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A Foolish Decision by Missouri Baptists

December 12th, 2007 by James Grant

Things in the Baptist world continue to get worse. The Missouri Baptist Convention’s Executive Board has decided to cut its funding of any church that partners with the Acts 29 Network. This is a sad and foolish decision. If Missouri Baptists want to make their state convention a good ole boys network, then they will loose a generation of church planters who will not stay in the convention. This would be the same for the larger convention [and not only on this issue]. If this is the direction of the SBC, I don’t want any part of it.

Here are a few links for more details:

Scott Lamb: Missouri Baptist Convention vs. Acts 29
Timmy Brister: When I am Ashamed to be a Southern Baptist
Micah Fries: Acts 29 Is Banned
Tom Ascol: Missouri Baptists Axe Acts 29
Steve McCoy: No Funding for SBC/Acts 29 Church Plants in Missouri
Tim Ellsworth: MBC enacts ‘no partnership with Acts 29′ rule for church plants

Posted in Church Planting, SBC | 7 Comments »

7 Responses

  1. Scott Thomas Says:

    Please see my post on the Acts 29 website:
    http://www.acts29network.org

  2. JHG Says:

    Thanks Scott…I’ll update my post.

  3. JHG Says:

    Or rather post another one

  4. Resources on Acts 29/Missouri Baptist Convention via In Light of the Gospel « ἀκολουθέω Χριστόν Says:

    [...] Executive Board to cut funding to any church that is affiliated with the Acts 29 network. James at In Light of the Gospel has linked to the following [...]

  5. Mike Leake Says:

    Especially fitting for this situation is a letter written by John Newton: “On Controversy”. You can read the letter here.

  6. Between Two Worlds: Acts 29 De-funded by Missouri Baptist Convention Says:

    Kramer auto Pingback[...] Acts 29 De-funded by Missouri Baptist Convention 20 comments | Permalink The Executive Board of the Missouri Baptist Convention recently decided to establish a "no partnership" rule with regard to Acts 29, a church-planting network.Motion. Effective Jan 1, The Acts 29 Network is an organization which the MBC Exec Bd. Staff will not be working with, supporting, or endorsing in any manner at anytime.Amendment. While recognizing the autonomous nature of all areas of MBC life beyond that of the Executive Board Staff, the MBC Executive Board directs the Church Planting Department and other ministry departments to not provide CP dollars toward those affiliated with the Acts 29 Network.Motion as amended passed by a vote of 28-10.Pastor Scott Thomas, director of Acts 29, responds. Here's the conclusion:. . . Justice was not served. On January 1, several church planters in Missouri will lose their promised funding, not because they were guilty of breaking a rule, but because they were associated with a small church planting network (only 9 churches in Missouri are affiliated with Acts 29 Network).Acts 29 Network and the Southern Baptists share the same mission: to seek and to save the lost; to go into all of the world and share the gospel of Jesus and to baptize and teach the believers through the local church. For this reason, we love the SBC, have appreciated our partnerships throughout the country and are now mourning the loss of our fellowship with the MSBC. Since Acts 29 Network has never been contacted by the Missouri SBC to seek reconciliation, clarity and understanding, I am requesting justice and not retribution as an honorable response to an abstinence policy that we fully respect. I am asking you to consider reversing the vote to read, “We reaffirm the policy of the Missouri Southern Baptists to abstain from alcohol and will remove any funding from church planters who disavow this position. ” That way the baby church doesn’t get thrown out with the fermented bathwater.For more reactions, see here. [...]

  7. Acts 29 De-funded by Missouri Baptist Convention – Justin Taylor Says:

    Kramer auto Pingback[...] For more reactions, see here. [...]

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