Friends,
Today, I was forwarded, by a number of people, an email that apparently went to all SBC ‘Blue Hats’ in Louisiana. I’ve actually served as a Blue Hat as well as a White Hat during Katrina (this is all Disaster Relief speak for those of you who wouldn’t know) but I didn’t personally receive this email from the LBC building.
I’m not sure how to even process what I’m seeing. I think that someone at the Baptist Building in Alexandria either actually thinks we are all stupid or truly doesn’t care what we think at all.
Coming off the heels of the story about the inappropriateness of the LBC designing, developing, and hosting the official campaign website of Ken Hemphill we now have this equally, if not more, frustrating action of our Disaster Relief workers being encouraged not only to attend these “campaign rallies” for Hemphill but for them to be “asked to prepare food for these rallies.” My head is about to explode.
This time, however, it’s not just some coding and an inanimate server that is at issue, it’s an important and highly respected ministry arm of our shared efforts to help in time of great disaster. What about the actual CP funds use here? Maybe the whole thing is being bankrolled by a “campaign contributor” but what of the DR kitchens that I assume will be used? What of the food? What of the ask itself? These people are preparing what I assume is free food for all those in attendance and we know that free food always draws a crowd (especially for college students). What about the rallies for Greear? will the LBC pay for that? Can we invite him and feed people in at least the appearance of fairness… or is the North Carolina DR team handling that?
See for yourself…
Subject: FW: Disaster Relief
There was an email sent earlier to the Blue Hats please notice the change of time for West Monroe at McClendon Baptist Church.
Now is the time to come to the aid of your state… Sound familiar? Well it is a time to prepare and one of the ways we prepare is to contact our volunteers listed in our data base and see if we can get a response.
On Tuesday March 27, 2018, we are preparing to feed meals at LC in Pineville for Lunch and Supper at McClendon BC in W. Monroe.
The purpose of these meetings is to see if our contact system is working properly and set a time for you to meet a candidate, Dr. Ken Hemphill, that is being nominated for president of the SBC in Dallas this June.
We have been asked to prepare the food for these rallies and it will be a training event for our feeding teams as well as time for responding using the same procedures that we hope to use during a disaster. If you can attend please wear your yellow shirt and cap.
Location: Louisiana College, Pineville, LA
Time: 11:30 AM
Date: Tuesday, March 27, 2018Location: McClendon Baptist Church, W. Monroe, LA
Time: 6:30 PM
Date: Tuesday, March 27, 2018This is being sent to our Blue Hats and asking them to contact their yellow hats trying to have as many as possible attend these events. Thanks for your commitment and help during this preparation time.
If you can attend please RSVP by email to:
(emphasis added)
I’m leaving the recipient and sender’s names out of this email out of compassion for their inboxes… because, I’m sure that none of this was their idea anyway.
Although Ken Hemphill has agreed to move his website off the LBC server, this is clear and unequivocal evidence that the abuse of power to which I’ve been referring over the last few years has not changed.
LBC leadership does not get it. They have (he has) won for so long they do not think they can lose – so they simply continue to do whatever they want. I’m not sure how this convention will ever recover from this myopic worldview.
May God raise up men in this state who will help us throw off the shackles of this ungodly and worldly tyrannical mindset. Will it ever change?
