This is the text of the open letter to Jack Graham by six NOBTS students. The letter was first delivered to Graham during this morning’s visit to the NOBTS campus. It was released at their website, iheartcpblog.wordpress.com and they offer the option to add your name to the document. Graham preached chapel today at NOBTS and the students made “I Heart CP” t-shirts and asked questions during a forum time requested by Graham.
We’ve covered some of the details as Titus Terrebonne and Devin Haun have written about the situation & their concerns. I’m thankful for this letter as it’s gracious, measured, but pointed about some of the problems they and others have seen with Prestonwood’s actions. The full text is below.
Preface to Letter
The following document is our open letter to Pastor Jack Graham and Prestonwood Baptist Church. Before anyone reads the letter we want everyone to know how thankful we are for Dr. Graham. We are thankful that he preached in our chapel today and we are thankful that he took the time to answer some of our questions. We hope that this letter communicates our position clearly and concisely. The drafting of this letter has been a labor of love and it is something that we have constantly prayed over. We hope that our tone is gracious and that everyone who reads this understands that we are writing this in love and not hate. Thank you again Dr. Graham. We hope to get your feedback on our letter to you. We also hope to send letters to people on the other side of some of these issues. We look forward to partnering with Dr. Graham and Prestonwood Baptist Church in the future.
An Open Letter to Pastor Jack Graham
We, the undersigned students of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, would like to express our concern with respect to the recent decision made by Prestonwood Baptist Church to escrow their Cooperative Program (CP) contributions. Prestonwood Baptist Church has done so in order to express their displeasure with various Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) entities. As students who attend an SBC Seminary and worship and serve in SBC churches, we recognize that the CP is the lifeblood of our convention and a crucial element of our Southern Baptist identity. The CP sets us apart from all other evangelical denominations, allowing us to operate one of the largest mission-sending agencies in the world. As members of SBC churches, we feel a deep sense of unity toward all who consider themselves Southern Baptists, including Prestonwood Baptist Church.
We appreciate Pastor Jack Graham, and the members of Prestonwood Baptist Church in all the ways God has used this local body to further His Kingdom. We are grateful for and honor the leadership of Pastor Jack Graham throughout his decades of service within the SBC, including the mentorship that he has provided for countless pastors during his years of faithful service. We rejoice in God’s work through Pastor Jack Graham and Prestonwood Baptist Church manifested in numerous baptisms, church plants, and support given to the CP. Because of these acts of service considered, we do not question the dedication of Prestonwood Baptist Church or Pastor Jack Graham to the Kingdom of God, the Great Commission, or the SBC.
Despite these advancements of the Gospel, we have deep concerns for the recent measures that have been taken by Prestonwood Baptist Church. Our reasons for concern are listed and explained in the following paragraphs:
Church autonomy should not hinder the unity we have within our denomination. Church autonomy is paramount in Baptist life. We want to publicly affirm Prestonwood Baptist Church’s position as an autonomous body to designate its funds wherever her members decide. We are concerned, however, that withholding CP funds to influence the convention or her entities unnecessarily hurts our gospel effort. Southern Baptists are endowed with two mechanisms to influence the direction of the convention or her entities: The Executive Committee and the Southern Baptist Convention itself. Using these mechanisms does not hinder the gospel, but it still guarantees representation. We desire to encourage Prestonwood Baptist Church to express their concerns through these other channels of communication within the SBC.
Speaking through means of church funds circumvents the processes of the convention. The convention is designed to allow a maximum of twelve messengers from each church to be able to represent their local body. This process allows churches large and small to speak their concerns on an equal platform. However, for a church to use its budget as the prominent means to voice their desires gives them undue power within the convention. This manner of maneuvering side-steps the process established by the leadership of the convention and is in danger of turning the convention into an oligarchy of the elite.
Smaller churches are at risk of losing their voices. Some may reason that “money talks,” and that these actions are justified if they meet a beneficial end. Aside from this expression not being found in Scripture, such a philosophy is in danger of dwarfing the voices of the smaller churches within the SBC. Being able to speak in the same manner as those who have more resources available to them will be impossible for smaller churches. Considering the fact that nearly 90% of churches within the SBC average 250 members or less in weekly attendance, this should be a grave concern for all within the convention.
These actions set a precedent that puts the Cooperative Program at risk. If such a method of escrowing money proves popular, a dangerous precedent will have been set for our denomination. Megachurches may withdraw their funds from the CP when they become disgruntled with the convention, spurring smaller churches to follow suit. Amidst such a climate, more missionaries may have to return home, church plants could close their doors, and young pastors may have to seek their theological training elsewhere, or even withdraw from classes.
Above all else, our heart is for the gospel to reach the lost. We believe that Prestonwood Baptist Church and Pastor Jack Graham share this heart with us. Withholding any money from the CP has a direct negative effect on the International Mission Board and the North American Mission Board. The salvation of the lost means more than any number of non-dogmatic arguments.
We love the SBC and all of its churches, and do not write this letter out of anger towards Prestonwood Baptist Church, or Pastor Jack Graham. We are writing this letter because we love the CP. We are not Southern Baptists merely because we hold to orthodox beliefs; those beliefs simply make us Christians. We are not Southern Baptists because of doctrinal distinctives; those distinctives simply make us Baptists. We are Southern Baptists because of the CP, and the numerous ministries it supports.
We desire, above all else, reconciliation between Prestonwood Baptist Church, Pastor Jack Graham, and the leadership of the Southern Baptist Convention. We hope that churches will join us in recommitting our efforts to further the Kingdom through the Cooperative Program. Pastor Jack Graham and Prestonwood Baptist Church have loyally partnered with the Southern Baptist Convention for many years. We at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary look forward to continuing our partnership for many more years to come.
We love Pastor Jack Graham.
We love Prestonwood Baptist Church.
We love the Cooperative Program.
Sincerely,
The Signing Students of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary
Jay Breaux
Stephen Belk
Titus Terrebonne
Michael Hogeland
Christopher Johnson
Devin Haun
[Option to add your name available on the website.]
Well-written. Love their heart. Still hoping that peace can be achieved.
Agreed, Adam. That’s a great letter. Made outstanding and important points.
Also Adam, I really and seriously admire your optimism.
I guess this is slightly off topic. But does anyone have a transcript of the Q&A with Dr. Graham?
I know someone recorded it with a handheld cell phone and streamed it live on the Internet. I know this because I saw it with my own eyes. However, for whatever reason, my viewing here was very poor due to the image and audio freezing up so badly that I only was able to see/hear about 1/3 of Dr. Graham’s answers.
All I got out of the snippets I heard was that whatever Prestonwood’s reason is for withholding CP funds has something to so with the ERLC and/or Dr. Moore. There is quite a bit potentially at stake here since this escrowing of funds is the most tangible aspect of the beginning of the end of the “rope of sand” that holds the SBC together. I’d urge whoever made that smart phone video to release it. Us guys in the pews want to know what is going on.
Alternatively, if anyone was in the Chapel during the Q&A how about reporting on what was said. I don’t like “top secret” meetings and news blackouts. I don’t like managed news. That is almost as bad as “fake news”.
Eventually stuff is going to see the light of day. So why not put it out there. There should not be censorship of the Q&A. This is especially troubling if some one on the staff of the seminary is enforcing the ban on information.
Roger OKC
The person who streamed it didn’t realize they had asked people not to, and he took it down after he realized that. Hopefully some who were there will give first hand account of what took place.
Perhaps the beginning of the end of the “rope of sand” was about ten years ago, when a number of SBC churches stopped giving through normal CP channels, and instead gave in a different and more directed manner due to their Christian convictions.
This eventually resulted in Great Commission Giving, which many in this forum supported. I did not like it much, and still do not like it IN PRINCIPLE. However, I believe that if ONE church is permitted to direct THEIR giving according to the dictates of their conscience, while not being subject to a litany of protests and accusations, then ANOTHER church should be permitted to direct THEIR giving according to the dictates of their own conscience as well, while being afforded the same degree of respect and civility as the first.
Jack Graham and Prestonwood appear to be following the lead of those who, over ten years ago, began supporting the SBC in ways that circumvented our historic Cooperative Program channel. I make this claim based on Graham’s tweet on the day AFTER the escrowing of CP funds was announced.
From February 18: “Prestonwood will increasingly support S Baptist missionaries through the International Mission Board.”
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Great Commission Giving advocates should feel complimented by Jack Graham and Prestonwood, rather than insulted or outraged. He is only doing what dozens of churches, perhaps hundreds, have taught us to do as Southern Baptists—donate around the CP, favoring the entities you support, while ignoring the ones you regard as useless.
SOME Southern Baptists view associations and state conventions as useless. OTHERS view the ERLC as useless. It cannot be true that ONE church is RIGHT to exercise Christian stewarship as they feel led, while ANOTHER church is WRONG.
If you oppose Prestonwood’s RATIONALE, that’s a totally fair argument. But if you oppose Prestonwood’s TACTIC, that is NOT a fair argument, for the simple reason that it is the SAME tactic affirmed by the GCR Agenda, albeit APPLIED toward a different set of issues than the ones being discussed in 2010.
GCR proponents should embrace Graham’s tactic because, quite simply, it is their own.
I could be ignorant of this, but it is normal for press releases to be made and articles written for the other forms of GCG? Is it normal for churches to escrow funds for an undetermined amount of time, while investigating and waiting for changes to happen before deciding to designate it differently? I know that this is the first time that I have ever heard of it. And it certainly seems like these differences from normal practice (as far as I know) carry an implied promise (threat?) that the money can still go to you if you do what I want. That seems to be why people are reacting differently. I wasn’t paying attention to SBC life 10 years ago so if I am wrong please correct me.
Rick’s point is, as he insinuated, unfortunate, but true. Prestonwood is not the first church to “work-around” CP giving. Voices has spent many posts discussing the merits of going around Local Associations and State Conventions to get money to where the particular church wanted it to go, or for that church to do its own missions, etc. Perhaps they didn’t vocalize it as much as Prestonwood has, but once it became public they defended their right to give as they wished.
To the students (6) who wrote the letter. I commend them for taking the time to think through this issue and to express their remarks. If I could use their own headings, I would offer a critique.
1. Church autonomy should not hinder the unity we have within our denomination – They have much to learn about SBC life if they believe that withholding funds (by any means) insinuates that the church in question is not still desiring unity as part of the SBC. Again, many churches steer their “Cooperative Giving” around the CP and they do not believe they are less unified in the Convention.
2. Speaking through means of church funds circumvents the processes of the convention – The Convention is a political force and any political process understands the issue of funds. As for the notion that, “This manner of maneuvering side-steps the process established by the leadership of the convention and is in danger of turning the convention into an oligarchy of the elite.” Newsflash! This Convention is already controlled by the elite (the elite of the mega-churches). Dave Miller’s ability to actually gain control of the Pastor’s Conference is the biggest non-elite accomplishment I have seen in the last 30 years. However, make no mistake, the elite (Very Large/Mega Church pastors and leaders) rule the Convention.
3. Smaller churches are at risk of losing their voices – Can someone please tell these students they need to study a bit of Baptist History. Small churches have never had voices, beyond the messengers they send, which are few. As William just noted in a post yesterday, that even Dave Miller’s Pastor Conference leadership, while wonderful, is not a “small church” doing. If these students think the Median Average size church (70 average) has a voice, well…
4. These actions set a precedent that puts the Cooperative Program at risk – The students go on to say this action (by Prestonwood) could cause Mega-churches to withdraw their money from the CP when they become disgruntled. Where have these students been? They are too young to understand the Mega-Churches have been, for years, withholding funds from the CP and re-routing them as they see fit.
I don’t particularly like what Prestonwood is doing. I also don’t particularly like when Mega-Churches average around 4% giving to the CP while small churches average closer to 10%. Having said that, we are Baptists, we are autonomous, and we do Cooperate rather well, and have been for quite some time. I think we will weather this issue just like the others. Prayerfully, we will come through it stronger than before.
Rick Patrick is exactly right on this point.
David R. Brumbelow
I wish we could figure out a way to make all of Rick’s comments be automatically added to William’s list of SBC Fake News.
Rick and I agreed on a matter yesterday…but today is another day.
CP/GCG is a good subject for fake news. I updated my article.
I did not like the actions of the churches ten years ago, but they were still continuously giving to national missional causes, but I still thought (and think) in the long run, this too is an improper method of effecting positive, long lasting change. Which is to stay I think the actions of Prestonwood is wrong. The use the principle funding method for the propagation of the Gospel to the lost as a bargaining chip because you do not like the tone of an SBC entity is an extreme over reaction at best.
And to state that one is against this method of using funds to express displeasure, but since someone else (another church) did it, so it makes it al right that I do it is use the logic of a toddler (she did so it makes it okay for me). Either it is wrong, or it is right. Someone else doing a wrong thing does not now make it right for me to do. It may feel just, but it is still ethical relativism. Prestonwood, like the GCG churches, are both wrong in their actions, even if, for arguments sake, they may be right in their cause.
Rick,
Actually, the tactic isn’t the same.
If Prestonwood had just decided to change where their funds where going, then it would have been the same: we give where our conscience dictates.
But they did more than that. They used their money as leverage to protest and did so in secular news.
Do they have the right give where and how they choose? yes.
Did they have the right to go to the secular press and broadcast it? yes.
Does the latter right promote unity in the SBC or cause divisiveness?
That is what the discussion is about.
Having a right to do something doesn’t mean one is always right in exercising it.
Smaller churches lost their voice a long time ago. Smaller churches fed up with being ignored by the entities they support through the CP are grateful for larger churches willing to be bold enough to withhold their CP funds to make a statement. Many smaller churches greatly reduced their CP giving a number of years and continue to do so. But because they are smaller churches their ‘statement’ is unnoticed.
Students can protest Prestonwood’s actions. They have the right to express their concerns. Their letter is respectful. But it should not go beyond the concerns that directly affect them. They SHOULD NOT attempt to speak for those whose concerns and frustrations they do not know or understand, like long ago marginalized smaller church pastors.
The fact that Prestonwood felt the need to withhold church funds demonstrates ‘the processes of the Convention’ are already broken. They are badly in need of an overhaul. If they actually worked well Prestonwood would not have felt the need to take this step. I doubt this is something that was easy for Prestonwood to do or something Jack Graham really wanted to lead his church to do.
“But it should not go beyond the concerns that directly affect them. They SHOULD NOT attempt to speak for those whose concerns and frustrations they do not know or understand….”
Bawhahaha
Really? You caution people against speaking for others… Wow… The irony it burns!
Allen,
The smaller churches have more cumulative votes than the larger ones.
Thus they have the power to make changes if they corporately desire to.
But they can not, as individual churches make much impact by simply withholding funds from the CP. The beauty of the CP is that smaller churches, by pooling their money together, can do more, and be more effective than they could by going it alone.
What Prestonwood has done, by choosing to use their money as leverage to protest what they don’t like, is to play by a different rule that smaller churches can not engage in. Thus it minimizes the power of the smaller churches: NOT enhances it.
If the SBC were to allow or to react by giving in to Prestonwood’s tactic, it would even be worse for smaller churches. They. whose voice has been heard collectively, would have less of a voice than they have now.
How? Most cannot go to the SBC to collectively vote on Trustees. But that really is not even the issue. How can to vote to make somebody respect you?
Allen,
Who appoints trustees?
Can those people be voted on?
There you go.
I am sorry you feel disrespected. Your feelings might be true to reality or they might not. But your worth should not be found in man but in God.
Your ‘solution’ is simplistic ignoring every problem that makes the SBC unresponsive to the needs of those who support it…which IS the greatest threat to the future of the CP. Builders are still in charge. They will give to the CP no matter what! But t hose just a few years out from calling the shots do not have the same mindset. If they do not perceive value they will quit giving. If they perceive a lack of responsiveness they will go elsewhere.
Denominational loyalty for the sake of denominational loyalty is a thing of the past. Support has to be earned and re-earned.
My sense of self-worth is fine. I am a child of the King serving the King of King. So glad God is Deity and not an entity!
Allen,
So I gather from your words that you don’t like the way the SBC is set up.
Do you really think that complaining on a blog will change the basic structure of the convention?
There are over 40000 individual congregations in the SBC, and you feel you are not heard and thus disrespected.
What do you suggest is the mechanism that can be put in place so that you and the other tens of thousands who have varying desires and wants can be individually heard?
I am not being simplistic but realistic.
If you want change there is a mechanism in place to get it. Use it or understand that change won’t be happening.
If you get your worth from God, why are you complaining about earthly affairs and being disrespected?
Rather we are to esteem another higher than ourselves and not esteem ourselves higher than we ought
How many CP t-shirts were sold before the NOBTS Chapel Service?
How many CP t-shirts were worn in the NOBTS Chapel Service?
Just wondering.
David R. Brumbelow
523
🙂
They made 200 and my information is they sold about 100 of those on the day of the event. I haven’t heard anyone report on the number in chapel, the live stream showed only the front left section and It looked like around 12-15 in that area but it was hard to tell from the video how many there were total. The guys said some who bought shirts weren’t able to wear them in chapel because of their positions with the seminary, but they still wanted a shirt and bought one to wear at other times.
Brent,
Thanks for the reply about the sale of the CP t-shirts.
I also read this related note from Baptist Press:
A group of New Orleans students printed and sold “I Heart CP” shirts the day of Graham’s chapel address, which a limited contingent of students wore during the service.
Though they disagreed with Graham regarding the escrowing of CP funds, they said their goal was not to protest Graham or Prestonwood, but affirm their commitment to the Cooperative Program.
http://www.bpnews.net/48487/graham-extols-unity-at-nobts-amid-cp-debate
David R. Brumbelow
That article was written as a public relations price by a seminary employee and was stripped of any transparency relating to the Q&A.
Notice this at the bottom of the BP article.
“Gary Myers is director of public relations for New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.”
So much for transparency.
*public relations piece.
Steve Gaines should now be the hero of all who sold CP shirts and are promoting the Cooperative Program.
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. (BP) — Bellevue Baptist Church has become the first church in the Tennessee Baptist Convention to send $1 million through the Cooperative Program over a 12-month period.
http://www.bpnews.net/48497/bellevue-reaches-1m-in-cooperative-program-gifts
David R. Brumbelow
Glad to see that. Praise the Lord.
That is fantastic news.