The BGAV and abortion
In a letter in the Religious Herald dated Feb. 3, Greene Hollowell condemned the Baptist General Association of Virginia's stance on abortion, as published in Truthfully Speaking (available at http://www.vbmb.org/uploads/TruthfullySpeaking.pdf).
Mr. Hollowell disputes this statement:
“Be it further Resolved, that we also … support the right of expectant mothers to the full range of medical services and personal counseling for the preservation of life and health.”
“Full range of medical services,” for Mr. Hollowell, “of course means abortion.”
Does it really, Mr. Hollowell? I understand it to mean we need to support mothers in their emotional well-being during a stressful and traumatic time in their lives.
The BGAV statement also resolved, “The messengers … reaffirm the biblical sacredness and dignity of all human life, including fetal life.” How could a body of believers say this, yet continue to endorse the opposite? I don't think they do.
Mr. Hollowell's analysis troubles me, but this has nothing to do with abortion. His judgement on the BGAV is similar to the way many American evangelicals interpret the Bible. Mr. Hollowell disregards any original intentions of the statement and exercises his own interpretation of the BGAV's statement, subjecting the statement to his own views and beliefs.
Other believers do the same with the Bible. We as Baptists believe in the priesthood of all believers, yet many “Baptist” organizations are informing us as to how we will believe.
Mr. Hollowell, if you took a moment to see lives changed through the work of the BGAV, I think you would see that God is not disintegrating the BGAV because they “support abortion,” as you write in your letter.
Would Jesus have been involved in any of these actions? Jesus calls us to love God and love others, Mr. Hollowell, not question others and create rifts within the Body of Christ. We have hurting people in our neighborhoods, schools, workplaces, people in our churches and women contemplating abortions.. I challenge you, and all Virginia Baptists, to help someone in need. We need to be encouraging, uplifting and supportive and love our neighbors using Christ as an example. Tearing people down is a waste of our time, Mr. Hollowell.
I don't think Jesus would have done that.
Aaron Lee, Richmond
Extension board
Elsewhere in this Religious Herald [Virginia News] you will see a financial report on the Baptist Extension Board. The Baptist Extension Board was established by the Baptist General Association of Virginia in 1940 for the express purpose of making loans to Virginia Baptist churches for building construction or land purchase. Since that time, over $34 million has been invested in BGAV churches.
Extension Board funds can only be used by BGAV churches for the purpose of building projects or land purchase. Funds are available at a current interest rate of 5.5 percent, below the current market rate.
As treasurer of the BGAV as well as the Baptist Extension Board, it is my obligation and very distinct pleasure to bring to you the report contained in this issue of the Religious Herald. I also want all Virginia Baptists to know that these funds are for construction projects or land purchase for BGAV churches and cannot be used for anything else.
Any BGAV church may apply for a loan of up to $500,000 for any construction purpose, including remodeling, paving, sprucing up or most any worthy cause to help in the church's building and property management. Call on me any time.
Thank you, Virginia Baptists, for making the Baptist Extension Board possible.
Eddie Stratton, Treasurer, Baptist General Association of Virginia
Biblical counseling
How soon we forget our own history! Was the current leadership at Southern Seminary asleep during Wayne Oates's classes?
Whoever wrote about this “new” emphasis in “biblical counseling” at Southern Seminary [see story in National News] needs to be aware of how little they actually know about the teaching and training ministry of Wayne E. Oates and the pastoral care program he introduced and guided for four decades at Southern Seminary.
I had the privilege of studying with Wayne Oates for seven years, first as a master of divinity student, and then in his Ph.D. program at the seminary. There has been no professor in evangelical circles who grounded his teachings more in biblical and pastoral content than Wayne Oates. He made the Scriptures come alive for pastoring (I was a pastor for 26 years), and his love for the Bible and the local pastor's work is unequaled in the Baptist family of seminary professors. No one wrote more for pastors and servant laypeople more biblically and redemptively than Oates (55 books and hundreds of articles).
Oates taught and inspired more pastors and teachers in the holy calling of biblical care giving than anyone in the Southern Baptist Convention. He was unflinching in his requirement that ministers maintain the highest biblical standards in their care of God's people, and he taught with integrity and deep reverence for God's Word. He also made sure that God's gift of a sharp mind and Christ's model of sacrificial discipleship were employed together in the service of God.
I hope the incoming professors who are being employed for this “new” non-program of biblical counseling at Southern Seminary take a look at the “hill” they are standing on when they arrive at Southern Seminary; it's actually a mountain-the shoulders of Wayne E. Oates, who, inspired by the Holy Spirit, taught several generations of Christian disciples the depth of biblical counseling. Calling what they want to do “new” is a lot like announcing that they have just invented electricity at SBTS. Biblical counseling was around Louisville a long time before the current regime.
Daniel G. Bagby, Professor of Pastoral Care, Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond
Kick the addiction
We talk about addictions of all kinds-drugs, pornography, alcohol and many other things. I don't approve of any of them, nor do I judge them. But I believe we leave out one addiction!
Our inability to change keeps us clinging to the past and the old ways of doing things in the place we call the church building. It must be done like this or that in order for it to be right. We are in the past and need to move forward. Jesus is ahead of us. Jesus is about change, not judging us. Our old Baptist ways need to move forward with Jesus.
I'm not saying that all old ways are bad. But I feel we need to move forward if we want our church buildings full. Most of all we want hurt people and broken people to know Jesus. That's what Jesus wants.
Bobby Small, Annandale
Grateful for Herald
Please let me congratulate you and thank you for the outstanding work you are doing as interim editor of the Herald.
I read each page but especially am blessed by the pages of the world, national and local news, updates, Fred Anderson and the well-written editorials.
Please keep up the good work and be assured of my support all the way.
Henry Langford, Richmond