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Update: Task Force now wants 15-year secrecy

Ruiz

New Member
I guess that I will show my ignorance by asking some questions about this whole thing.

1. Why record these sessions if they are not going to be made public within the SBC? In effect, 15 years is practically the same as keeping them secret.

There are a number of reasons. First, for the committee itself. Secondly, for historic significance. Finally, the understand the theological and social import of this decision.

2..Why make them public at all? If recording the sessions are only necessary for putting together the final product, then destroy them immediately.

I think I answered them in the first section.

3. Is recording the sessions an ego thing so after 15 years, someone can show them to their grandkids. After 15 years, who cares?

I do not think these committee members motives should be questioned. They were appointed partly because of their moral integrity. I see no reason to question this moral integrity and believe questioning it would require proof greater than speculation.

4. Were they directed to record the sessions? If so, isn't keeping them secret for 15 years defeating their purpose?

Yes, and no! As noted before, there is a significance. Yet, they were asked to record the sessions. I think the important question is, "Why did they keep it sealed for 15 years. As many who have served on a board where our decisions could be controversial, I believe I may have a couple of reasons.

1. Some of the discussions were candid. Committees like these should have the freedom to discuss issues candidly and disagree/agree candidly. Such candid discussions could be offensive or cause a bigger stir. Yet, to get to good solutions you must be able to talk freely. If the committee thought these recorded conversations were going to be made public now, they would be more reluctant in sharing, which may make the solutions less helpful.

2. Some of the discussions were divisive.

3. Some of the discussions may lay blame to people/organizations.

4. Some of the discussions may be unnecessary but still cause problems. These discussions may take the focus off of the issues and off topic, but still cause a stir. Perhaps the recommendation was not implemented but the conversation would still cause a stir.
 

saturneptune

New Member
My local church is not affiliated. While I used the personal pronoun, technically, individuals cannot be members of the convention but can belong to a member church.
That is correct. Basically there are three layers to affiliate with, the association, the state, and the SBC. A local church can affiliate with none of them, all of them, or any combination it so chooses.
 

go2church

Active Member
Site Supporter
Why in the world would anyone be surprised by any secret or underhanded maneuvers by a committee of the SBC? This is par for the course folks. The leadership does what it wants without much regard for what the "common church-folk" think. These problems are much to sophisticated for just anyone to tackle by flying all over the country and having meetings so important they must be recorded. Please, this committee has been a joke from the beginning.

I am holding out hope that by some miracle the report gets voted down. That would mean two huge defeats for Ronnie (call me W.A.) Floyd, which might mean he and his fire-engine baptistry would quit getting appointed to these things.
 

Ruiz

New Member
Why in the world would anyone be surprised by any secret or underhanded maneuvers by a committee of the SBC? This is par for the course folks. The leadership does what it wants without much regard for what the "common church-folk" think. These problems are much to sophisticated for just anyone to tackle by flying all over the country and having meetings so important they must be recorded. Please, this committee has been a joke from the beginning.

I am holding out hope that by some miracle the report gets voted down. That would mean two huge defeats for Ronnie (call me W.A.) Floyd, which might mean he and his fire-engine baptistry would quit getting appointed to these things.

go2church,

The men and women in the SBC may be wrong in what they do, but I do not think we should assign motives and call what they did as "underhanded." I left the convention, as described above, but I am not going to demean their character. I think you can disagree with their decision without attacking character. Some of these people are Pastors; they are men we are called to give double honor. I think double honor is to trust they are men of character, giving them the benefit of the doubt. I also think this means we can disagree in a respectful and dignified manner.

On this issue, I agree with the decision. However, I often disagree with the SBC leadership enough to have left the convention.

I invite you to disagree with their decision. I also invite you to argue your points and not demean their character.
 

go2church

Active Member
Site Supporter
If you don't think there is some kind of hidden agenda driving the GCR, you have not been paying attention for the last 20 years! This is just the latest creation of the "we know better then you" attitude prevalent in with the SBC leadership.

If only there was some way we could know for sure their dealings where above board and in the interest of Kingdom work...if only someone had recorded these meetings...oh that's right they did and don't want anyone to see what they said for 15 years!

No need to assign motives, they have made their motives perfectly clear.

Any day now I would look for those who disagree with the GCR to be accused of being liberals and and malcontents for not wanting to be a team player in the "work of the Lord". It's just the next step in the playbook.
 

gb93433

Active Member
Site Supporter
If only there was some way we could know for sure their dealings where above board and in the interest of Kingdom work...if only someone had recorded these meetings...oh that's right they did and don't want anyone to see what they said for 15 years!
One way to take care of that is for the SBC folks to vote everything down and demand accountability. Until they are willing to be accountable then vote every current member off. If there is nothing to hide then why hide anything?
 

go2church

Active Member
Site Supporter
Agreed, but withholding the money that enables them to pursue these different agendas also seems to get their attention!
 

go2church

Active Member
Site Supporter
Post #29 from an obvious sheep of the SBC, just like they like. Vote yes and don't ask questions.
 

sag38

Active Member
Sorry, but you are wrong. I wouldn't vote yes. And, I know a good number of SBC folks who don't plan too. Of course, I'm not there so all I can do is pray that the right decision is made. Either way it goes it's not a hill to die on as far as I'm concerned.
 

Tom Bryant

Well-Known Member
go2church,
Too bad you don't know what you're talking about. There were questions and then the messengers voted. And I'd rather be a sheep than the wolves of the old liberal southern baptists.
 

sag38

Active Member
I was questioning the objectivity of a man who is in the Baptist General Convention of Texas which is openly hostile to the SBC. How you got RCC out of that is beyond me?
 

Jerome

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Why record these sessions. . . .Were they directed to record the sessions? If so, isn't keeping them secret for 15 years defeating their purpose?

Because Convention President Hunt made the following commitment before last year's vote:
He predicted his call for a study will be approved overwhelmingly by messengers to the June 23-24 SBC meeting in Louisville, and endorsed an appeal from four state Baptist paper editors that meetings of the prospective task force would be as open and transparent as possible.

"I would be real open to say that we look forward to every meeting that there will be a state editor there to be able to document the meeting. We have nothing to hide," Hunt told the editors
Baptist Press, June 8. 2009

But according to the OP article,
all meetings were closed
at various meetings of the task force a Baptist Press representative and reporters from Georgia, Alabama and Arkansas Baptist newspapers sat patiently in the hall

To his credit, Great Commission chairman RonnieFloyd honored Hunt's promise via the recordings.
The journalists who came to document the proceeding will be able to document the proceedings...they just have to wait 15 years:laugh:
 

TomVols

New Member
It isn't about conspiracy theories. It isn't about whether or not we trust the godly men and woman of the task force. I am not a conspiricist and I believe they got some very godly and wise people to help form this report.


But it about openness within the convention.
  • What was the argument that moved them to change what we celebrate in giving from the Cooperative Program to "Great Commission Giving"?
  • Was any discussion about the IMB's and the seminary's improvement areas?
  • The task force did talk about openness at the beginning, but then changed their minds. Why the change?
I would like to find out the answers before I vote on Tuesday afternoon. It's not about conspiracy, ubt an open discussion of the issues.
That's very fair and I agree with you.
 

gb93433

Active Member
Site Supporter
I was questioning the objectivity of a man who is in the Baptist General Convention of Texas which is openly hostile to the SBC. How you got RCC out of that is beyond me?
Three are many people who are hostile to the SBC including a number in the convention.
 
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