Comments on: Southwestern, Lifeway to Exhibit at Ft. Worth BGCT

By: Lee

Lee — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 17:29:28 +0000

Keep in mind, it was the BGCT leadership at the time, and not Southwestern, that determined the seminary no longer met the qualifications to exhibit as a non-BGCT entity, and according to the news stories in the Standard at the time, the reasoning given was the SBC’s adoption of the BFM 2000. The fact that the seminary was allowed three year’s worth of exhibit space following its adoption of the BFM 2000, and the arbitrary manner in which the decision seems to have been made would preclude any hypocrisy on the seminary’s part in agreeing to the qualifications to exhibit in 2008.

I was officially pronounced a “Southwesterner” by Dr. Robert Naylor at the first chapel service I attended in September of 1987, and I have a Master’s degree on my wall signed by John Newport and Russell Dilday. I am proud of both of those things, and the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary that they represent. And while many of the changes that have come about there since that time, along with many of those made in the SBC, are things with which I do not agree, the bottom line is that we are all still part of the same Kingdom of God. But I also do not agree with retaliation in kind as a way of dealing with the situation. It is hard to accuse the “other side” of hypocrisy when the same tactics are employed in reacting to what they do.

As a “Southwesterner,” I am glad to see this happen.

By: Ken Coffee

Ken Coffee — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:13:56 +0000

You know, guys, we have no control over what they do or don’t do. The only thing we can control is what we do, and whatever else happens, it was us trying to be a good neighbor to an institution that is dear to many Texas Baptists, notwithstanding our disagreements.

By: Tim Dahl

Tim Dahl — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 14:10:21 +0000

Do you think that they will begin to take a more positive stance towards the BGCT on the SWBTS campus? They push the SBTC really hard. I wonder if they are going to allow the Standard back on campus as well, considering that it is the Texas Baptist newspaper of choice, or will it still be banned? They have the SBTC-Texan everywhere.

If things stay the same on campus, then them signing the BGCT agreement of support seems rather hypocritical. But then again, stuff like this never stopped Patterson before.

Tim Dahl

By: tpylant

tpylant — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 13:26:01 +0000

I rejoice in this small step, too. I certainly have more concerns about SWBTS (Baptist Identity movement, the role of women in ministry, etc.), but they are part of the SBC family as are the vast majority of the churches in the BGCT. Of course, some will not see this as good news, fearing that the BGCT will become beholden to the SBC, but I think those days are long behind us.
Todd