“Nothing has changed in how we fund the BGCT,” Kevin Ezell said in a Baptist Press article Nov. 25. “And nothing has changed in the way we can partner with Southern Baptist churches affiliated with the BGCT.”
That might be news to leaders of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, who appear to be under the impression a whole lot has changed in the relationship between the historic state Baptist convention and the Southern Baptist Convention’s domestic missions agency.
Kevin Ezell
The rub here is that the BGCT — unlike the breakaway alternative state convention called Southern Baptists of Texas — never has adopted the Baptist Faith and Message 2000, the updated doctrinal statement of the SBC. Instead, the BGCT affirms the 1963 version of the Baptist Faith and Message, which says Jesus is the criterion by which the Bible should be interpreted and does not place women in a subservient role to men.
The BGCT also remains supportive of women in ministry, even though not all its affiliated churches share that affirmation. The SBC has been expelling churches that allow women to be called pastors and allowed to preach.
Because of these differences of opinion, Ezell previously has said the SBC North American Mission Board — which he leads — will not fund church plants in cooperation with the BGCT. That stance represents a dramatic change from decades of cooperative missions work.
Last month, an SBC-affiliated pastor attempted to get the BGCT on record affirming the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message to clear this disagreement. Messengers to the Texas Baptist annual meeting declined once again to do so.
Now, Ezell has announced he’ll hold a series of “information sessions” for Texas pastors in early 2025.
“I am grateful for what Texas Southern Baptist churches that are connected with the BGCT invest in missions through the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering, Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and the Cooperative Program,” Ezell said. “NAMB desires a continued partnership with these churches, and these gatherings will help us clearly communicate that and also to address questions pastors may have.”
However, three paragraphs later, the BP article explains: “NAMB’s doctrinal standard is the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 and NAMB only provides financial support for church plants that affirm the same standard.”
As articulated in the past, even churches that individually affirm the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message are ineligible to receive funding from NAMB in partnership with the BGCT.
Julio Guarneri
In May, BGCT Executive Director Julio Guarneri told the BGCT Executive Board: “I have learned that NAMB will no longer fund any church starts of singly aligned BGCT churches in Texas. They will only fund churches in Texas who are affiliated with SBTC either singly or dually.”
At this summer’s SBC annual meeting, Ezell was asked publicly by a Texas pastor if NAMB would help his church start a congregation to reach Asians moving into a nearby community.
Ken Camp, managing editor of the Texas Baptist Standard, summarized Ezell’s response: “The North American Mission Board will not fund church starts in partnership with the Baptist General Convention of Texas unless Texas Baptists change their statement of faith. However, NAMB will be glad to help BGCT churches start churches anywhere in North America other than Texas.”
What Ezell told the pastor was that NAMB would be glad to help his church start a congregation outside Texas because NAMB cannot cooperate with BGCT due to differences over the doctrinal statement.
In August, Ezell met with BGCT leaders and some Texas pastors as a follow-up to the exchange at the annual meeting. One of those present was Dustin Slaton, senior pastor of First Baptist Church Round Rock, Texas, who had asked the original question.
After the August meeting, he told the Baptist Standard he was “encouraged to find that BGCT churches do have access to NAMB resources, training, personnel and assistance through the church planting process. Basically, aside from funding, we have access to anything anyone else has access to, and the funding can possibly come through the $300,000 NAMB grants to the BGCT annually.”
A Baptist Press article quoted a NAMB spokesman saying there are ongoing discussions about when and how the BGCT may use that $300,000 pool of missions money that NAMB reportedly gives to larger state Baptist conventions.
All this fits into a larger conversation about how NAMB has shifted its funding and strategy for church planting. Leaders of other state Baptist conventions have complained Ezell pulled back millions of dollars in what used to be partnership money to use on NAMB’s own national initiatives apart from state conventions.
The 2025 information sessions will be held in Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, Houston, San Antonio and West Texas, the Baptist Press article stated. Dates have not been announced.
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BGCT tells Kevin Ezell no on 2000 Baptist Faith and Message