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?
Well this is blatant.
Shameless was the word that came to my mind.
Wow.
Even if the food is paid for by some benefactor – will they pay for the rental use of the kitchen itself for a campaign rally? The ask for the wearing of uniforms by the preparers and servers is also out of bounds as it conveys that this an official event of the convention. Well, its clear that the LBC is in fact endorsing this candidate – and it makes sense – since they and Rick’s gang recruited him.
I know that DR tucks and kitchens and trailers are often used at various official state convention events and even the SBC convention itself but never in this way to facilitate a literal *campaign rally* for an SBC Presidential candidate….this is not what DR is about. That equipment was not bought for this purpose.
The campus rally? Seeking solicit student messengers who hail from various churches? Really? Will the next thing be the LBC busing in messengers to vote?
This whole campaigning thing is getting – no has gotten – out of hand. This mess is exactly why I think the whole idea of campaigning for the office of President of the SBC is an idea that is supremely fought with peril.
Embarrassing.
This is shameful. If I were a Louisiana Baptist, I would be calling for someone’s resignation.
Do state conventions receive national dollars (CP or AAEO) to help fund disaster relief?
Yes, they do. NAMB is very highly involved in Disaster relief.
I believe state DR relief funds all come from the state portion (which is really high in LA) of CP giving, not from NAMB.
Brent, I think NAMB helps some states purchase equipment – maybe not LA though…..
David Hankins should resign or the LBC board should fire him. And Ken Hemphill should withdraw his name from consideration. This is embarrassing. Like Tarheel mentioned above, it may be silly to think that no campaigning of any kind ever took place, but surely it was considered in bad taste to make sure we didn’t end up with this.
Yes. If Hemphill cannot denounce this as wrong and something he knew nothing about, he should withdraw. Hankins should be fired.
Holy smokes! This is shameful. I can’t begin to understand how David Hankins in his right mind would think this is a great idea. I mean how in the world can he spin this in a way that doesn’t look like the Louisiana Baptist Convention is hosting these presidential campaign rallies and paying for the food, equipment, and people to support the rallies by using Cooperative Program dollars? This has to be unprecedented, right? I mean did anything like this occur during the heated CR battles? I don’t believe so from every historical account I’ve read, from both the moderates and conservatives side. Louisiana Baptist pastors need to realize that this is wrong plain and simple. Hemphill needs to withdraw his nomination immediately. If he doesn’t and he’s elected this will only stain his presidency and legacy as a man of principle and integrity.
I am not sure I agree that Dr. Hemphill should necessarily withdraw, guys.
However, he, IMO needs to make some great big and profound strides to separate himself from all of this or else there will be little doubt (and justly so) that while is is touting as a “campaign platform” support for the CP and the missions endeavors it is supposed to fund, he is (at least appearing) to use it for his own personal benefit.
I think, and hope I am right, that Dr. Hemphill is better than this. He has some decisions to make it seems.
No doubt there will be 100 excuses and explanations about how this dollar went here and that dollar went there and how DR needed a training event anyway… We saw it with the website and the same thing will happen here. Do not get lost in the minutiae. The state convention is using its infrastructure, personnel, volunteers, apparatus, and funding (whether directly or indirectly) to push for a particular candidate. It is highly inappropriate and considered so for good reason. Do we want this kind of thing to take hold and be replicated in other state conventions, regardless of who the preferred candidate is? Absolutely not.
If Hemphill can’t win without this, he should have never agreed to be nominated.
If SBC messengers reward this in June, shame on us.
If Louisiana pastors and leadership allow this to continue, it’s a sad day.
Agreed, Brent.
The minutia and obfuscations will come….
The real issue is that a state convention is putting everything you mentioned behind a particular candidate….
It’s embarrassing and its wrong.
As I said, I hope and trust the Dr. Hemphill is better than this.
I don’t want the Southern Baptist Convention to be “represented” by a man who agrees to these types of mechanizations and political tactics. This meddling by the LBC is reprehensible. Southern Baptist are better than this. We should be better than this. Louisiana pastors I know and care about are better than this and I hope their voices are heard loudly. David Hankins must resign or if he will not step aside he must be fired. This type of meddling is sinful. If this continues on I agree with you Brent, it’s a sad day. This cannot be our future. This type of behavior needs to be rid of quickly.
Man, I take a break to do my taxes and look at the trouble you guys get me into!
Dave,
I can save you the trouble. My father specializes in ministry and 501c3 tax law. He’d love to do your taxes for you so you can get back to monitoring us, rabble-rousers. 😉
I’ve done my own taxes every year of my adult life.
I filed my tax files away before I left for Africa and couldn’t find them. Just found them and was Turbotaxing my nervous system to its breaking point when I logged on and found out that my rabble-rousing Brain Trust had roused much rabble.
And, my taxes are tougher this year than ever before. I may actually have to PAY.
“And, my taxes are tougher this year than ever before. I may actually have to PAY.”
That’s what happens when your income increases significantly and you don’t account for it with your quarterly payments.
Is there any merit in providing a resolution at SBC18 that says that state conventions ought not to campaign for a presidential candidate with CP dollars and resources?
(I actually don’t mind individuals campaign, but not with the CP resources. That’s the key)
Does this outrage also extend to J. D. Greear speaking at an ERLC meeting and at the SBC Pastor’s Conference?
Are Cooperative Program and other SBC funds being used there?
What about the SBC leaders who have endorsed Greear?
Be fair and equal to both sides.
David R. Brumbelow
No, it doesn’t.
Now, if Greear uses CP funds to CAMPAIGN, then yes, he ought to be held accountable. But let’s not conflate that with speaking at a conference.
And no, I’m actually am fine with SBC leaders endorsing candidates (I know there’s a tension there). I am not fine with SBC leaders using CP FUNDS and RESOURCES to CAMPAIGN for a candidate.
He’s probably talking about JD speaking at the 2018 PC
I mean his point is still ridiculous…but I bet he’s saying we should be outraged that JD is speaking at the PC in 2018
The Pastors’ Conference operates on funds raised by the PC.
Apples and oranges.
David,
JD speaking at the Pastors Conference has nothing to do with using CP dollars to promote one candidate over the other. He was chosen as a speaker long before it was announced he would actually allow his name to be nominated. I know this because I actually asked HB in an email and he told me so. I trust him.
Cooperative Program dollars are not used to put on the Pastors Conference. Those funds come from the people putting on the Pastors Conference and any sponsors they have and private donations they take in. You can ask Dave Miller about this more because he would know better than anyone.
Endorsing or speaking for a candidate is significantly different than what Hankins is doing with LBC CP monies. I liken it this way. I have a cell phone and the service is paid for as part of my pay package with my position at my church. I use this phone for more than work related things just like everybody else does. If Paige Patterson endorsed Dr. Hemphill from Twitter it would not bother me in the slightest because he has every right to do so. Just like Albert Mohler and Danny Akin have every right to do so. They’re expressing a personal opinion as members of SBC churches who will likely be messengers from their home churches to represent their churches at the annual meeting. It’s the same thing I do, you probably do, and everyone else does with an opinion.
Pastor’s Conference may not be CP money, but it is SBC money, raised for SBC purposes. Pastor’s Conference can be an extremely influential platform for Greear, preaching to the very messengers who will be voting for SBC president in the next day or two.
It’s pretty well been known for two years Greear would be running for president this year.
And, no one has spoken here of J. D. Greear speaking at the ERLC meeting.
Isn’t the ERLC supported by the Cooperative Program? Of course it is.
I’m simply asking that both sides be heard at SBC Voices.
David R. Brumbelow
If Hemphill were merely preaching a sermon at LBC, no one would raise an eyebrow. The issue is that disaster relief resources are being used to support his candidacy for SBC President.
The issue is not endorsement, or, for me, even reasonable campaigning.
The issue is using the resources of a convention – national or state – to support a candidate.
To my knowledge, it has not happened at the national level – false accusations have been made by people who specialize in false accusations, but those remain false. Men have given endorsements of a candidate, but have not, to my knowledge, used the resources of their offices to campaign.
If I find that has happened, I will squawk long and loud.
What is happening in LA is troubling – because as far as I know the LA executive board has not approved this. It is, in one sense, not my business, but several LA pastors have registered their objections.
If the convention or the exec board have taken actions and said, “Let’s elect Hemphill,” then I may not like it, but it is truly not my problem. Pastors on the other side then can decide what they want to do about CP and such.
But here, the resources of the Convention are being marshaled for a partisan campaign. That is troubling to me.
David B., I cannot tell. Are you fine with how this is playing out, overtly using CP funds, for the promotion of one candidate? I’m not asking if you want even handedness. You’re already clear on that. But in principle, are you in agreement with CP resources being used by either candidate?
No, David, you are on one side and refusing to admit there’s a problem.
Seriously, if the roles were reversed you’d be outraged.
David, I respect your opinions more than many here. Do you have any reservations about what is going on La?
I have no idea where “CP funds” are going to. FTR, the SBC pastors Conference is linked on the SBC Annual Meeting site (I know because I had to search for the EC contact info at William’s suggestion in another thread.)
http://www.sbcannualmeeting.net/sbc18/events
I believe I can speak with some level of authority here on how the PC is funded and operated. It is not funded by Cooperative Program dollars, but the CP does make a significant investment into the site. The EC/CP pays for approximately half the cost of the site rental, security, etc. They are extremely generous.
The staff at the Executive Committee was generous with their time and helped us in any way they could. There wasn’t a single time we asked for help that they didn’t come through.
But other than site rental and such, they did not provide funding and never ONCE did Dr. Page or anyone else attempt to influence us in any way about content or such things.
The PC is independent. I suppose if we’d decided to do something heinous, I might have gotten a call from someone in Nashville.
But the PC is run by the officers of PC and funded by the money raised by the PC.
David,
Even if it was run by CP dollars, I don’t think that would prove David’s point.
Jay and I have been friends for a little over 5 years. We disagree 10,000 times over on soteriology, the current discussion taking place in our denomination on social justice, and the person we are supporting for SBC President. Yet we maintain a healthy relationship that is centered on mutual respect, admiration of one another, missions, evangelism, numerous issues related to our LBC/SBC, food, etc. If I make a trip to NOLA it will for sure include a meeting with Jay.
One issue that Jay and I have consistently agreed upon is the undue influence of the Executive Director in our State Convention. From his being a voting member of every board of every entity and committee (e.g. voting member of the nominating committee, voting member of the Board of Trustees at Louisiana College and Children’s Home, etc) to the recent promotion of Dr. Hemphill for SBC President, Jay and I have stood together on this issue.
While it is my intention to attend the SBC in June and cast a vote for Dr. Hemphill as President of the SBC, for I have some deep concerns with one of the stated issues of the other candidates platform that the other candidate released when he announced he candidacy, I strongly oppose LBC Disaster Relief funds being used to feed people who will be attending a campaign rally for Dr. Hemphill. My church was in the epicenter of flooding in Southeast Baton Rouge that occurred in Aug. 2016 and we know well the importance of Disaster Relief. Just a few months ago I received a phone call from the Director of Disaster Relief in Louisiana requesting my church send funds to the Georgia Barnett State Missions offering (GBO). The director noted in that phone call that his department receives his funding for disaster relief through the GBO. He further noted that giving to GBO had been down.
Not only is giving to the Georgia Barnett down over 9% from 2014-2017 ($1,342,671 to $1,216,393) but giving to the CP through the LBC is drastically down. We have seen a decrease of over 13.8% from 2010-2018 ($14,317,159 to $12,340,701 ) in the LBC Budget. (I give these numbers for they are all I have.)
Is this a wise use of CP Disaster Relief funds? We are experiencing an unprecedented move by the LBC to support a candidate for SBC President. Is this wise? What if a new Executive Director is hired in a few years and we learn that he holds to more moderate/liberal theological positions and is using CP dollars to support “his” candidate for President? Will we approve of his acts?
I do suppose, however, that since the Executive Directors budget for his office (his office alone) was over $650,000 for 2017, if he is using funds from his account then we might actually have the dollars to support such an initiative?
My dad always said, “Right is right and wrong is wrong. Always!” We can’t claim that it is wrong for people with whom we disagree to operate in one way and yet when one with whom we agree (e.g. theologically, politically, etc.) operates in that same manner claim its ok. This is why we need an Executive Director in Louisiana that is grounded not by politics but by principles.
I would guess we’d not agree on a lot of things, but I appreciate someone who doesn’t let his ethics be controlled by a political agenda.
There’s way too much of that going on these days.
I am amazed at the things that people will sit idly by and not say a word about, simply because the guy is “on my side.” If we only rebuke the other side and excuse, justify, and ignore sin on our side, we have an agenda, not convictions.
Again, we might not vote alike, but I appreciate that you are a man of conviction.
Now, stop being wrong about everything else!!!!!!!
(I should put one of those stupid smiley faces here, but…)
Bro. Lewis,
It is PRECISELY because Dr. Hankins is a man of strong principles that he is doing what he is doing. If you truly knew him, you would know that as well.
Eric, thanks for your response. I saw from a post the other day that you serve a La Baptist Church. At what church in Louisiana do you serve?
I also believe David has strong principles (e.g. he has a disregard for Calvinism). But strong principles in one area doesn’t mean I can lack principles in another area. If the shoe was on the other foot, I promise he would be shouting from the roof top. It is well documented that those that lead the CR despised and spoke against the heavy hand of Convention leaders. Yet in some respects they use the same tactics they spoke against. I am just arguing for consistency here. There are other, appropriate means for Exec Dir to use influence that aren’t undue or contrary to that which they use to speak against.
Is that Eric Hankins lol?
See http://www.davidehankins.com for the full story about why Dr. Hankins is doing what he is doing. Dr. Hankins is exactly right and, in this case, well within bounds to do what he is doing as ED and leader of the LBC.
“Dr. Hankins is exactly right”
Wow…
Campaign rallies as DR feeding unit training events…
“No one can speak for all Louisiana Baptists. Churches and individuals speak for themselves. But the Louisiana Baptist Convention has spoken for itself on some very significant issues related to this election. The LBC was created by the churches, has established entities, elected their boards, encouraged their support through the Cooperative Program and other gifts, established theological requirements for them, etc. As Executive Director, I have a duty to inform you about things that affect the work that you have authorized and to act prudently to promote and protect the operation of our approved ministries.”
“So why am I asking LBC to support the positions of Ken Hemphill? (A more detailed discussion of the differences between the candidates will be distributed later.) It is simple. Dr. Hemphill values and promotes the work of the LBC and the other state conventions and has been a lifetime advocate in word and deed of the CP, without which we cannot carry out our ministries. He also values the work of our partner associations and all of our SBC partners. He is thoroughly Southern Baptist.”
-David Hankins
Executive Director of Louisiana Baptists
http://www.davidehankins.com/meet-ken-hemphill/
David R. Brumbelow
Just so I can understand, where is it “on record” that Greear is opposed to state conventions and wants to dismantle them?
David,
I can appreciate his position that he believe Ken Hemphill is better suited for SBC President. That is not an issue. No one is upset because he wants to tweet, blog, email about it. No one is upset with him inviting Hemphill to speak at events (that I know of).
The concern is primarily about the misappropriation of DR volunteers to actively support a campaign push. But even if that portion was going to happen whether Hemphill spoke at these two events or not, my concern with what you have linked to goes to the paragraph you left out. The allegations in there need to be established and linked to otherwise they are slander. Specifically, “He has a history of neglecting and being dismissive about state convention work; he has expressed his desire to see state conventions dismantled or at least to receive no more than 25% of CP receipts (which would threaten our existence).”
I hope that makes sense. If you have links that could help show the basis for those claims, feel free to share them. But unsubstantiated things like this are unbecoming of those who claim Christ. Serious allegations should be backed up by documented evidence.
Grace and peace,
Chad Dougless
Would it work to have a rule saying that no state or national entity receiving CP funds can provide resources or other support to a candidate for SBC office without providing (or offering) the same help to all other declared candidates?
I’m not sure how you could enact or enforce it, especially at the state convention level. Maybe there could be a non-binding resolution passed by the messengers calling on state conventions to agree to this, and maybe there could be a compact which the individual state conventions ratify. Still, it would have to be enforced by the state messengers by taking action in response to any violations.
And where would you draw the line? What if Louisiana Disaster Relief did not identify Hemphill as a candidate and did not describe the event as a rally? What if they simply invited him to be a guest speaker? Would they have to invite Greear, too? What if the NC state convention had Greear speak at an evangelism conference? Would they have to invite Hemphill? Just wondering out loud here.
Looks like I didn’t refresh the page before I posted. Some others have asked similar questions above, it seems.
In the era of Trump, the ends will always justify the means. Pragmatism reigns in evangelicalism.
John MacArthur’s book Ashamed of the Gospel spoke to pragmatism and it was written long before the era of Trump.
Perhaps. But at least we pretended that means and morals mattered.
Maybe if whatever side we may be on in the SBC Presidential election (or Calvinism/Arminianism or the other different perspectives that seem divisive in the SBC) we would ask this question: if the other side did something like what I’m doing (or my side is doing), would I be upset or bothered by it? A good way to know for sure, is to run the idea past a friend who is on the “other side.” Is this too much to ask (expect!) in a Christian fellowship?
I absolutely agree. That’s a great way to evaluate ourselves.
That said, I would absolutely oppose Greear using CP dollars and resources, as well as a state convention (as a whole), campaigning.
Give the LBC Executive Director credit, he is straightforward in what is being done and why. The only error was not being ahead of the thing with the website. And state conventions may certainly be partisan in an election. It would affect my participation level in the state were I the pastor of an LBC church but I’m not.
I guess this is where we’re going to be now.
I would agree with that.
If he acts unilaterally to marshal the convention to support a candidate, he cannot then complain if those who disagree with him take steps to show their disapproval, can he?
Since some of my colleagues were in diapers then, many state convention resources were used against the conservatives during the CR. It was routine.
William you are correct. And they screamed about it (see any number of conservative books or articles on the CR and they well document those issues). My problem is that, in this case in LA, our Ex. Dir. is functioning in a way he and other conservatives screamed about 30 years ago. It displays a lack of integrity concerning this issue. I am arguing for consistency. If it was wrong from 1979-1990 it is wrong in 2018! Regardless of who is in control.
I love that Lewis Richardson follows his convictions rather than just “camping up” in his approach to things in the SBC. I hope I’m like that. I can make myself disagree sharply with him sometimes, but I just can’t make myself get mad at him.
But we haven’t really talked about baseball, yet, so…
If he is a Yankees fan, other things can be forgiven.
Poor ole Bart pulling for the Cardinals. Go Rangers!
A few thoughts…
1 – The DR teams may be where they are needed. These actions are a disaster.
2 – Someone needs to recruit about 1000 “LA 4 JD” voters and get a tee shirt to wear and show up at the cookout. I guess it would be huge news if a LA party threw out its own people over such.
3 – Praying KH sees the problem with this and asks them to stop.
William Thornton,
You said,
“David, I respect your opinions more than many here. Do you have reservations about what is going on La?”
I don’t comment here near as much as I used to.
Because when I engage in much discussion here my comments have a way of being deleted.
I consider myself fortunate if my occasional comment remains.
But I’m not overly concerned with Louisiana supporting Ken Hemphill on the one hand, or with SBC Pastor’s Conference, the ERLC, Al Mohler and others supporting J. D. Greear on the other hand at the national level.
I just think if SBC Voices is going to be outraged, they should be outraged at both sides, not just one.
And yes, despite denials, the Pastor’s Conference is supported in part by the Cooperative Program. As is the ERLC, Al Mohler, etc.
David R. Brumbelow
Is the SBC Pastor’s Conference, the ERLC, and Al Mohler using CP dollars and Resources to campaign for J.D. Greear?
David,
You seem to be conflating things quite a bit here. Is the ERLC or the Pastor’s Conference endorsing him as a candidate? Or has he been invited, probably prior, to the announcement that he would be running? Would I think that it is inappropriate for him to then get up and give a campaign speech, yes. But my guess is he was invited to speak to a specific purpose and should he do that, you should have no animus about it. As far as Dr. Mohler “supporting” him, do you mean the one tweet the day his candidacy was announced? Has he been doing campaigning that we are all unaware of?
Grace and peace,
Chad Dougless
Dr. Hankins has contacted me challenging the accuracy of the facts if this post. He claims no LBC funds have been used in these events and that the DR participants are volunteers.
I promised him I would communicate his sense that the facts presented here are not accurate.
I was born at night, but it wasn’t last night.
Yeah. No.
As predicted… See my comment here. https://sbcvoices.com/more-inappropriate-lbc-campaigning-calling-up-disaster-relief-workers-for-hemphill-rallies/#comment-358141
Of course DR participants are volunteers. The problem is calling out a ministry arm of the LBC of those very volunteers to cook food using DR kitchen (I assume) for a CAMPAIGN RALLY for 1 particular candidate.
I would LOVE to know which part of this is inaccurate. I posted the email. It’s there for all to see.
Did the DR team bring their own food? Did the people who called them, use their own phones? Was [or will] the facility that holds the events not funded by CP money? Was not CP money used to start the website? And only after the news broke, Dr. Hemphill pay for it?
I just read your post.
I have to say, I am surprised by the way you dealt with this.
First, I need to clarify that I am not a Hemphil fan. (Did I spell his name right?) I don’t know whether he would be a good leader or not.
Second, I am a Disaster Relief Chaplain. It is not out of the ordinary for DR to be asked to feed groups of any type. In fact, units are supposed to do at least two non-disaster events each year. As such, DR serving in this way is in no way to be construed to be an endorsement of any “candidate.”
In fact, if any “opposing” group were to ask them to do so, they would gladly do so.
Like I said earlier, I don’t have a dog in the fight. I just want to clarify what is supposed to happen with DR. The purpose of the policy is to ensure that the team is fresh and works well together.
“Two non disaster relief events a year”
I have been very involved in disaster relief i’m trained in the feeding unit. Yes there are lots of events throughout the year that disaster relief units come to that art “disaster relief related”and these events are often use as training events… That is true.
However, these events are typically local church events or more typically state convention events like the annual meeting or a mission conference or a prayer retreat or something like that for which feeding needs to take place and the DR feeding unit team can “practice” … This is the first time to my knowledge and I will stand to be corrected… That a state disaster relief feeding unit is to be used in furtherance of a campaign for SBC president. This is literally taking place at a campaign rally.
Context is important here – the executive director of the Louisiana state convention has been on a public rampage for two years against the possibility of a JD candidacy – this same state executive director was then involved in recruiting and bringing forward a candidate to run against JD – And he now is using multiple state convention resources to facilitate the campaign of the man he helped in recruiting…
That is the problem.
It’s unseemly.
John,
Thank you for your response. I am well aware of our cooperative DR work. I worked DR in New York the week of the events following September 11th, I have served as both a Yellow Cap (in multiple capacities including Clean up, mud out, recovery, shower units, kitchen and as a Chaplain) as a Blue Cap and during Katrina at a White Cap here in New Orleans. I understand completely the ends and outs of all of it. I am sure that DR would provide the same offer for any of the candidate who would be invited to Louisiana for a rally. That is NOT the point. The point is ONLY ONE candidate is being invited to the state for “a rally.”
This is not a blast of the work of DR. DR work is one of the only reasons we still send any money at all to the LBC. This is about the inappropriateness of only inviting ONE candidate (when remember, in the past SBC presidential candidates didn’t openly campaign at all) to the state and that our Executive Director is both openly campaigning for him utilizing state resources, and openly campaigning against the other candidate.
It is inappropriate and unwise.
And thank you for your service and work in our Disaster Relief ministry.
Haven’t had time to read the entire thread (or its predecessor) but does anyone know if brother Hankins has violated anything specific in his job description, charter, etc? IOW, is there anything in writing that precludes him from this type of activity?
Other than betraying the trust of Louisiana Baptists by using a ministry arm of the State Convention to support a candidate for SBC President?