Posted: 5/14/04

Moral shortsightedness common in business, research says

By Ken Camp

Managing Editor

ARLINGTON–Many advertising executives fail to see any ethical implications of their work, and if they do see moral problems, they refuse to talk about them, a University of Texas professor has discovered.

And she firmly believes that “see-no-evil, speak-no-evil” attitude permeates much of the corporate world.

“Our thinking is that the problem extends to other industries as well,” said Meme Drumwright, chair of the bridging disciplines program in ethics and leadership at the University of Texas at Austin.

Drumwright, associate professor of advertising at UT, and Patrick Murphy, a marketing professor at the University of Notre Dame, interviewed more than 50 advertising practitioners at 29 agencies in eight cities to discover how they perceive ethical issues.

The researchers found most of the people they interviewed suffered from “moral myopia”–a distorted moral vision that keeps ethical issues from coming into focus–and “moral muteness”–an unwillingness to talk about moral concerns.

In an article to be published in an upcoming issue of the Journal of Advertising, they wrote: “We do not believe that moral myopia or moral muteness is unique to advertising or marketing. Indeed, the recent round of corporate scandals suggests that moral myopia and moral muteness are apparent in many industries. Our data were collected before the Enron debacle, and as we watched it unfold, we saw evidence of rampant moral muteness and moral myopia, which paved the way for serious ethical breaches by people of good and ill intent.”

Drumwright, whose father was dean at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and whose mother has been a Baptist missions prayer strategist, presented many of her key findings as part of a panel discussion on morality and relativism during a recent national leadership conference sponsored by the John Newport Foundation.

Ethical issues seldom are discussed at either the corporate or individual level in most major-market ad agencies, Drum-wright observed.

Generally, they are not talked about because they are not seen, her research revealed.

“They don't see the ethical issues unless they are tied to their own self-interests, such as when they think someone is stealing their idea,” she said

Drumwright and her colleague concluded advertising executives–and by implication other business people–may be affected by moral myopia to varying degrees.

Some are morally shortsighted, and others may be practically blind to ethical issues, she observed. Often, moral vision is distorted by rationalization.

“A common rationalization we heard was: If it's legal, it must be moral,” she said.

Drumwright quoted an agency president who told the interviewers advertising is “one of the most ethical businesses there is (because) it is so regulated. Everything that we do has to go through our lawyers to make sure it's conforming to the law, and then our client's lawyers, and then we have to send it through the networks and their lawyers. … It's really hard to be unethical in this business even if you wanted to.”

Rather than seeing legal requirements as the “moral minimum,” many advertisers equate legality with morality, setting the bar no higher than what the law demands, she said.

Another problem advertisers face is becoming so immersed in their clients' corporate culture they lose all objectivity.

“Anthropologists refer to this as 'going native,'” Drumwright said.

For ad agency representatives, “going native” means becoming so identified with their clients' perspective and product claims they lose the ability to make critical moral judgments. They believe their own lies without recognizing them as such.

Another way advertisers rationalize unethical behavior is by compartmentalizing–“separating work life from personal life,” Drumwright said.

She pointed to the example of an ad agency executive who had a young daughter. As a mother, she expressed concern about the potential influence waif-thin models could have on her daughter's concept of beauty and self-esteem. But as an advertising practitioner, she told herself clients have the right to run their businesses the way they want to and project any image they wish.

Other advertising professionals displayed ethical concern by refusing to work for clients representing certain businesses, such as cigarette-makers.

But they saw no problem accepting bonus money from their employer if the agency that employed them benefited from cigarette accounts.

Drumwright saw that as “a form of compartmentalization.”

Research did uncover isolated examples of advertisers with moral vision who were willing to talk to coworkers and clients about ethical concerns, she noted.

Some even displayed what she called “moral imagination”–the ability to “think outside the box” to generate moral alternatives beyond simplistic answers.

These individuals differed from their industry peers primarily in one respect: They worked in a corporate culture that valued ethical behavior.

“It matters what kind of organization you are in. The corporate culture and community make a difference,” Drumwright said.

She drew several conclusions about how to foster ethics in ad agencies–and by implication, in the general workplace:

Leaders set the tone.

Leading both by word and example, people in authority can create a workplace context where moral imagination can flourish.

They also can create systems in the workplace that reward rather than punish workers who “blow the whistle” on unethical conduct.

Good communication fosters good ethics.

Researchers found a correlation between high levels of communication in the corporate culture and high levels of ethical sensitivity.

Community matters.

When good habits are cultivated and nurtured in the workplace, ethical behavior becomes the norm rather than the exception.

“There is a huge role for the church to play,” Drumwright observed. “When there is not a supportive community in the workplace, the church can be that nurturing community with respect to teaching and encouraging virtue.”

In addition to teaching ethical decision-making skills, church also offers a place where Christians can interact with people who work in a variety of jobs, providing the opportunity for dialogue with people outside their own narrow vocational fields, she said.

“Churches can make a huge difference by helping people translate what they learn on Sunday into what it means being a Christian in the world–in their Monday-through-Friday work life,” she said.

Posted: 5/14/04

Debate about same-sex marriage continues across country

By Robert Marus

ABP Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON (ABP)–As the battle over same-sex marriage and other gay-rights issues rages across the country, both supporters and opponents of gay rights logged several important victories in recent weeks.

Since late April, gays and their allies won legislative victories in Maine and California, while legislation restricting gay rights passed in Oklahoma and Virginia.

A judge in Oregon issued a mixed ruling halting gay marriages that one county had been performing but ordering the state to recognize the marriages already performed.

That same day, a California legislative committee gave initial approval to a bill that would legalize same-sex marriages in that state. The California State Assembly's judiciary committee voted 8-3 to pass the Marriage License Non-Discrimination Act.

That bill would change language in state law back to define marriage as a contract between “two people” rather than “a man and a woman.” The change would return the law to its pre-1977 formulation, when it was changed to specify heterosexual unions.

If approved by the legislature's appropriations committee and then the whole legislature, it would mark the first legislative legalization of gay marriage in the nation.

On the other hand, Virginia legislators passed a bill that the gay-rights group Human Rights Campaign called “one of the most discriminatory and restrictive anti-family and anti-marriage bills in the country.” Over Democratic Gov. Mark Warner's objections, the assembly gave approval–with a veto-proof majority–to a bill that would outlaw any marriage-like relationship or legal contract between same-sex partners in the commonwealth. Virginia law already explicitly bans same-sex marriages.

The law, which will take effect July 1, means any legal agreement between same-sex couples–such as privately-arranged contracts guaranteeing inheritance or hospital-visitation rights–resembling the rights given to married couples would be banned.

In a statement on the bill, Warner said he harbored “grave doubts about the constitutionality of this broad wording,” and noted it could have “unintended consequences,” including nullifying business-partnership arrangements between people of the same sex regardless of their sexual orientation.

“I believe it would be regrettable and wrong if Virginia were to go further than any other state in its efforts to restrict the rights of people to enter into legal relationships,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Oklahoma House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved an amendment to that state's constitution banning same-sex marriage. The state senate already had approved the amendment. The vote means it will be sent to Oklahoma voters for final approval in the fall.

But Maine legislators passed a bill creating state-recognized domestic partnerships that offer many of the same benefits as marriage. If, as expected, Gov. John Baldacci (D) signs the bill into law, Maine will become the fifth state in the union to offer state recognition of same-sex couples.

The issue of same-sex marriage and other gay rights has been thrust into the spotlight as Massachusetts counts down to May 17, the date by which the state's Supreme Judicial Court has ordered it to begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. The court initially issued its ruling in November, setting off a nationwide controversy.

Massachusetts legislators have since given initial approval to an amendment to the commonwealth's constitution outlawing same-sex marriage. However, that amendment still must be approved a second time by the legislature and then voters. That means it couldn't take effect for at least a year, during which time thousands of same-sex couples will likely be legally wed in Massachusetts.

Gov. Mitt Romney (R) has said he will not allow same-sex couples from outside the commonwealth to marry there. And a group of Massachusetts legislators asked the court to delay implementation of its ruling. However, few observers expect the court's justices to do so.

Posted: 5/14/04

Freedoms form foundation for Baptist group

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (ABP)–At their recent semi-annual meeting, directors of Associated Baptist Press agreed to enter into a new educational and fund-raising partnership with two sister Baptist organizations.

Board members approved entering into a partnership with the Washington, D.C.-based Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs and the Georgia-based Baptists Today news journal, pending final approval by both of those organizations.

The agencies would provide churches with educational materials about the historical Baptist and biblical emphasis on religious freedom and freedom of speech. The effort would include joint appeals to Baptist congregations for annual offerings or church budget line-item contributions that the three agencies would then divide evenly.

The plan has been dubbed the First Freedoms Project, in reference to the two freedoms enshrined in the First Amendment–freedom of the press and freedom of religion–for which the three agencies advocate.

The board also voted to suspend publication of FaithWorks, a lifestyle magazine for young Christians, while ABP negotiates with an ecumenical network of young leaders to create a new magazine with a broader potential subscriber base.

Associated Baptist Press created FaithWorks in 1998 as a way to reach beyond the wire service's traditional constituency of denominational publications and secular newspaper religion editors.

The directors' motion authorized ABP to entertain a proposal from the Emergent network on transitioning FaithWorks into Emergent's official publication. Emergent is a nationwide network of young evangelical Christian leaders from several denominational and nondenominational backgrounds that bills itself as “the leading network of the emerging church.”

Last year, Emergent's leaders initiated discussions with ABP's executive editor, Greg Warner, about using FaithWorks' existing production staff and subscriber list to create a new magazine for the movement. An executive summary describes the project–tentatively titled This magazine–as “a new lifestyle magazine for Christians who are engaging the emerging culture” and says its target audience will be adults age 25 to 40.

In other action at the meeting, directors bestowed their 10th annual Religious Freedom Award on Charles Haynes, a First Amendment expert at the Arlington, Va.-based Freedom Forum.

Posted: 5/14/04

Baptist student ministries seeking contact
with armed service academy new arrivals

Baptist student ministries at the United States armed service academies want to contact incoming cadets and midshipmen, campus ministry leaders emphasize.

At the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Baptist Student Union representatives are willing to provide special services to men and women who arrive early.

“For those arriving June 30, we will meet them at the airport, provide free lodging, meals, transportation, and take them to the academy at the appointed time on July 1. For those arriving July 1, the Air Force Academy buses will meet them, but we would like to know of their coming so we can make contact once they have arrived,” said Dwain Gregory, director of Baptist Collegiate Ministries at the Air Force Academy.

“This is an opportunity to meet smiling faces and make new Christian friends before beginning basic cadet training. If pastors, parents, relatives, friends or new cadets will contact us with name, address, telephone and e-mail address, we will contact them to secure flight arrival times and provide further information.”

Cadets arriving at the U.S. Air Force Academy can contact Gregory at (719) 599-9094 or leedgreg@aol.com or Tom Clemmons at (719) 659-1525 or Clemmonsfam@adelphia.net.

Similar ministries are available to new arrivals at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and to the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis.

At West Point, contact Bill Blackwell at (845) 534-3944 or yb8731@usma.edu.

At the Naval Academy, contact Kirk Ritchey at (410) 263-0963 or ritchey@usna.edu.

Posted: 5/14/04

Alliance condemns marriage amendment

DAYTON, Ohio (ABP)–The Alliance of Baptists has adopted statements of concern about “the politicization of same-sex marriage” and the United States' relations with Cuba.

The statement on same-sex marriage explicitly condemned the proposed Federal Marriage Amendment, which would add a provision to the Constitution banning same-sex marriages in all 50 states.

The resolution objected to that proposal and similar amendments to state constitutions “that would enshrine discrimination against sexual minorities and define marriage in such a way as to deny same-sex couples a legal framework in which to provide for one another and those entrusted to their care.”

The statement also decried what it called “the politicization of same-sex marriage in the current presidential contest and other races for public office.”

Alliance member Donna Mote of McDonough, Ga., presented the statement, which delegates to the group's annual meeting adopted without objection.

The resolution on the United States and Cuba is the latest in a series of statements the group has adopted calling for normalization of relations between the two countries.

It commended the House and Senate for recently passing bipartisan legislation containing provisions that would have lifted the ban but condemned a House-Senate conference committee for “capitulation … to a threatened veto of the legislation by President Bush.”

The statement also voiced objection to the Treasury Department's 2003 decision not to issue licenses to educational institutions for travel to Cuba. It particularly criticized the agency's assignment of 17 percent of workers in its office charged with monitoring foreign assets to enforcing the Cuba travel ban.

The Alliance elected as president Cherie Smith, a chaplain in Baltimore and a former member of the group's board.

Chris Copeland, associate pastor at Oakhurst Baptist Church in Atlanta, was elected vice president. Mary Sue Brookshire, a chaplain at San Diego State University in California, was elected to a second term as secretary.

Posted: 5/14/04

Long-time WMU leader, Alma Hunt,
given Judson-Rice Award for leadership, integrity

By John Pierce

Baptists Today

RICHMOND, Va. (ABP)–Alma Hunt, who led the Southern Baptist Woman's Missionary Union from 1948 to 1974, has received the Judson-Rice Award for leadership with integrity.

The award, which bears the names of Luther Rice and pioneer missionaries Ann and Adoniram Judson, was presented by Carolyn Weatherford Crumpler, Hunt's successor as national WMU executive. She presented the award on behalf of the board of directors of the independent news journal Baptists Today.

Previous recipients of the Judson-Rice Award are Jimmy Allen, Tony Campolo and Russell Dilday.

A description of early Baptist mission proponent Rice as “quick-witted, sociable, with uncommon obstinacy” fits Alma Hunt as well, said Crumpler when presenting the award to Hunt. Like the Judsons and Rice, who stirred up the early missionary zeal in the United States, Crumpler said Hunt, now 94, could “move people to action.”

Crumpler recounted Hunt's longtime career in education before turning her full attention to missions, with a particular emphasis on the global impact of women.

Through her work with WMU and retirement ventures for the Foreign Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, Hunt traveled to more than 90 countries building up women's mission organizations.

Hunt presided over a session of the Baptist World Alliance in 1975, while serving as vice president, becoming the first woman to do so at an assembly of the worldwide fellowship. Allen, former president of the Southern Baptist Convention and also a member of the Baptists Today board, deemed Hunt “the Steel Magnolia of Baptist missions.” Using Mary Lynn Hatfield's definition of a steel magnolia, Allen spoke of Hunt's “very essence of strength combined with femininity.”

During Hunt's 26 years at the helm of WMU, the organization saw unprecedented growth both numerically and spiritually, Allen said.

Posted: 5/14/04

Incidents of anti-Muslim bias
jump by 70 percent, group asserts

By Robert Marus

ABP Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON (ABP)–Incidents of anti-Muslim bias in 2003 jumped 70 percent over the previous year, a study by an Islamic civil rights group says.

In its 9th annual civil rights report, the Council on American-Islamic Relations–which calls itself the nation's “largest Islamic civil liberties group”–said Muslims in the United States reported 1,019 incidents of discrimination or violence in 2003.

That figure is up from 602 incidents reported to the group in 2002, although the group acknowledged the 2003 total may reflect a higher rate of reporting.

Among the incidents were 93 reported hate crimes–more than double the 2002 figure. Many of the other incidents included reports of employment discrimination or discriminatory treatment by government officials or in public accommodations. Many of the reports involved verbal harassment or other incidents that could not be independently verified.

CAIR attributed some of the increase in reports it has received to the fact that the organization has grown over the past year and thus is more visible and accessible to Muslims in the United States. However, it also blamed several other factors:

A “lingering atmosphere of fear” toward Muslims since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Anti-Muslim feelings stirred by the war in Iraq.

The implementation of the USA Patriot Act, passed in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks, which curtailed some protections for civil liberties in order to make it easier for law enforcement to stop terrorists.

A “noticeable increase of anti-Muslim rhetoric” in the nation's public discourse, particularly on talk radio.

“The disturbing jump in reports of anti-Muslim incidents is a wake-up call to those commentators who use their public positions to spread anti-Muslim hate,” said CAIR Research Director Mohamed Nimer, who wrote the report.

However, the report did suggest efforts by government agencies to weed out anti-Muslim bias since 2001 have met with some success. For instance, reports of airline passenger profiling on the basis of religion dropped significantly as compared to 2002, as did reports of unreasonable arrest, search and seizure based on religious profiling.

The organization began compiling annual reports on anti-Muslim bias in 1995, following the bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. The reports showed sharp spikes in reports of anti-Muslim incidents after 2001.

Posted: 5/14/04

Around the State

The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor recently recognized faculty and staff with service awards. Max Hart, associate professor of mathematics, was recognized for 35 years on the faculty. Corky Johnson, professor of biology, and Linda Pehl, dean of the School of Nursing, have served 30 years. Celebrating 25 years were Gary Brinegar, electrician, and Frances Dixon, library technician. Marking 20 years were Bobby Johnson, director of alumni development, and Keith McPherson, assistant vice president of finance and controller. Recognized for 15 years of service were Steve Alexander, professor of biology; Bruce Bolick, associate professor of accounting, economics and finance; Teresa Buck, associate professor, library; Mike Frazier, director of auxiliary services; Diane Howard, professor of communication and performance studies; Randy O'Rear, vice president of external relations; Steve Theodore, vice president of enrollment management; and Donna White, secretary for business and finance. W.D. English, professor of management and marketing; Jim King, dean of the School of Business; and David Sloan, associate professor of English, each marked 10 years of service.

University of Mary Hardin-Baylor nursing graduate Carolyn Curry is pinned by Suzanne Beltz during the chartering ceremony that marked the school's inaugural induction of students into Sigma Theta Tau International, an honor society for nursing students. Curry was one of 173 nurses inducted.

Lexi Langley of Elysian Fields has been named Senior Girl Call-Out at East Texas Baptist University. Sponsored by the University Women's Club, this is the 57th year for the award to be bestowed.

The department of history and political science at Houston Baptist University held its inaugural induction ceremony of Phi Alpha Theta, the national collegiate history honor society. Student inductees were Carrie Puryear, Christi Swift, Jami Parsons, Renee Ledoux and Kathryn Bowser.

Lawson Hager, dean of Hardin-Simmons University's School of Music, was named Faculty Member of the Year, and Forrest McMillan, newly named dean of students at HSU, was announced as Staff Member of the Year at the school's Faculty-Staff Appreiciation Dinner.

Dorothy Parker, accounts payable administrator in financial affairs, has been named Staff Member of the Year at Dallas Baptist University.

Anniversaries

First Church in George West, 85th, April 4. Bruce Irving is pastor.

Primera Iglesia in Wharton, 80th, May 2. Joel Ramirez is pastor.

Mark Bumpus, 10th, as pastor of First Church in Mineral Wells, May 2.

Toby Irwin, 35th in the ministry, May 26. He is pastor of Hayden Church in Wills Point.

Louis Rush, fifth, as minister of youth and missions at First Church in Palacios.

Ira Irvin, fifth, as pastor of First Church in Wheelock.

Carl Bradley, 50th, as organist in various Texas Baptist churches. He currently serves at Canyon Creek Church in Temple.

Memorial Church in Grapevine, 50th, June 4-6. Weekend events include a men's fellowship meal, anniversary choir rehearsal and reunion, Sunday lunch, car show, jump houses and sports activities. Special guests will include former Pastor Bruce Perkins and former Minister of Music Keith Ferguson. For more information, call (817) 488-8533. Gregg Simmons is pastor.

First Church in Midland, 50th at its present location, June 5-6. Saturday will include a 9 a.m. walk from the church's former location to its present one. A historical fair will commemorate the church's past from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday will include worship services at 8:15 a.m., 9:40 a.m. and 11 a.m., with former Pastor L.L. Morriss preaching in the last service. A noon luncheon will honor those members in 1954 and their descendents. For more information, call (432) 683-0600. Gary Dyer is pastor.

Queens Road Church in Pasadena, 50th, June 13. Dennis Whitmire will be the guest speaker. Baxter Williams will be the guest music director. A lunch will be followed by a 2 p.m. concert by the Kingdom Heirs. Conda Traxler is pastor.

First Church in Kempner, 120th, June 27. Former Pastor T.L. Kennedy will speak in the morning service as will former member Don Henderson, who surrendered to vocational service at the church. A lunch will follow the service. A time of testimony and song will complete the day. To make meal reservations or for more information, call (512) 932-3844. Roger Fancher is pastor.

Deaths

Jim Lindsey, 89, April 27. A journalist, he worked for the San Angelo Standard-Times, the San Antonio Express and the Midland Reporter-Telegram. He was publisher and editor of the Hill Country News in Cedar Park. In 1955, he received the Texas Baptist award for Christian service in journalism. He is a former member of the board of directors of the Baptist Standard and the Public Relations Advisory Committee of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. He was a member of New Hope Church in Cedar Park. He is survived by his wife of almost 60 years, Frances; daughters, Pam Bonner, Debbie Melton, Sherry Lindsey and Lorinda Hughes; seven grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Calvary Church in Tulia celebrated the retirement of its remodeling and renovation note with a note-burning ceremony March 28. Burning the note was assigned to Kenneth Millsap and Lonnie Jobe, two of the three trustees who signed the note on behalf of the congregation. Scott Hensley is pastor.

Frank Fallon, 73, April 30 in Waco. Fallon was the longtime “Voice of the Baylor Bears,” describing the action in Baylor football and basketball games for more than 40 years. His career also encompassed two decades as the public address “Voice of the Final Four” for NCAA basketall. He also did television play-by-play of other Southwest Conference basketball games for NBC and ESPN. He also mentored thousands of telecommunications students in the classes he taught from 1984 until his retirement. In 2001, he was presented the Chris Schenkel Award by the National Football Foundation and the College Football Hall of Fame. In the same year, he was presented the Baylor Communications Award. He is survived by his wife, June; sons, Steve, Mark, Mike and Kyle; and five grandchildren.

Ruby Watson, 81, May 2 in Denton. She was the wife of Texas pastor William Watson, who preceded her in death in 1995. She also was preceded in death by her son, David, and brother, Joseph Harlan. She was a member of First Church in Denton. She is survived by her daughters, Karen Stiles, Linda Cotton, Nancy Moore and Lanita Drake; sons, Chris and Robert; 21 grandchildren; brother, J.C. Harlan; and 18 great-grandchildren.

Keith Telg, 32, May 3 in London, England. An International Mission Board missionary in Northern Africa, Telg was hospitalized April 23 with a severe headache. The cause of death had not been determined at presstime. Telg was a a former member of Macedonia-Hix Church in Caldwell. He and his wife, Michelle, were appointed in 1998. He is survived by his wife and two sons, Kevin and Kyle.

Events

Westview Church in Slaton will celebrate 51 years of ministry June 5 and 6. A fellowship time will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday. Numerous former pastors and staff members are expected to be present. Jerold McBride will preach in the Sunday morning service. A catered lunch will follow. To make lunch reservations or for more information, call (806) 828-3322. Roy Taylor is pastor.

Ordained

Wayne Proffitt to the ministry at Calvary Church in Friona.

Chance Mace to the ministry at North View Church in El Paso.

James Mize as a deacon at Westwood Church in Waskom.

Jon Mark Allen, Ernest Coffia, Fred Lowery, Donny Malone, Robert Knepp and Chad Wolf as deacons at Canyon Creek Church in Temple.

Revivals

Dellview Church, San Antonio; May 23-26; evangelists, Paul Powell, Tom Fisher, Buck-ner Fanning, Ben Craver; pastor, Christopher Breedlove.

Wildwood Church, Mes-quite; May 23-26; evangelist, Kyle Gulledge; music, Michael Bridges; no pastor.

Bethel Cass Church, Linden; May 23-28; evangelist, Doug White; music, Philo Spiro; pastor, Royce Kinsey.

Posted: 5/14/04

Baylor Faculty Senate gives 'no confidence'
vote to university president for second time

By Greg Warner

Associated Baptist Press

WACO (ABP)–For the second time in a year, Baylor University's Faculty Senate has voted “no confidence” in President Robert Sloan.

The 28-5 vote, taken in a closed-door session May 4, was similar to the group's 26-6 no-confidence vote last September. At that time, the senate cited a climate of fear and mistrust on campus that had produced a chilling work environment among faculty. Little has changed since, the faculty leaders said.

“We still have a much-divided faculty that has not healed, nor is it healing,” Joe Cox, president of the Faculty Senate, told the Waco Tribune-Herald. “The problems have not gone away.”

The senate claimed Sloan “has made only limited and inadequate attempts” to address Baylor's problems and asked the school's regents, or trustees, to conduct an independent referendum on Sloan's leadership among the entire 820-member faculty.

“It's pretty easy to say (the Faculty Senate) is a small group of disenfranchised faculty or something like that,” Cox said. “Well, if that's the case, let's find out what the numbers are.”

Larry Brumley, associate vice president for university relations, questioned whether the 33-member senate represents the interests of the entire faculty. Criticism of Sloan's attempts at reconciliation is “baffling,” Brumley added, “given the fact that the president has held a number of meetings with faculty since February.” Those meetings have included senate members, he added.

Doug Henry, director of Baylor's Institute for Faith and Learning, criticized the senate for meeting and voting in private. And he noted that, at the time of the senate's May 4 vote, Sloan was conducting a positive meeting with 50 new faculty members.

“It's a remarkable and wicked irony that at the very time (Sloan) was engaging in that kind of bridge-building … behind closed doors in another part of campus, the Faculty Senate was making the charge that he wasn't engaging in those sorts of efforts,” Henry said.

The world's largest Baptist-affiliated university has been steeped in controversy for more than a year over Sloan's leadership, the regents' long-range plan, a coaching scandal and an athlete's murder.

The regents voted 31-4 last September to affirm Sloan. They met again May 13-14.

For updated coverage from the Baylor regents meeting, see baptiststandard.com.

Posted: 5/14/04

BGCT leaders hopeful, encouraged by
early stages of revisioning process

By Marv Knox

Editor

The early stages of the Baptist General Convention of Texas' “revisioning” process have given its top two leaders reason for hope.

“We are on the right track,” declared BGCT Executive Director Charles Wade, the convention's staff leader.

“I am very encouraged,” echoed BGCT President Ken Hall, the highest elected leader.

The revisioning process began about three months ago. It has involved representative teams of laity, pastors and BGCT Executive Board staff, as well as representatives of other constituent groups.

Ideas generated by those groups are being handed off to a new strategic planning committee, which will prepare mission and vision statements, as well as priorities and strategies that will guide the convention for years to come.

Wade said the process is congruent with where the Executive Board staff wants to go.

“Our staff is eager for change,” he said. “I know that may sound a little optimistic, but the very things that are being described as critical issues are things the staff has been describing. That's encouraging to me.

“My fervent hope is that we will now be able to fashion a description of what we want Texas Baptists to become–what we believe God wants–and then to fashion an organization structure that will help us achieve that vision.”

The strategic planning committee, which Wade will chair, “will have some good things to report at the end of the summer,” he predicted. “The chance we can achieve significant change and match our structure to the vision is very high.”

Hall, who also will serve on the strategic planning committee, said the task is encompassing.

“What we've heard from these (revisioning) committees is substantive change needs to take place in every area of BGCT work,” Hall said. “From governance through administration, through collaborative ministries, we need to improve and do better.

“We need to be reminded we work for the Lord through our churches,” he added. “Anything great we're going to accomplish is going to be because the impetus behind it is the local church.”

The early steps of the process have provided “reason to be hopeful,” he noted, acknowledging: “It's going to require a lot of courage on the part of our leaders and a lot of trust on the part of all the family. We need to believe the best about each other during this time.”

Trust is important because change seems inevitable, Hall said. “I predict we as a people will look very different in a very short time than we do right now,” he said, particularly citing changes in the convention's governance and organizational structure.

“I hope we create accountability to our institutions, associations, BGCT staff and ministries–that we all realize we work in concert with each other, and we've got some accountability to that,” he said.

“We don't have the luxury of being a lone wolf anymore. We need to be together.”

The strategy process will involve Texas Baptists in listening sessions, where they will be able to provide their insights, Wade said.

“One of the reasons we want this story out is we're trying to keep an open process.”

Posted: 5/14/04

Direct missions involvement rises,
baptisms fall, church data shows

By Ferrell Foster

Texas Baptist Communications

DALLAS–Texas Baptists are getting out of their church buildings and moving into mission fields, church data analyzed by the Baptist General Convention of Texas shows.

The annual church profile revealed 180,170 people were involved in missions projects in 2003, said Clay Price, associate director of research information for the BGCT. Those numbers count each time a person participated in a project.

In 2002, 140,901 Texas Baptists were involved in hands-on missions.

Comparing statistical data has been difficult in recent years, because some churches left the BGCT to join the competing Southern Baptists of Texas Convention.

The BGCT had a net loss of 65 congregations in 2003, with a total of 5,651 compared to 5,716 the previous year.

The convention, by far the largest Baptist group in the state, started 234 congregations and dropped 299. Of those that dropped, 160 disbanded.

In order to determine trends, Price compared 2003 to 2000, removing from the earlier period churches that have since joined another convention. Using that comparison, the number of BGCT congregations has grown 4.7 percent over the three-year period to 5,651 from 5,395.

Another challenge in compiling the statistics is that only about two-thirds of congregations submitted information on the annual church profile forms, Price said. That has been the pattern for the past couple of years, but it is a lower percentage than in previous years.

Of churches reporting in 2003, baptisms dropped below the 50,000 mark for the first time since 1948, with 48,920 reported, Price said. However, he noted that total baptisms would have been more than 60,000 if churches previously in the BGCT had not formed another convention in the state.

The drop in BGCT baptisms occurred among the youngest and the oldest. In each of three categories from ages 12 to 59, BGCT baptisms climbed in 2003 from the previous year.

To determine how well BGCT churches did in 2003 compared to their recent past, the 2000 numbers with the non-BGCT churches removed is actually the best indicator, Price said.

Using those figures, the following ups and downs are revealed:

Baptisms dropped 10.3 percent.

Sunday morning worship attendance rose 4.7 percent.

Sunday school average attendance climbed 2.8 percent.

Discipleship Training participation fell 12.8 percent.

Music enrollment dipped 0.2 percent.

Baptist Men involvement dropped 1.9 percent.

Woman's Missionary Union fell 11.2 percent.

Mission project volunteers soared 24.8 percent.

Total financial receipts climbed 11.4 percent.

Total missions giving went up 8.8 percent.

Church debt rose 30.3 percent.

In regard to finances, churches appear to be spending more on their own congregations, Price said. While undesignated receipts are up 15.1 percent, designated receipts are up only 1.9 percent.

That may be related to the big jump in church debt, with BGCT churches owing $563 million in 2003 versus $432 million in 2000. Local missions projects and rising costs for personnel also may play a role in the small increase for designated giving.

The annual church profile revealed 180,170 Texas Baptists were involved in missions projects in 2003

Posted: 5/14/04

BGCT strategy committee named

Charles Wade, executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas' Executive Board, will be chair the BGCT's strategic planning committee.

The committee will hold its first meeting May 17 and hopes to complete most of its work by the fall, said Sherrill Spies, the organizational consultant who is helping to guide the committee.

The 17-member strategy committee is comprised of nine members who were part of four revisioning teams, which began the convention's strategy process a few months ago.

Holdover members include Carol Bowman, coordinator of the BGCT's Hope for Home program; John Durham, pastor of First Baptist Church in Irving; and Ron Gunter, a BGCT regional associate in the Houston area.

Also Dale Jones, a retired corporate executive and member of Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas, and Patty Lane, director of the BGCT intercultural initiatives office.

Other holdover members are Peter Leong, pastor of Southwest Chinese Baptist Church in Stafford; Rodney McGlothlin, pastor of First Baptist Church in College Station; André Punch, an African-American church growth consultant with the BGCT; and Candy Smith, associate pastor of ministry at First Baptist Church in Richardson.

In addition to Wade, new members of the committee are BGCT President Ken Hall, president of Buckner Baptist Benevolences; David Nabors, the BGCT's treasurer and chief financial officer; and Lorenzo Peña, the BGCT's coordinator of associational missions and administration.

Also Ray Reese, a member of the BGCT Administrative Committee who is an attorney and accountant and member of First Baptist Church in Cuero; Wesley Shotwell, vice chair of the BGCT Executive Board and pastor of Ash Creek Baptist Church in Azle; Josué Valerio, director of missions for El Paso Baptist Association; and BGCT Second Vice President Dennis Young, pastor of Missouri City Baptist Church in Missouri City.