Change–Is it Necessary? Is it Right?

I was taught a principle when I was growing up by my father concerning change.  Whenever a change is needed one must ask two questions concerning the change–Is the change necessary?  If the answer to that question is “yes”, then there is a second question that needs to be asked.  Are the actions to bring about the change right?

This principle was continuously taught to me as I saw my father stand in business meeting after business meeting trying to get the Biblical Recorder removed from the church budget.  His words were ” Marse Grant is a liberal and I do not desire my hard earned money going to that liberal rag”.  Whether you agree with his assessment or not, as an autonomous Christian serving our Lord as a Baptist in an autonomous Southern Baptist Church, he had every right to voice his concern.  The church never followed my father’s recommendation and daddy was approached by some to encourage him in proceeding in a way that was less grandiose in its attempts.  The statement was made this way; “I am with you on this but I am not willing for the church to know I was part of this effort”.  What?  Well, Daddy would not go along with that because of a principle he held dear; “If you are man enough to place it out there, then you need to be man enough to put your name to it”.  One plan that was presented to him by some other people that wanted to see the same results may have worked, but it was a bit, shall we say, underhanded.  Daddy, after some time of pondering the plan and seeking the Lord’s guidance, rejected it because it, as he said to us at the supper table one evening, “just won’t right”. Which brings me to the latest news headlines for Southern Baptist serving through the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina.

I was shocked to open the web page to find a top story that our state Editor resigned.  Brother Norman Jameson was elected as Editor and moved from his position as head of the communication department of the BSCNC after Dr. Tony Carteledge resigned.  This move was supposed to appease the more conservative element in the state convention and we were told we would see less coverage from the minority moderate position that was still a part of our state convention.  Well, it appears that was not the case.

When I served on the Preacher, Program, and Place Committee, I got to know Brother Norman on a more personal level.  What some may call acquaintances I would term as distant friends.  Brother Norman became one of those distant friends.  We have never shared a meal together, nor have we hung out that much together, but I developed a deep respect for Brother Norman because of his attitude of doing what was right.  Brother Norman and I have shared various disagreements and agreements together and I was made more wise from interacting with him.  I would see him at various convention functions and I also made it a habit of looking for him at the Southern Baptist Convention just to say hi.  When he was tagged for the position of Editor, I called him one day just to give him a heads up.  I knew the lay of the conservative landscape and knew that his position would be short-lived if he did not move to action.  I contacted him to congratulate him and to also let him know that if he did not bring some changes then he was living in a no-win situation.  I suggested a change he could make very quickly was that of bringing in a known conservative journalist on staff with him.

Serving on that BSCNC committee brought me in contact with another person, Brother Sandy Beck.  Brother Sandy also is one I consider a distant friend.  Brother Sandy and I were together on more issues than Brother Norman and I.  Brother Sandy is one that will state his concern and will not back up.  I appreciate that about him as well as his quick wit.  This committee assignment is a three year obligation and Brother Sandy and I were both on the same rotation.  I remember at a first meeting one year we were going around the room introducing ourselves.  Brother Sandy was next to me and just finished telling the group his name and where he served and something personal about himself.  I was next and after telling my name and where I served, I told the group that my personal information was that I was Sandy Beck’s illiterate son.  Brother Sandy never missed a beat and responded that the first 50% of the statement was true.  We became quick distant friends and shared some meals together and I also became more wise from our interaction.

Both of these men are distant friends and I must confess that the incidents surrounding this situation is very hard for me to assess.  I have battled with emotions for both.  I know what it is like to be in Brother Norman’s shoes.  A group of people want you gone and they pull their money and threaten to cause an uproar at a business meeting.  The Deacons then acquiesce to the perceived majority’s position.  The next thing you know the group that worked out a deal with you is backing up and even bringing a motion to the business meeting.  Also, I know what it is like to be in Brother Sandy’s shoes.  I do not appreciate the things I have seen and even contacted some people in influential positions to express my concerns.  Those concerns were heard and promised to be acted upon.  To date nothing has been done and I am feed up with the dragging of feet and promises that go unfulfilled.

Which brings me back to my questions I have in the title.  Is it necessary that Brother Norman Jameson no longer remain editor of the Biblical Recorder?  To that question I would have to say yes.  Let’s face it, Brother Norman is more comfortable with the CBF of North Carolina than he is in the BSCNC.  He has more fellowship and more collegiality with those leading and serving in the CBF.  His church membership is with Hayes Barton a leading supporter of the CBF of NC and that alone reveals a huge issue.  Brother Norman has a church membership in a church that has been cutting funding to the Cooperative Program for years.  For example in 2001 Hayes Barton gave $68,700 of a $1.2 million undesignated budget and  in 2008 they show giving $6,250 of a $1.6 million undesignated budget.  Now, I know that Brother Norman has no control over how the church budget is decided and he certainly should not have that kind of sway within a church as a member.  However, if one is attending a church that is clearly distancing themselves from the BSCNC and SBC, one has to see the writing on the wall if one’s membership stays at that place.  The question Brother Norman should have been asking all along should be one relating to his church membership.  I believe just moving his membership would have gone a long way in his favor.  Of course he may hold to the principle that following God is more advantageous than receiving a pay check and I commend him on that.  However, we are speaking about a denominational job that has some unspoken requirements.  For example, if a church calls a pastor that church does not expect the pastor’s membership to remain at another church.  The same is true of denominational employees.  The Biblical Recorder should expect their editor to be a member of a church that is in complete cooperation with the BSCNC.

Which now brings me to my next question–Was it right?  I will have to say, NO!! I love Sandy Beck and appreciate his convictions and even agree that changes needed to happen.  But, I disagree with the way it came about.  Now, before this turns into a “blaming Sandy” article I want to say that is not the intention and I will not go there.  I do not blame Brother Sandy Beck for his action that resulted in the egregious action Brother Norman felt “was necessary”.  Brother Sandy did what he felt necessary and he did it as quietly as he could trying hard not to embarrass the Biblical Recorder, State Convention or Norman Jameson.  I blame the Biblical Recorder Trustees and the BSCNC Budget Committee for allowing this to happen.

First and foremost, I blame the Biblical Recorder Trustees.  This should have never come to this point.  Brother Sandy Beck is now seen as the bad guy in the churches of the BSCNC.  He was a pawn in this chess match because the Trustees did not have the backbone to sit down with Brother Norman and express and even force changes to come.  How can I say this?  Simple, the news report of this matter gives direct quotes of both Brother Norman and Brother Sandy indicating the Trustees were riding the fence.  Brother Norman’s quote, “it is not required, but necessary” indicates his trustees were not willing to speak on the convention floor in defense of the budget.  Thus, the Trustees were not pushing Brother Norman in any direction only allowing things to run so they could receive their stipend of mileage, meals, motel.  Also, Brother Sandy is directly quoted as saying; “if his board of directors cannot influence his lack of sensitivity” . This quote gives the indication that Brother Sandy has been working with the Recorder’s board of directors and has not received any satisfaction.  Thus, the board of directors once again were riding the fence on this side, making hollow promises to Brother Sandy and probably saying things like; “we can’t do anything with him”, only to continue receiving a stipend of mileage, meals, and motel.  I blame the board of directors for not sitting down with Brother Norman and clearly setting objectives and goals to meet those objectives. Then charting a course of action if the goals are not met.  It is this type of action that is required by any board of directors to keep a threat from coming into the public eye.  Why?  If such a threat to withdraw funding was presented it would only take the Chairman to stand before the convention and express to the messengers this plan was in place and Brother Norman was working to meet those objectives.  Then if the objectives were not met, the the board of directors had clear grounds to move toward a separation of the Editor from the Recorder. That is what would have been right.

Second, the Budget Committee should have seen this coming.  I know Brother Sandy and I know that he has been working trying to get more coverage concerning conservative issues for years.  He gave Brother Norman a chance and then began to voice his concerns for change.  The Budget Committee, I know, has been contacted about some other issues concerning the budget.  The Budget Committee Chairman told a person, before the Budget was released, that he would not take a concern to the committee and if presented on the floor he would have to defend his budget. Oh, and speaking of supporting a budget.  It is amazing to me that the BSCNC has a Budget Committee Chairman who is on staff in a church that cut their Cooperative Program Giving by 2/3 and bypass the BSCNC.  May I remind the President of the Board of Directors that NC Baptist have an unwritten expectation that the Budget Committee Chairman serve a church that believes “Cooperative Program giving is the preferred method for funding the Southern Baptist Convention’s ministries and that designated giving is not a substitute for Cooperative Program giving.” But I digress.  The Budget Committee was aware that concerns about the Biblical Recorder were circulating and they could have prevented this just by sitting down with the Recorder Tustees.

As I conclude let me offer my sincere apology to Brother Norman Jameson for the way this came about.  I am sorry that it has come to this for you.  While you and I did not agree on many of the issues I count you as a friend and pray God’s blessings on you and His healing of the hurt you are experiencing.  I also pray for your family.  I know your wife is also experiencing pain in this situation.  Nothing has been reported concerning severance, but I pray you did receive a generous severance package.

I also offer to Brother Sandy Beck my agreement that something had to be done.  What you did was the way you felt it needed to happen and I praise God for your convictions for bringing about change.  You had every right to let the Trustees know of your intentions and that was the right thing to do.  I pray that you have not been just a pawn for the trustees because they were not willing to do anything on their own.  It appears that they used your threat to get matters done, instead of standing with a backbone before their Editor and calling for objectives and goals to be met.

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