NASHVILLE — A proposal to study a restructuring of the Southern Baptist Convention is not needed, SBC Executive Committee President Morris Chapman insists.
Chapman made his feelings known about a proposed Great Commission Resurgence Declaration, issued in late April by SBC President Johnny Hunt, in a lengthy Baptist Press column.
The declaration will be presented at the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention this month. If approved, Hunt will appoint a task force to make recommendations on a Great Commission Resurgence and the structure of the convention.
Chapman wrote that when he began reading the 10 articles in the Declaration, he “rejoiced in the strong affirmation of our convention’s biblical convictions.” But he took issue with Article IX and its observations about organizational restructuring in the SBC.
“The article included several negative characterizations and unsupported judgments of the denomination,” observed Chapman. The original version referred to “a bloated bureaucracy” that needs to be streamlined.
Chapman acknowledged the language in Article IX was “revised within 48 hours when several leaders in the convention rightly expressed their concern and indicated they could not sign the document as written.”
The declaration has now been revised a third time that removes the reference to “restructuring” the denomination, Chapman wrote. The statement now says the “convention must be examined.” Even so, he added, “Changing the language has not made the perceived intent any more acceptable.”
Chapman acknowledged periodic changes are necessary.
“But revival in our churches and appointing a task force to study convention structures are not two parts of one whole. They are two separate objectives that, if sought under the same banner, have the potential to cause both to fail. When the time is right, a successful study can happen, following established processes, as has occurred before. However, to put the two objectives together is like trying to mix oil and water,” he said.
Chapman wrote that although he constantly urges state convention executive directors to increase their CP allocations to SBC causes to 50 percent, he “cannot concur that the states are bloated or seeking to retain more and more CP money in the states.