hbu_51903

Posted: 5/19/03

HBU trustee committee to study relation to SBTC

By Marv Knox

Editor

HOUSTON–Although Houston Baptist University's trustees have created a committee to study how the school might “communicate” with the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, they will not violate their agreement to “maintain a unique affiliation” with the Baptist General Convention of Texas, their chairman said.

The HBU board of trustees voted to create the study committee during its spring meeting May 13, reported board Chairman Mark Denison, pastor of First Baptist Church in Gainesville. The committee is expected to report back to the board at its next meeting in September.

HBU has been affiliated with the BGCT since the university's founding in 1960. The current status of that relationship is detailed in an agreement approved by the convention and the university in the fall of 2001.

For the previous four decades, the BGCT elected all the university's trustees. Up to 2000, the convention provided HBU with $1.6 million in financial support.

But in May 2000, HBU trustees voted to create a self-perpetuating majority on their board. The BGCT escrowed its annual contribution to the university, and both groups appointed representatives to seek reconciliation.

That process led to a “relationship agreement,” approved by the BGCT Executive Board and HBU trustees in September 2001 and ratified by messengers to the BGCT annual meeting that November.

The primary points of the agreement allow the university to select 75 percent of its trustees but call for the university to maintain its “unique affiliation” with the BGCT.

“HBU agrees to maintain a unique affiliation with the BGCT by not affiliating or establishing a formal relationship with other denominations, conventions or religious entities,” the agreement states.

In addition, the BGCT restored most of the annual funds it provides to the university. In this year's budget, the BGCT contributes $125,000 for campus religious activities, $120,000 for minority and ethnic scholarships and emphases, $180,000 for ministerial student tuition support and $492,000 as HBU's share of funding divided proportionately between the eight universities affiliated with the BGCT.

A basic block grant of funds the BGCT previously provided to HBU has not been restored. However, several convention leaders expressed hope to restore that funding in the near future. The value of that grant is about $600,000, said Keith Bruce, the BGCT's institutional ministries director.

The Southern Baptists of Texas Convention split from the BGCT in 1998. Its stated purpose is to work more closely with the Southern Baptist Convention, whose theology and politics have moved sharply to the right during the past 25 years.

The SBTC previously approached the BGCT's 23 institutions, asking about the possibility of creating formal relationships. The SBTC acknowledged it would require support for the SBC's doctrinal statement, the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message, and the institutions declined or did not respond.

In February this year, Texas Baptist Men voted to reaffirm its unique relationship with the BGCT but agreed to “officially work” with the SBTC, its associations and churches. That agreement allows the men's organization to involve men from churches affiliated with both conventions but does not mention the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message.

SBTC reached out to HBU, Chairman Denison said. “They have contacted us to see if we are interested in communication, in dialogue,” he said.

“The university is always exploring venues and relationships that will serve the university and its students,” he said.

However, Denison pledged the committee and board would not violate the relationship agreement with the BGCT.

“The boundaries of the committee are to work within the unique relationship to the BGCT,” he explained. “We will maintain the integrity of our agreement with the BGCT and will work within the context of that unique relationship.

“We will maintain close contact with (BGCT Executive Director) Charles Wade. The communication lines will be very much open.”

The result of the committee's study should veer more toward communication than relationship with the SBTC, Denison said.

“'Relationship' may be a strong word,” he said, referencing the result of the study. “It's really to explore how we communicate with them (SBTC) at this point. We as a board are always interested in exploring venues to communicate with all Baptists, particularly in the state of Texas.

“We feel strongly that our relationship with the BGCT has been wonderful, and the context of that has been maintained.”

Denison declined to speculate how the university would respond if the SBTC insists on loyalty to the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message.

“I would not begin to anticipate what this committee will do,” he said. “We are committed to working within the boundaries of the BGCT, and we will not violate that. We are very happy with that relationship. … The purpose of this committee is to say: 'Do we want to have dialogue (with the SBTC) and how do we relate? But only within the boundaries of the agreement with the BGCT.”

The BGCT's Wade said: “We expect that the (HBU) board of trustees will honor the agreement we have in place. We achieved a covenant statement that has served us well. I will be interested in finding out exactly what their intentions are.

“Texas Baptists can be confident that we will work to protect the interests of our churches in the future of Houston Baptist University.”