CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (ABP) — Deaths and disasters served as distractions from denominational politics for the 1,473 messengers attending the Tennessee Baptist Convention's annual meeting Nov.15-16.
In spite of contentious business items — including the election of a convention president by a razor-thin margin and a decision to delay action on altering the convention's relationship with one of its affiliated colleges — external matters weighed heavily on the minds of messengers.
Meeting at First Baptist Church in Clarksville, messengers learned during the opening session that longtime Tennessee Baptist pastor and three-time Southern Baptist Convention president Adrian Rogers had died during the night.
And later the same day, a series of tornadoes struck the western and central parts of the state, including two lines of severe thunderstorms that passed through Clarksville and required the evacuation of the convention hall.
Rogers was scheduled to be honored by messengers during the convention. He retired earlier this year after 32 years as pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in the Memphis suburb of Cordova. Instead, officials dedicated the opening session to Rogers' memory.
Later, during the Nov. 15 afternoon session as messengers viewed a video presentation from Belmont University, TBC President Roger Freeman, pastor of the host church, stopped the video to address the crowd. Due to a storm warning for the area, Freeman said, convention officials were instructing attendees to take cover in the church's basement. They ended up remaining there for more than an hour.
After messengers reconvened to finish the afternoon business, officials decided to cancel the evening service when weather reports predicted another round of severe storms would pass through the city.
Before adjourning for the day, messengers elected a conservative-endorsed president by only 18 votes over his rival. Phil Jett, pastor of Englewood Baptist Church in Jackson, edged Roger “Sing” Oldham, pastor of First Baptist Church in Martin, on a 468-450 vote.
The following day, messengers elected Ron Stewart, pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Knoxville, vice president over Joseph Rosas III, pastor of Crievewood Baptist Church in Nashville, 427-342.
The second vice president's race was decided by an even smaller margin than the presidential contest, with Larry Reagan, pastor of Adam's Chapel Baptist Church in Dresden, receiving 390 votes to 385 for Steve Durham, pastor of Radnor Baptist Church in Nashville.
The three victors all had the support of Concerned Tennessee Baptists, a group identified on its website as a group of individuals who believe that the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message “reflects a clear statement of the beliefs that we hold in common” as Tennessee and Southern Baptists.
Messengers delayed action on a proposed “Resolution of Relationship” with Belmont University in Nashville pending study of a document that contains a possible “reverter clause.”
Belmont recently informed TBC leadership that the school plans to begin electing its own trustees — up to 40 percent of whom could be non-Baptists. School officials also told convention leaders Belmont does not anticipate receiving further funds from the convention as of Nov. 1.
Belmont leaders indicated a desire to continue a “fraternal” relationship with the convention, which messengers were scheduled to consider.
But just a week prior to the annual meeting, TBC Executive Director James Porch heard of the existence of a 1951 contract — signed the year before convention officials established the school — that might affect the outcome of Belmont's move. It stipulates that the school's assets would revert back to the convention should Belmont fail or “pass from Baptist control.”
A search by convention officials did not produce the contract, but did find minutes from an administrative committee, dated July 31, 1951, instructing the board's attorney to draw up such a contract.
During a meeting of the TBC executive board on Nov. 14, Belmont President Robert Fisher acknowledged the contract did exist and it had been reviewed by both internal and external counsel. He described the document as “an irrelevant contract superseded by about five different actions.”
As of Nov. 16, TBC officials had not been given a copy of the contract.
During the convention's opening session messengers approved a motion from Tim McGeehee, pastor of Grace Baptist Church, Tullahoma, which postponed action on the Belmont relationship until a study had been conducted by the executive board regarding the contract in question.
After considerable debate and discussion, messengers approved the motion overwhelmingly.
Later in the convention, messengers adopted a substitute 2005 budget of $36,708,431, which reallocated the $2,330,304 that would have gone to Belmont. The Southern Baptist Convention received the largest amount of the reallocation ($825,940) while Carson-Newman College in Jefferson City and Union University in Jackson received an additional $500,000 each. The remainder was divided among Tennessee missions and ministries and various TBC entities.
An amendment to take the $500,000 from Carson-Newman and send it to the SBC's International Mission Board failed.
During the sessions, there was debate and discussion over a matter referred to the convention's education committee last year that it investigate the theological positions at its three universities. The matter was referred to the trustees of the schools and a written report from the institutions was distributed to messengers.