Two disclaimers at the top:
1 – I’m not a member or attendee of an SBC (Southern Baptist) church. This is a note as an outsider.
2 – This is not an exhaustively researched article. This is my opinion based on the information I’ve seen. I’m referring to a principle here, not to the specifics of this particular situation.
If you haven’t been paying attention, the SBC is having themselves a little bit of a crisis this year. There are multiple issues going on, including:
- Political tension for at least the last five years, with a particular divide over church support for Donald Trump.
- High-profile ministers leaving the denomination, including Beth Moore and Russell Moore, who are not related for some reason people can’t remember they aren’t.
- Tension at the annual meeting between conservatives and…ummm…different conservatives. (Some of the conservatives feel like the other conservatives aren’t conservativery enough.) This included self-proclaimed “pirates” attempting to influence/overwhelm the election process, which was narrowly unsuccessful.
During the meeting, one of the major issues that came up with the issue of abuse (particularly sexual abuse) in the Church, especially at it relates to pastors or others in authority abusing those under them. More importantly, there is the sense that the structure and leaders of the SBC “protect” those abusers, in order to maintain the authority and reputation and finances of the church. Several high-profile speakers were there, and there was a motion to direct the Executive Committee (86 representatives from various churches) to allow a third-party investigation.
Now, I don’t understand all the polity involved here, but that’s not my point. The definite sense of the members at large (roughly 15,000 people attended the meeting) was that the Executive Committee should be as transparent as possible, and not influence the investigation. Notably, the messengers wanted the EC to waive attorney-client privilege during the investigation, so that it would be open and transparent.
THE VERY PANTS
That was in June. This last week (September 28), the Executive Committee met and voted DOWN the option to waive privilege (and my understanding is that they want to pick the firm that will do the investigation, thereby controlling the investigation). In other words, they are NOT doing what the membership specifically told them to do – the 86 over-ruling the 15,000.
Now here’s my main point – this is seen my many of the membership as perpetuating the very thing the investigation is supposed to uncover. They are concerned with abuse of power by the leaders, and this move makes it look like they are doing that exact thing.
And why? In the words of the Executive Committee members who voted against waiving privilege, they have a “fiduciary responsibility.”
In other words, they are arguing that if they waive privilege, that will open up the floodgates to lawsuits, and the SBC will not be able to get insurance or have enough money to pay off all the settlements. They usually thrown in “we will not be able to support missionaries throughout the world, and so the work won’t continue.”
This is the part I want to address here.
GOD DOESN’T NEED US
My friends, if your ministry can not function (or you’re afraid it can’t) because truth might come out, then I think you have some serious questions to ask about your ministry. If you believe that God’s work cannot continue without your money, you have a severe lack of understanding of God’s provision and His plan. If you believe that you have to “wise” over and above being compassionate and caring, I would argue you’ve lost the whole purpose of ministry in the first place.
I grew up in the Assemblies of God. Back in the 1970s and 1980s, one of the more prominent preachers in my neck of the woods was Jimmy Swaggert. He raised millions of dollars, and consequently supported hundreds of missionaries around the world (particularly in South America). When he fell, suddenly all of those missionaries lost all of their support in a moment, and had to return home.
And do you know what happened to God’s work in South America? It went on. And in fact grew and is continuing to grow. God does not depend on us supporting immoral or unethical behavior for the “greater good.” His work goes on, and we are given the privilege to work in it. God is not going to stop working just because money runs out or because Americans aren’t there (“Oh, no more Americans? Well, I guess there’s nothing I can do now.”)
If money even makes it into the top five deciding factors for our ministries, I think we need to spend a little more time considering what we really have faith in.
Don’t get me wrong. I think organizations should be responsible with the funds they are given. It is a spiritual responsibility, and they should take it seriously. But to “depend” on that funding, or to make decision because you are worried about losing those revenue streams, is dangerous and I would argue borders on idolatry. If you feel you can’t do God’s will without X (be it money, influence, political power, whatever), then I think you need to take a good long look at why you feel God’s arm is shortened by our lack.
If your ministry or denomination can’t function without integrity and care for the oppressed and hurting, it’s not a ministry worth having.