Looking at Fact or Fiction

Mrs. Ruby Fulbright has posted a response to much of the back-and-forth that we find ourselves facing during these days leading up to our North Carolina Baptist State Convention. I met Mrs. Fulbright at the East Taylorsville Baptist Church meeting and found her to be very friendly and engaging. She engaged me as a gracious Christian lady as well as one that stands on what she believes. I believe that she loves Jesus and desires service for Him. I happen to disagree with her on the issues before us, and while she has much more insight into the particulars of these events, I have found her responses to be lacking in clarity.

I have copied her position taken directly from the WMU-NC website. I have responded to the areas that I understand to be the case.

• The Gossip: WMU NC is leaving or resigning from the Convention.
• The Truth: There is nothing that WMU has said or written that would indicate that we are leaving the Convention. Our decision to relocate our offices is not a departure from our commitment to supporting and promoting missions through the BSC. We intend to continue working with all churches and associations; we intend to keep praying for, promoting and supporting the offerings, as well as providing missions education resources and training. We are only changing the location of our office.
• My Response: It seems that while the WMU-NC desires us to believe that they are not leaving the Convention, we still perceive it differently. The reasons? First, they are moving out of the building because they say they do not desire to be a liability for the Convention. However, they are going to need approximately $400 thousand from the churches for what they receive at the Baptist Building at no cost. This means that the first $400 thousand that comes from the churches to the WMU-NC is for administrative costs. Second, while they desire to continue to pray for, and promote the offerings, Mrs Fulbright has made it abundantly clear that they desire to partner with other denominations and para church organizations that do not hold to the same theological center as North Carolina Baptist. Thus, if they leave the Baptist Building they become more free to partner with organizations that promote theological positions that North Carolina Baptist would soundly defeat. If moving from the Baptist Building gives one more autonomy, which in this case the WMU-NC has clearly stated it will, then one is leaving the NCBSC. It is the same as the CBF-NC withholding their contributions to the SBC but still saying they are Southern Baptist.
  

• The Gossip: WMU NC will have no accountability.
• The Truth: First and foremost, WMU NC has never been under anyone’s authority except the Lordship of Jesus Christ. And, WMU NC has a very good system of accountability. As a grass-roots organization, WMU NC is accountable to you, our WMU members. WMU NC Staff is accountable to the WMU NC Executive Board. This Board is made up of five officers, 2 members from each of the 10 regions in the state plus 5 additional members. These board members are elected each year at our annual meeting in the spring. The Executive Board has several administrative committees that make sure the organization operates according to its Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws, that personnel are “doing their jobs” and that all finances are in order.
• My Response: WMU-NC is under the authority of the Lordship of Jesus Christ. No one has ever denied that and that has never been the question. The question that has been evaded time and again is how the WMU-NC is accountable to the churches. While the WMU is organized and functions in a society format, the WMU-NC has always been accountable to the churches through there auxiliary relationship with the NCBSC. The churches allowed the WMU to collect funds because they knew the ladies in the church and the WMU-NC organization carried with it the auxiliary relationship with the NCBSC. In the historical relationship the way the NCBSC goes, so goes the WMU-NC. This veil of accountability is nothing more than the WMU-NC desiring to be closer connected to the CBF than with the NCBSC. Accountability is the key here. WMU-NC has made it abundantly clear that they are accountable to themselves and no one else. Dr. Roy Smith, in his failed attempt to say otherwise, admitted that while he was Executive Director/Treasurer he still signed off on new employees the WMU-NC brought on board. They have always been accountable to the BSCNC.

• The Gossip: WMU NC wants to hire those who would be less than Christian in their lifestyle and witness.
• The Truth: We have not changed the way we search for, examine and elect staff. We are extremely cautious when it comes to staff, both in the office and at Camp Mundo Vista. We want staff that are called by God, committed to Him and the task to which He has called them, who understand God’s heart for the world and desire to follow Him by accepting the challenge of the Great Commission.
• My Response: First, I have never heard this said. I do know that a question was raised at the meeting that Mrs. Fulbright and leaders from other Baptist Universities along with WMU-NC leaders attended. The question posed was if she moved from the present hiring status (getting Ex.Dir. to sign) what assurance would NC Baptist have that they would not hire someone from these other denominations? It was presented that these other denominations that Mrs. Fullbright acknowledged a desire for WMU-NC to be working with, would not take Biblical stands concerning homosexualilty. Mrs. Fulbright never answered that they would not hire someone that viewed themselves as a Christian but was engaged in a homosexual relationship. She only said that at present they do not have anyone working in the WMU-NC that would consider themselves homosexual. Do not take my word for her lack of clarity, notice her response above to the very question she designed and says is gossip. What assurance does one have that the WMU-NC will not hire someone that is “less than Christian in their lifestyle and witness”? She only says the WMU-NC desires to hire people with the desires she has spelled out. Let me break it down. A person can say; “I am called by God, I am committed to Him and the task to which He has called me, I understand God’s heart for the world and I desire to follow Him by accepting the challenge of the Great Commission and I am a lesbian in a committed relationship. According to Mrs. Fulbright’s guidelines she will be able to hire the person without violating any principles she has spelled out.

• The Gossip: WMU NC doesn’t follow the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message and “believes” in women preachers.
• The Truth: WMU NC does not have a public stance on the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message or on women preachers. That is not our purpose for being nor our business, really. One of the things that Southern Baptists do say they believe is in the Priesthood of the Believer and the Autonomy of the Local Church. Those two beliefs indicate that who God calls and to what God calls them is an individual decision. And, each church must decide for herself what she wants to affirm or not to affirm. WMU NC does have as one of its core values to recognize the giftedness of women and girls and accept the responsibility to help them use their gifts in serving Christ.
• My Response: Mrs. Fulbright’s understanding, or lack thereof, of the Priesthood of the Believer and the Autonomy of the Local Church completely negates 1 Peter 1:20. It is clearly written in the Scripture that the interpretation of Scripture is not a private individual matter. While each church does decide for herself whether the one called is in accordance to Scripture it is still Scripture that is the basis for the decision. Dr. James Sullivan, in his book Baptist Polity said;

Two Theological beliefs undergird every decision Southern Baptists have made about polity: the priesthood of the believer and the autonomy of the local congregation. Because we as Baptists believe these are clearly set forth in Scriptures, we are forbidden ever to violate the conscience of an individual believer or seek to coerce the members of an individual church.

This means that while we beleive in the priesthood of the believer we do not coerce one another to believe the way we believe. We believe the way we do based on Scripture.

Do I feel the WMU-NC should adopt the BF&M2k for their doctrinal position? Not unless the BSCNC does so. And even if that happens the WMU-NC must make their decision based on their conviction. However, if it is revealed that their conviction is different, then the BSCNC should reassess this relationship as an auxiliary. Thus, this item does not concern me. The proper response would be for the BSCNC to advance a doctrinal position and then watch the WMU-NC to see if they would follow. Of course Mrs. Fullbright could not adopt the BF&M2k because of the point that women, according to Southern Baptist as a whole, believe Scripture limits women from being ordained as Senior Pastors.

• More Truth: It was clear from the beginning that WMU was a missions organization that believed women could lead the way in the local church in missions activity and missions giving. When you read the history of WMU you see evidence of how our leaders shaped and guided the work of this organization that, at various times, could have splintered and lost its missions purpose.
• My Response: It is true that the history of the WMU proves how women lead the way in the local church in missions giving. You can talk to Dr. Roy Smith and you will hear about women selling chicken eggs in order support missions. There are some great stories of sacrifice in giving of time and income that it will bring tears to your eyes. However, note with me how they did this. It was through the local church, through the local association, through the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, through the Southern Baptist Convention. While we are not connected in polity (each entity is autonomous of the other) we are connected in heart. The WMU-NC moving in this direction is a movement to divide the heart of North Carolina Baptist.