As many of you know, we have the SBC meeting coming up in June.  I want all of you to pray about this meeting.  The discussions and decisions made will most likely directly affect the IMB, and I’m deeply troubled by some of the things happening right now.  Because I love our convention and I love the IMB, I feel compelled to write about this subject.  

Others have written more elaborate and eloquent theological critiques which I can direct you to if you are interested.  My intention here is to brief instead of thorough.  

I want to summarize three policies that have been made over the past year.  

You can read about these first two policies on the following website:

http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=22133

1.  A new policy on “private prayer languages.”  A policy was voted in which states anyone who speaks in tongues (even in their own prayer closet) is automatically disqualified from being a missionary.  The former policy simply forbade such persons from practicing/emphasizing tongues in public worship.  This new policy is UNBIBLICAL (1 Corinthians 14:39).  Some of the most well-known Baptist missionaries (including Bertha Smith and even the current IMB president) would have been disqualified by this policy.

 2.  A new policy on baptism.  Among other things, the new policy requires that a person was baptized in a church that teaches the doctrine of eternal security.  If someone was baptized by immersion in another denomination (Freewill Baptist, for example) then later joined an SBC church, this person could potentially be disqualified or be asked to be re-baptized.  Again, we have a policy that is UNBIBLICAL and unnecessary.

Both of these policies will not be retroactive; they will only affect new candidates.  Bad policies nonetheless.

 3. A new policy on “public criticism,” which can be found at:

http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=22898

This policy forbids trustees from publicly criticizing decisions/policies which have been passed.  A trustee member may comment on pending policies, but once it is passed, public criticism is forbidden.  It was passed under the pretense of keeping a spirit of unity, but I believe this is yet another bad policy.  This policy has come in a time when our agencies need to make extra efforts to demonstrate transparency and accountability.  Again, this is a step in the WRONG direction.  This policy in essence censors trustees who may want to express a legitimate concern about decisions that are made.

I sincerely hope that we can begin taking steps back in the right direction at the upcoming convention.  Please pray about this and let your voice be heard.

God bless,
Kevin