Group soliciting signatures for letter to Executive Board

Updated: 2/02/07

Group soliciting signatures
for letter to Executive Board

By Ken Camp

Managing Editor

A blogger-led coalition of Texas Baptists who met recently in Mesquite to discuss concerns with the Baptist General Convention of Texas have posted an open letter to the BGCT Executive Board on the Internet, and they are soliciting signatures for it.

At their meeting, the group expressed frustration with a ruling by the chair at the 2006 BGCT annual meeting in Dallas.

One of the groups’ organizers, David Montoya of Calvary Baptist Church in Mineral Wells, made a motion at the annual meeting that the convention—rather than the BGCT Executive Board—request a criminal investigation of mismanaged BGCT church-starting funds in the Rio Grande Valley.

Michael Bell of Fort Worth ruled the motion out of order, saying the Executive Board has sole authority to act in the interim between annual meetings of the convention. Board action at a closed-door session immediately prior to the annual meeting “pre-empted any action” by the convention messengers, he said.

In a letter posted on Montoya’s blog site at spiritualsamurai.typepad.com, the group called the ruling “an unnecessary and dangerous step” that essentially “renders the messengers to the annual convention mute.”

The letter states, “As concerned Baptist Christians, the undersigned respectfully request the Executive Board incorporate language into our constitution and by-laws that will not only remedy the immediate damage done by this ruling but will also protect us from such a ruling from the presiding officer in the future.”

Four days after the letter was posted, 14 people had indicated online their desire to sign it as drafted, and a few other people posted comments.

BGCT Executive Director Charles Wade said the Executive Board already plans at its Feb. 26-27 meeting to deal with the issue and clarify decision-making authority. The convention in session holds final authority, and the board only has authority the convention delegates to it between annual meetings, he said.

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