(EDITOR'S NOTE: This updates and expands a version of the story that was released Nov. 16. It also corrects an error in the 7th paragraph of that story. Alan Weishampel's church is no longer named Murray Street Baptist Church; it is now called East Ridge Baptist Church.)
WEST MONROE, La. (ABP) — Messengers to the Louisiana Baptist Convention's annual meeting Nov. 14-15 surprised some observers by rejecting candidates and causes endorsed by the state's conservative political group.
Meeting at First Baptist Church in West Monroe, La., messengers voted to amend a budget-cutting proposal that would have had a disproportionate impact on the Baptist Message, the convention's newspaper.
Messengers also defeated, on a show-of-hands vote, a proposal to dissolve the paper's independent board of directors and move it under the control of the convention's executive board.
And, for the first time, messengers defeated officers in a contested race who had been endorsed by a pro-Southern Baptist Convention group in the state calling itself the Louisiana Inerrancy Fellowship (LIFe).
Budget
Messengers approved a $21 million 2006 budget — down from $22 million for 2005 — after voting to restore a proposed $52,500 cut for the Baptist Message.
Leaders explained the convention-wide reduction was needed due to the expected impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
More than 150 Louisiana Baptist churches were affected by the storms in some fashion, and dozens still are unable to hold services or receive offerings. Convention leaders already are predicting the storms will mean a reduction of $500,000 to $1 million in receipts for this year.
In the original budget-cutting proposal, all line items but two shared equally in the reduction, maintaining the same allocation percentages as in the 2005 budget.
However, the Baptist Message was slated to receive 2 percent of all state Cooperative Program funds in 2006, down from the 2.3 percent the agency receives this year. In turn, the allocation for state convention programs was set to increase from 43.5 percent to 43.7 percent.
That change drew opposition.
Michael Hawley of Ruston spoke against the proposed change, offering a motion to move $52,500 from Louisiana Baptist Convention programs to the Baptist Message so that all budget line items would maintain their current allocation percentages. As the proposal stood, the Baptist Message stood to experience a larger cut to its budget than all other convention entities, Hawley noted.
LBC executive board President James Law of Gonzales spoke against the change. He noted that the newspaper received a 15 percent increase in 2004 and that the proposed budget would place the agency back to where it was two years ago.
However, Eddie Simmons of Lake Simmons urged restoration of the cut funds.
“I understand there are a lot of things that go into a decision,” he said. “But this creates an opportunity for hardship for the Baptist Message that could be better spread out across all entities.”
Messengers approved the motion to change the allocation percentage for the newspaper, 687-607. The amended budget then was approved with little opposition.
Baptist Message
The Baptist Message will continue to operate under a separate board of trustees after messengers soundly rejected a proposal to move the newspaper within the state convention structure.
A show-of-ballots vote appeared to be at least two-to-one against the plan. Approval of the move would have required a two-thirds vote in favor.
The matter dates back to earlier this year, when new LBC Executive Director David Hankins proposed a change in the newspaper structure.
Since the 1960s, the Baptist Message has operated under its own board of trustees. However, Hankins proposed moving the newspaper back within the convention as part of a newly-formed communications team.
The paper's trustees initially rejected the idea, but then revisited it a few months later and approved it as part of a package approach.
Under the plan, then-Oklahoma Baptist Messenger Editor John Yeats would be elected director of the new LBC communications team. In turn, Baptist Message trustees would propose making the paper part of the communications team, with Yeats as editor.
Yeats began work for the convention Nov. 1.
In presenting the proposal, Baptist Message trustee chair Nathan Luce of Prairieville recounted how that group was led to consider Yeats and the change in structure. “We are convinced that John is God's man for the hour to lead the Baptist Message,” he said.
Yeats told messengers that he would maintain freedom of the press under the new structure. He said historical and current practices affirm the proposed method of operation. Indeed, prior to the 1960s, the Message operated under the proposed structure, and 31 of 41 Baptist state newspapers still operate under such a format.
“This is a healthy governance system that facilitates the building of a culture of cooperation among the churches, associations and state convention for the sake of the kingdom of God,” Yeats concluded.
Hankins told messengers the convention must maximize resources, noting that only about one-fourth of churches subscribe to the paper, and that circulation has fallen in recent years from a peak of 78,000 to about 30,000.”We must avail ourselves of the best strategy,” the state leader emphasized. “We have no choice but to do a better job of communicating our vision and challenges to people in the pew.”
In discussion, messenger Gil Arthur of Leesville said, “I cannot imagine the Louisiana Baptist Convention without the Baptist Message as we now know it. I sincerely believe passage of this motion will prove…to be a mistake.”He held up a copy of the Message and a copy of LBC Live, a periodic publication produced by the convention.Arthur noted that prior to the annual meeting, LBC Live ran an article only in support of the proposed folding of the newspaper into the convention. In turn, the Baptist Message ran side-by-side articles on the proposal — one for and one against, he pointed out.
“That [presenting both sides] is the history and the tradition of the Baptist Message,” Arthur maintained. Somewhere down the road, he said, an issue will arise in which many Louisiana Baptists disagree with their elected leaders. “We may not have…a fair, adequate venue to vent our frustrations and our views,” Arthur told his fellow messengers. “We must have a free, fair, balanced reporting system. I believe there is a better answer to the situation…. This is not the best approach.”
Gary Palmer of Bethany spoke against the proposal as well. “We need an editor that will look throughout Louisiana,” he said. “We do not need just one group putting the message out in the Baptist Message of those things that they see.”
Officers
For convention president, Bill Robertson, pastor of Temple Baptist Church in Winnsboro, beat Jerry Chaddick, an evangelist from DeQuincy, 792-540.
The election marked the first time a presidential candidate endorsed by the Louisiana Inerrancy Fellowship had not been elected. The group had endorsed presidential candidates since 1999, proving successful in electing a trio of pastors who served two one-year terms each.
However, this year, divisions within the most conservative wing of the state convention emerged.
Both announced nominees affirmed LIFe's view of biblical inerrancy and emphasized the importance of taking the gospel to all of Louisiana and beyond. They also cited their support of Louisiana Baptist convention agencies and the Southern Baptist Convention.
Both also agreed with the recent shift in the state convention to a more conservative stance. However, Robertson added that he has a problem with some of the ways changes were implemented.
The convention's leadership, for example, has recently been mired in several public disputes with leaders and supporters of Louisiana College, the only LBC-affiliated institution of higher learning.
The new president was nominated for the post by John Traylor of Monroe, who praised Robertson's track record of love and service among Louisiana Baptists.
“Bill will fulfill our desires for positive change and conservative, loving leadership,” he emphasized.
In turn, Chaddick was nominated by Carl Carrigan of Shreveport, who cited the recent string of LIFe-endorsed presidents. “All my life, I've heard a saying: if it ain't broke, don't try to fix it,” he said. “Fellow messengers, it ain't broke.”
For first vice president, Wayne Dubose, pastor of First Baptist Church in Minden, beat Alan Weishampel, pastor of East Ridge Baptist Church in Lake Charles, 805-473.
Only in the second vice president spot did a LIFe-endorsed candidate triumph. Collin Wimberly, pastor of First Baptist Church in Swartz, beat Paul Roney, pastor of Riverview Baptist Church in Alexandria, 347-286.
Since 1987, struggles between conservatives and moderates in the convention have meant a series of close presidential elections. During that time, the largest margin of victory in an election that did not involve a sitting president was 58 percent to 42 percent in 2001. In no other open-year election had the winning nominee received more than 53.4 percent of the vote.
In later remarks to convention messengers, the new president said he wished to see Louisiana Baptists remain true to Scripture. “But I also want us to practice Scripture,” he emphasized.
The convention's 2006 meeting is scheduled to be held Nov. 13-14 at Trinity Baptist Church in Lake Charles.
— Robert Marus contributed to this story