I am writing in response to your recent editorial regarding the lack of appointments to the Southern Baptist Convention from Baptist General Association of Virginia [“SBC continues its snub of the BGAV,” Herald, July 10]. The continued snubbing is neither new nor is it unexpected, considering that the SBC appears to have made its choice of the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia as its de facto state convention. The BGAV just needs to “wake up and smell the coffee” and realize that it is time to make a change for the better.
The BGAV needs to do away with its W1, W2 and W3 giving plans and stop being a conduit for funds going to other organizations. If people or churches want to give to the Southern Baptist Convention, let them give directly to the SBC or the SBCV. If people or churches want to give to the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, let them give directly to the CBF or the CBFV. But if people or churches want to give to the Baptist General Association of Virginia and its large number of missions and ministries such as Kingdom Advance, let them just give to the BGAV. If they want to give to more than one group, let them do that as well. The BGAV is a member of the Baptist World Alliance and has member churches outside its state borders, as well as ministries both in Virginia and abroad. It needs to accept the fact that it is its own denomination and needs to go its own way under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
I am under no illusion that such a change would not be painful in the short term and some churches and individuals may choose to leave the BGAV. However, I think that in the long run this would be the best move for the health of the BGAV as well as the SBCV and the CBFV. Each group could then focus its resourses and energy to the endeavors that God has called each of them to do. There is more than enough work to go around, but we need to stop mudding the denominational waters with multiple giving plans and funneling funds to other groups.
E. Vance Shearin, Mechanicsville