EUSTIS (FBC)–The Florida Baptist State Convention is one step closer to requiring abstinence from alcoholic beverages and recreational drugs of all persons who serve on State Convention committees, boards and agencies.
The action taken by the 99-member State Board of Missions during its Jan. 26 meeting at Lake Yale Baptist Conference Center would require all nominees being considered for election as a State Convention trustee to sign a commitment to “agree to abstain from drinking alcoholic beverages and using any other recreational drugs.”
The abstinence commitment will be added to a written questionnaire currently in place that asks potential nominees a series of other questions, such as: if they have “received Jesus Christ as savior;” have been a member of a cooperating Florida Baptist church for a year; are in good standing in their local congregation; tithe; and support the Baptist Faith and Message. Nominees must record positive responses and a signature of affirmation to the written questionnaire to be considered for service.
Presented in form of a revision to the Bylaws of the Florida Baptist State Convention, the recommendation must receive final approval by messengers attending the Florida Baptist State Convention when it meets Nov. 12-13 in Daytona Beach.
Originally the bylaw revision only sought to require board members to refrain from alcohol use, but an amendment presented by Diane Lovett, an educator from Apopka and wife of retired pastor Virgil Lovett, included the use of the recreational drugs restriction.
The abstinence requirement for Florida Baptists was developed after the 2006 Southern Baptist Convention meeting held in Greensboro, N.C. considered a proposed resolution decrying the use of alcoholic beverages. An amendment to the resolution urged that no one elected to a trustee position within the SBC be a user of alcohol. This resulted in more than 30 minutes of discussion before the non-binding resolution was passed.
Immediately after the SBC, John Sullivan, executive director-treasurer of the Florida Baptist Convention, in several public forums expressed consternation that the resolution received that much discussion. In November at the 2006 FBSC meeting in Fort Myers, Sullivan expressed his intention to ask the State Board to address the matter through a Bylaw provision.
“It is a non-debatable issue to me,” said Sullivan. “If a person uses alcoholic beverages he or she will simply not serve as a member of a Florida Baptist [State] Convention board.”
Prior to the board’s consideration of the revision, Bill Losasso, pastor of Pathways Church at Sunset Point, Clearwater, issued an impassioned plea for approval. He shared that prior to his own conversion, he had been raised above a bar, drank heavily, had been jailed five times and tried to commit suicide, and now serves a church made up of similar life stories. “As a pastor, this is not a nice policy; it is life issue,” said Losasso. “If I drink, those who follow this shepherd will have every right to drink. I cannot be a stumbling block.”
“We are saved, its no longer about us. It’s about being a light in the darkness,” Losasso said.
No opposition to the bylaw revision was expressed by any board member.
During the meeting, Sullivan presented an address on the theological issues facing the SBC and State Convention and touched on the use of alcohol, which “is flying under the disguise of liberty in Jesus Christ, “ he said, and “must be sifted and weighed in the test tube of biblical theology, tradition and pragmatism.”
“It is my intent to alert and protect the witness of this board as it is viewed by the overwhelming majority of our constituents. I propose that those who serve on our board will represent the bulk of our church members who believe in total abstinence.”
While continuing “survival” of the denomination in a changing society, requires flexibility, especially on the part of leadership, Sullivan explained, “Flexibility must happen without the loss of integrity, credibility or dissolution of biblical truth. We must never build churches on the principles of political correctness. Something that is morally wrong cannot be politically correct and will never be theologically accepted.”
Sullivan said two key questions face the viability of Florida Baptists in the future—”What do we believe?” and “What happens to the money?”
He shared with the board that financing the work of the Florida Baptist Convention comes from four primary sources—Cooperative Program, Maguire State Mission Offering, investment income and fees/registrations. The funding allows the convention to maximize three priorities—evangelism without apology, intentional church starting and strengthening exiting churches.
Sullivan assured the board, “Our planning process allows us to account for all dollars received into and disbursed from our office in Jacksonville.”
Belief is grounded in the Baptist Faith and Message, Sullivan said “as set forth by Southern Baptists,” yet understanding that “not all walk in lock step.”
In other business, the board elected a new director of the Evangelism Strategy Department, distributed nearly a million dollars in Cooperative Program overages, and set a $1,372,000 goal for the 2007 Maguire State Mission Offering.
Will H. McRaney, Jr. of New Orleans, La., was elected as the director of the Evangelism Strategy Department effective June 1. He will assume the post left vacant when Don L. McCutcheon resigned to become the Evangelism Director for the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina.
The 43-year-old McRaney, a native of Dade City, Fl., has served as an associate professor of evangelism at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in New Orleans., La., since 1996 and co-founded the Ministry Enhancement Group in 1999.
He also served as founding pastor of the NorthPoint Community Church in Mandeville, La., Daybreak Community Church in Littleton., Co and pastor of Jackson Avenue Baptist Church in Pascagoula, Miss.,
He holds the bachelor of arts degree from Mississippi State University in Starkville, Miss., and the master of divinity and doctor of philosophy degrees from New Orleans.
The board learned that 2006 Cooperative Program receipts totaled $39,443,788, which resulted in $981,257 in overages of the basic budget goal of $38,462,531. Forty percent of the overage, or $392,503, will be sent to the Southern Baptist Convention Cooperative Program. Agencies of the Florida Baptist State Convention will divide $127,000 in overages: Baptist College of Florida, $100,000; Florida Baptist Children’s Homes, $22,000; and the Florida Baptist Witness, $5,000.
Florida Baptist Convention Program of Missions and Ministry will receive $461,754 to be divided among: associational mission ministries, $125,000; Maguire State Mission Offering supplements for Haiti and Cuba mission projects, $46,979 each; urban impact ministries, $75,000; convention employee Christmas salary gift, $85,292; clothing for partnership missions, $50,000; and capital improvements for Lake Yale Conference Center, $32,503.
After learning that the 2006 Maguire State Mission Offering totaled $1,066,103, the board disbursed the receipts, including $69,506 in associational shared receipts—the second highest amount to be returned to the associations.
In a related action, the board adopted a 2007 Maguire State Mission Offering goal of $1,372,000 and designated recipients including: $300,000 for the William J. Guess Church Site Loan Fund; $120,000 each for the Haiti and Cuba mission project; $80,000 for the Brazil evangelism/Amazon River Basin project; and $125,000 for partnership pastoral assistance for West Virginia, Indiana and Nevada. Six mission outreach ministries to migrants, refugees, church-based health clinics, jail and prisons, disaster relief and revitalized churches will receive $202,000. A subsidy for Florida Baptist youth and children camping programs will receive $185,000 and student evangelism outreach will be allocated $50,000.
The board also approved the implementation of an updated Strategic Plan to be known as “Florida’s Kingdom Growth Strategy for 2008-2110.” Glen Owens, assistant executive director-treasurer, highlighted some of the significant features of the strategic plan. He said the plan will continue to strengthen the work of churches and associations in the southeast corridor; assist partnerships in Cuba, Haiti and Brazil; and provide resources and training to help Florida Baptist churches collectively baptize 39,000 new converts in 2008; 39,350 in 2009; and 39,700 in 2010.
In other business, the board also authorized:
• use of $250,000 in Convention reserve funds to underwrite capital improvements for Lake Yale Baptist Conference Center; and
• creation of a $250,000 debt for The Baptist College of Florida to purchase a building and property site in Graceville.
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