Montoya on Currie and the BGCT

[Sandy]

http://spiritualsamurai2.wordpress.com/

William Thornton's blog, SBC Plodder, has some reviews of Baptist bloggers. I clicked on Spiritual Samurai, which I used to read regularly but have to admit I don't read as much as I used to, and discovered that, while some things change, some things stay the same.

David has some excellent comments on why the BGCT/TBC is seeing continued decline in financial support and loss of churches, and why the movement to the SBTC seems to be gaining momentum again. He attributes much of what is happening now to the basic attitude of convention staffers and committee members, and not necessarily to theological disagreement any more. The SBTC has certainly avoided becoming the typical Baptist convention full of staffers who got there because of who they knew rather than what they cuold do. In the short time I was still in Texas after our church shifted to the SBTC, one of the things that was different was that the SBTC staff didn't consist of a lot of ex-pastors and church leaders who had connections to board members, but were people who were hired because of their expertise, skill, and spiritual gifts. He's right about that, as he is about so many other things.

No surprise that Wilshire Baptist Church is hosting the Currie dinner. They've probably got more committee members, trustees and board members in their congregation than any other BGCT congregation.

[Alan Carter]

There aren't a lot of good options for a Baptist church in Texas. The SBTC is hardly a good option but is looking better every day when you consider the corruption in the BGCT. Its hard to say you are not corrupt when you find out some of the salaries being paid in Texas.

Wilshire Baptist (and I would use the term "Baptist" very loosely when referring to that church) has every right to host a dinner for whomever they see fit but then I guess we have every right to question the appropriateness of such a dinner. It does make a difference when you consider the committee members they have in their church. George Mason is a great guy but definitely not a conservative. Currie is a creature for which I can find no definition.

[Tom Parker]

Alan:

You said:"Currie is a creature for which I can find no definition."

I'm not following you. Do you care to elaborate?

[Ed Pettibone]

[Sandy]

I've heard and seen an awful lot of discussion over the years about the manipulating shenanigans of Paul Pressler and Paige Patterson with regard to the Southern Baptist Convention. The image of Pressler directing minions from the sky boxes at the Summit in Houston at the 1979 SBC meeting come mainly from comments of moderate Baptists who were there and saw the whole thing. Interesting, the whole idea of being in a "sky box" would be to avoid being seen. The Summit, BTW, did not have any sky boxes in 1979. Perhaps they were thinking of the press box. At any rate, he and Paige supposedly called the shots on who got what. Currie is from the opposite end of the spectrum, but I don't see much difference. He wanders the halls of BGCT meetings with his entourage, and calls the shots, making sure that the people who've been hand picked in advance wind up at the microphones and make the appropriate nominations, and the vote goes as expected. Perhaps the only difference is that Currie operates from the seats, rather than a sky box.

Southern Baptists of any kind, regardless of their theological bent, are extremely backward and provincial when it comes to denominational leadership and politics. The result is quite visible.

[Ed Pettibone]

Ed: Sandy writes "Currie is from the opposite end of the spectrum,(from Pressler) but I don't see much difference. He wanders the halls of BGCT meetings with his entourage, ..." I find this rather strange because I have observed Currie at more than a half dozen CBF national assemblies and The National "Mainstream Baptist" meetings and while I have frequently seen him in the halls I have never seen him with an "entourage." Seldom has he been with any one else except his mother at the Mainstream meeting in Atlanta. and I have never seen him "wandering". On a few occasions he has stopped to chat and then apologized for not having more time because he had some place specific to go to.

[Alan Carter]

I have no definition for Currie because he's hard to put into a box. He's a Baptist of some type, loves his cigars, and an occasional beer but then I know a bunch of other Baptist pastors just like him. For those who hate and condemn beer and cigars, I'm sure you have your own vices even though they be hidden.

At least its never boring when Currie is running the show--which he obviously is in Texas.