go to the convention and we read the study committee report from the Baptist Retirement Homes. As you read this report ask yourself this question. What can $117k purchase for retiree’s on a fixed income? Also, we look at the report on the WMU-NC decisions. Ask yourself this question. What does the move out of the Baptist Building really say the WMU-NC is trying to achieve?
