Represent

Words are powerful - what we are seeing in Washington this week is essentially a debate about words; Senators are being asked to weigh the extent to which the former President of the United States 
influence hundreds of people to engage in out-of-control, lawless behavior at the U.S. Capitol. Supporters of the former President have alleged that lawmakers have used words that could motivate people to do harmful things to people with whom they have a political disagreement.  The Bible says in Ephesians 4, about our words, to...

(22)...put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,
23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
25 Therefore, putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another.

People are certainly responsible for their own actions, but we also recognize that words do have influence. That is why we have to watch our own words and make sure that what we communicate to others does not exceed what God has spoken to us in His Word. A misapplication of Scripture can be very harmful and not represent Christ in the way He would intend.  From our hearts, regenerated by Christ, we can purpose to speak words that exalt Him and encourage others in the right way. 

+++++

When we are grounded in Biblical truth, it can govern our lives and enable us to speak what God has spoken and to reflect His nature with accuracy. Jesus taught in John 16:
12 I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.

The Bible tells us we are not our own, that we belong to Jesus, and He paid a heavy price so that we might come to know Him.  We are His representatives.  In fact, in our words and deeds, we can be cognizant of who we represent.

The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention was established in order to represent the views of Southern Baptists in matters of policy.  As I recall, a former head of that agency said, it is supposed to speak for Southern Baptists and speak to them; presumably, in the area of education about various issues.

The role of the ERLC has come under close scrutiny over the past year, since the Executive Committee of the SBC announced that it was looking into the matter of whether or not the actions of the agency were resulting in the loss of missions funding under what is known as the Cooperative Program.  

The EC task force has released its report, and depending on what account you may read about it, it is certainly troubling; some might even say devastating.  I have seen a variety of reports, and for the purposes of this commentary, I have selected two articles to quote from that seem to capture the breadth and significance of the report. 

ChurchLeaders.com included these words as it led off coverage, from Religion News Service, this way: "...a task force commissioned to study the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission calls the convention’s public policy arm a 'significant distraction from the Great Commission work of Southern Baptists.'"  It goes on to say:

Blaming the ERLC for the loss of more than a million dollars in constituent church donations to the denomination, the task force, led by Georgia pastor Mike Stone, quotes the leader of a state Baptist convention as saying, “The ERLC has been a stumbling block not worth the mission dollar investment.”

It goes on to quote agency trustee chair David Prince, who stated that “Southern Baptists can see this report for exactly what it is,” adding that the ERLC “has served Southern Baptists faithfully during a time of political, cultural and, in some cases, denominational chaos.”

The Christian Post provided a list of numerous areas of concern, some specifically related to entity head Russell Moore:

Among the concerns state executive directors of the SBC reported hearing about Moore from pastors were: Moore’s open opposition of President Donald Trump; an allegation that he received funding from an organization with ties to George Soros; an Amicus brief from the ERLC in support of a New Jersey mosque; a perception that he criticizes conservative political figures more frequently and more harshly than moderate to liberal figures; his stance on immigration; his stated support of attending homosexual wedding showers and receptions; plus giving disrespectful and condescending responses to the questions of messengers.

So, in dollars and cents, how serious is the situation?  The Post gave some examples, including the following:

One state convention verified that $1,147,000 had been withheld due to the ERLC and estimated another $1,500,000 of Cooperative Program giving is in jeopardy.

“Another state reported that 94 churches have either decreased or completely eliminated Cooperative Program support this year at a total budget cost of approximately $500,000. Based on actual conversations with these pastors, the state executive estimated that 50% have done so because of a ‘lack of confidence in many national SBC issues.’ These issues included but were not limited to the ERLC,” they wrote.

So, what is the remedy proposed by the task force, which will be presented to the Executive Committee?  The story published at ChurchLeaders.com, referring to the head of the ERLC, Russell Moore, says: "The report does not call for Moore’s ouster, but it does recommend that the ERLC no longer make public comments about any political candidate and only address issues that the SBC has already issued resolutions on." The Christian Post also states:

The group recommended that the SBC’s Executive Committee request that the ERLC Board of Trustees work with the ERLC staff to develop an intentional plan to demonstrate a greater appreciation for how its positions, including social media use, affect the spirit of cooperation among Southern Baptists.

The remedy would also include greater cooperation between the agency and Baptist officials regarding the filing of legal briefs to better reflect the Convention's position. A brief filed by the ERLC recently in a lawsuit against another Southern Baptist agency, according to the article, "described the SBC as a 'hierarchy' that serves as an 'umbrella Southern Baptist governing body over all of the various groups of churches.'” That was deemed to be erroneous, and the ERLC went back and corrected it.

The Executive Committee will likely be addressing the report at its next meeting.

In a sense, this is a family matter here, but there is an element regarding how churches and denominations are perceived in the culture.  So, let's bring this down to the individual level - is the message we are sending consistent with the principles of Scripture?  Are we committed to living and speaking the truth?

One of the remedies for the ERLC situation has to do with essentially only speaking where Southern Baptists have spoken. (I seem to recall reading that phrase.)  And, you should be able to discern if your church or denomination is speaking in a manner that upholds Scripture.  Southern Baptists and other denominations have built a reputation of being Biblically faithful, yet there are many who are facing ideologies that are like a gravitational pull on that faithfulness that threaten to divide their flocks and weaken their witness.  Ultimately, Scripture provides us with the boundaries that will keep us focused and grounded in Christ.