We’ve heard the question.
Why is TBC still here?
One answer is that, despite what some people would tell you, the “battle” is not over. Yes, the BGCT survived takeover attempts by Fundamentalists in the 1990s, largely because of the work of Texas Baptists Committed – including those of you who faithfully and courageously supported this organization.
But the Fundamentalists didn’t change their stripes – only their strategy. Having failed in their attempt to take over the BGCT, the Texas Fundamentalists now strive to take over the churches.
Some who ask why TBC is still needed are people who disdain politics, and the presence of a “political” organization like TBC makes them uncomfortable. They’re “tired of the politics,” they say. But that’s exactly why they need to support TBC. Let TBC mess with the “politics” before the politics messes with your church. Because once that happens, it will be up to you to clean up the political mess in your church. It will be too late for TBC to help you at that point.
That is why TBC is still here. We are here to help churches – and church members – stay free from control . . . free from dictator pastors . . . free from in-church controversies . . . and free to interpret Scripture and to serve as God leads them. Providing pastor search committees with accurate information about prospective candidates is only one of the key ways in which we can help you.
But we also need to be here to help the younger generations learn why being Baptist means something. Generations are growing up without seeing anything special about the Baptist name. Once they’re grown, they go elsewhere, and we Baptists lose the leadership and service they could have provided in our churches. And that means that more and more Baptist churches lose their Baptist identity. When that happens, Fundamentalists move in and entrench their culture of control. And freedom once lost is rarely recaptured.
That, too, is why TBC is still here. Our new series of Baptist Briefs videos is only the first step in our plan to tell the Baptist story to new generations.
TBC is not going away. We at TBC – our staff and our Board – believe that this organization has a mission that is critical to the future of Texas Baptists, and we intend to stay focused on that mission. As always, we invite your support and involvement. We can’t do this without you.