Glorieta Conference Center, LifeWay Christian Resources and the Southern Baptist Convention have been in Baptist news for several years. Much confusion, misinformation and half-truths abound. Even Christ and his church have been dragged through the mud. The real question is why?
John YarbroughWe are commanded to love one another. Jesus said the greatest commandments are to love God and to love your neighbor as yourself. All the laws fall under these two. These are not suggestions. Why is it that LifeWay didn’t apply these commandments when it sold Glorieta for $1 and didn’t give my wife and me a fair-market value for our home?
I addressed LifeWay President Thom Rainer at the 2014 SBC annual meeting and asked him to give us a fair-market value for the home we purchased from LifeWay in 2003. A possible sale never was disclosed to us. You can read my statement and his reply in the convention minutes.
The issue in the Glorieta battle is corporate greed versus fairness to homeowners who were asked to invest in the SBC Glorieta ministry. So far, lawyers have collected money that could have gone to homeowners. This legal battle reveals corporate greed and not Christian principles, which have been compromised.
Jesus said we Christians are the salt of the earth, but if the salt loses it purpose, it is good for nothing. Have the SBC and LifeWay lost their purpose?
How can the world know we are Christians? Only by love and not by LifeWay’s actions.
It is never too late for a Christian to right a wrong.
John and Becky Yarbrough are retired SBC home missionaries and served as mission pastor, church starter and ministry developer as the minister of missions with First Baptist Church of Carrollton 26 years. In their retirement, they are serving part-time with Royal Haven Baptist Church in Farmers Branch.
We seek to connect God’s story and God’s people around the world. To learn more about God’s story, click here.
Send comments and feedback to Eric Black, our editor. For comments to be published, please specify “letter to the editor.” Maximum length for publication is 300 words.