Ouachita Baptist University Scholarly Commons @ Ouachita Arkansas Baptist Newsmagazine, 1985-1989 Arkansas Baptist Newsmagazine 5-23-1985 May 23, 1985 Arkansas Baptist State Convention Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarlycommons.obu.edu/arbn_85-89 Part of the Christian Denominations and Sects Commons, and the Mass Communication Commons AnJu»iMii Bn h-t: rr- NEWSMAGAZIN~ On the cover SBC buses, childcare provisions set Free sh uttle bus routes and childcare in­ registration but interested parents are en­ fo rmation for messengers to the annual couraged to sign-up on june 10. meeting of th e Southern Baptist Convention, Preschool childcare for messengers who June 11 -13 in Dallas has been released. live outside the Dallas-Fort Worth area wi ll Shuttle buses will connect al l the major be. provided at First Church, Dalla s, for $5. hotels not within walking distance and a ma­ a session. The May 24 pre-registration jor pa rking area with the convention center. deadline is important. Planning will be bas­ Preschool child care will be housed at Fi"t ed on the nu mber signed up by the deadline. Ch urch, Dallas, while the Brotherhood Com­ "Messengers who show up needing pre­ mission will sponsor a missions day cam p for sc hool childcare without pre-registering elementary-age children at a local park. them are not guaranteed anything," Tim For $7 per day ($20 for all three days). Hedquist, director of fi nancial planning for elementa ry school children wi ll be provid ­ the SBC Executive Committee and conven­ ed supervised activities w hich include mis­ tion manager, said. sion st udies, games, crafts, nature study and K. Adele Suddath, director of pre-school sports. Children wi ll be taken to a city park ministries at the church, is heading up the by bus, leaving the convention center each program. She may be contacted by mall at day, Tuesday through Thu,day, at B:30 a.m. Fi"t Baptist Chu rch, 1707 San Jaci nto, Dallas, They will return to the convention center at Texas, 75201 or by phone at (21 41969-0111 . 5 p.m. on June 11 , 12:30 p. m. on June 12 and A complete information sheet and registra­ 4:30 p.m. on June 13. tion w ill be sent to anyone requ esting them. Registration and additional information The shuttle service 'h'On't cost users in 1985 Dallas, Texas, a city of nightime glitter wi ll be ava ilable beginning June 10 at the becauSe of the generosity of the Dallas Bap­ and daytime big deals, will be the site Brotherhood Commission booth in the con­ ti st Association and the Baptist General Con­ of the 128th annual mee!ing of the vention display area. Th ere is no pre- ve ntion of Texas. Southern Baptist Convention june 11-13. Estimates of more than 35,000 Live coverage announced for annual convention registered messengers have been pro­ jected for the meeting. NASHVIL LE (BPI-The 1985 Southern Bap­ sian as well as every action of the conven­ tist Convention will be transmitted live from tion. Special events such as th e news con­ Dallas on the Baptist Telecommunication feren ce of the nevvly-elected president also Network June 11-13. w ill be covered live. The gavel-to-gavel coverage of the conven­ Denney urged all BTN subs~ribe" to open tion will begin Tuesday, June 11 , at 8:30a.m. their facilities and encourage persons in the In this issue (CDTI, and concl ude with adjournment area to watch sessions of th e convention. Thursday, Jun e 13, at 4:30 p.m. accord ing As of Jan. 31, a total of 4.433 churches to officials of the Sunday Sc hool Board . have access to BTN through church or 2, 8 SBC preview Anchors fo r the coverage w ill be Gomer association subscriptions, Denney said. Lesch , senior BTN consultant at the Su nday A preview of the annual meeting of the In additio n, th e BTN signal will not be Southern Baptist Com-en lion-arrangements, School Board, and Dick McCartney, editor scra mbled for the transmission of the appointments, auxiliary· meetings and of the Oklahoma Baptist Messenger. ni'eeting live coverage, and persons with more-are fou nd in this week's issue. Besides joe Denney, manager of the telecom­ satellite receiveing equipment will be able the events of the annual meeting, th e pro­ munications department, said coverage will to vievv the program on Space net 1 (1200 W), gram s of many auxifiary meetings are includ­ include previevvs and wrap-ups of each ses- channel 21. ed, as are helpful info about transportation in Dallas and child care. Tellers, Credentials Committees appointed DA LLAS (BPI-The telle" and credentials members, is responsible for tabulating any 16 prayer brings rain committees have been appointed for the vote ta ken by ballot during th e convention. 1985 a nn~al meeting of the Southern Bap­ Porter said safegua rds have been built in­ Rain has come to Ethiopia and missionaries tist Convention, June 11 -13 , in the Dallas Con­ to the system. there credit the prayers of Southern Baptists vention Center. • " Messengers who bring their completed and others for the relief. Ironically, the mud Stan ley, as president, appoints both com­ and signed registration cards ca n register in has isolated a feeding center which is now mittees. The credentials committee is ap­ less th an five minutes,'' Porter said. " Persons supplied by air. pointed by th e convention president "in who have letters or must rely on telegrams consultation with the vice-presidents,'' while will have to appear in person before the the tellers body is nam ed by the president, credentials committee,'' he added. "Any " in consultation with the regist ration disputed or contested matter also w ill be secretary, lee Porter:' referred to the comrpittee." Porter works with both committees dur­ Ralph M. Smit h, pastor of Hyde Park ing the three-day annual meeting. Church in Austin, Texas, will be chairman of The credentials committee, according to the crederUials committee. A. Earl Potts, ex­ the SBC by-laws, "shall re\li"'Y and rule upon ecutive director of the Alabama Baptist State any questions which may ari se in registra­ Convention, Montgomery, is chairman of the tion concerning the credentials of tellers. messengers:· The 26-member group also Two Arka nsa ns, W.C. Garland Jr., pastor considers " any co ntention arising on the at Second Ch urch, Hot Springs; and C. floor (of the convention) concerning seating lAmar Lifer, pastor of Olivet Church, Little of messengers. Rock, are members of the Credentials The tellers committee, made up of 13 Committee. Page 2 ARKANSAS BAPTIST NEWSMAGAZINE Guiding principles for Dallas The editor's page J. Everett Sneed The up.coming Southern "Baptist Convention in Dallas has Such a knowledge of our history and purpose wouiP include been called "explosive," "divisive" and apt to cause a " head-on an understanding and commitment to the purpose of the Southern collision." It is a critical convention. The only solution lies in a Baptist Convention. The constitution of the Southern Baptist Con· wide representation of messengers who are informed and com­ vent ion clearly states, " It is the purpose of the convention to pro­ mitted to the leadership of the Holy Spirit. vide a general organization for Baptists in the United States and It is imperative that these individuals attend the convention its territories for the promotion of Christian missions at home and as "messengers;' not 11delegates!' A messenger is one who goes abroad, and other objects such as Christian education, benevolent to the convention from his church with no previous commitment, enterprises, and social services w hich it may deem proper and ad­ seeking the leadership of the lord in casting his vote as a free moral visable for the furtherance of the Kingdom of God." agent. It is significant, indeed, that our founders in 1845 placed the A delegate, on the other hand, is one who has been commit­ major emphasis on missions at home and abroad. These individuals ted beforehand by his church or by some individual to vote in felt that our main thrust must be to win lost people at home and a prescribed manner. Such action is contrary to ou r polity, to the to the ends of the earth. Anything that detracts us from this objec­ SBC constitution and denies the biblical concept of the priesthood tive would be contrary to th e purpose envisioned by our founders. of the believer. Those Baptist groups, such as the American Bap­ Messengers should elect individuals with the highest integ- • tist Association, which send delegates to these annual meetings rity. When an individual serves as a president, vice-president, or bind the local church. Southern Baptists do not. on a committee in the Southern Baptist Convention, he must place The Southern Baptist messenger concept was not an accidental the well·being of Southern Baptists above all special interest or decision. Th e Bible is clear that every individual must make his association with a special interest group. own decision regarding sa lvation. Every Christian is a priest before Finally, those who are elected by our messengers should be God. For this reason, we have autonomous churches, a.nd chur­ individuals who are committed to the leadership of the Holy Spirit. ches send messengers, not delegates, to conventions and Regardl ess of other abilities, an individual who is not led by God associations. will be inadequate to serve our great denomination.