No Funding for SBC/Acts 29 Church Plants in Missouri

Ugh.  What the crap is going on among Missouri Baptist leaders?  The Executive Board of the MBC has voted to block funding for Acts 29 church plants, according to Scott Lamb.  Brilliant.  Anyone who would block funding for a church plant that looked like Darrin Patrick's gospel-centered and biblically-faithful Journey Church in St. Louis isn't biblically-faithful.  It's really that simple. 

By the way, at the Acts 29 Boot Camp for church planters in Chicago next month there are three Southern Baptist speakers: Darrin Patrick, Ed Stetzer, and Mark Dever.

Comments

[Brad Williams]

Steve,

I read a little bit about this over at Tom Ascol's blog. Did they block funding with no explanation as to why? Have they made a statement at all besides, "No soup for you!"

[Steve McCoy]

My understanding, Brad, is that the fact about what they are doing is known but the exact reasoning is not. Most are saying it's obviously the alcohol issue, and that sounds right. But we don't know that.

[Micah Fries]

Steve-

What's even worse is that they will pull all funding from existing MBC/Acts 29 churches effective January 1. This will potentially cripple some work going on in our state.

It's a great picture of Christ's love is it not?

[Steve McCoy]

Unbelievable.

[Michael]

URGH! Don't know what else to say. How short-sighted. We have churches all over America (and Missouri is in America and not exempt) that are shrinking in their numerical membership and cultural and missional impact for transmitting the truth of the gospel -- in a word dying...

...and here the message they are sending is that planting churches that are trying to reverse the trend isn't a priorty expenditure...URGH!

[Chris Gensheer]

I agree, this is tragic.

[Todd]

wow. that's insane. i have nothing else to say.

[Greg Alford]

I am sure there are plenty of young fundamentalist church planters just waiting to step in and start new Fundy churches to replace all the Acts-29 churches that are being tossed out… Yea right!

This really is getting out of hand…

For all those who did not realize that the “PURGE” is on in the SBC… well, the “PURGE” is on!

[Charles Brazeale]

It boils down to this, I believe:

1. The Acts 29 folks aren't legalistic enough on the alcohol issue.

AND

2. They aren't Southern Baptist enough -- maybe if it was "The SOUTHERN BAPTIST Journey" that was thriving down on Kingshighway in St. Louis, we'd be happy. But since not everyone knows that it's affliated with the MBC, and they don't "do church" the way everyone else does (and SHOULD), then they are accepted. Sarcasm in the previous point should be apparent, but if not -- yes, I'm being sarcastic!

BTW - the next time my family is in St. Louis on a Sunday we'll be worshipping GOD at The Journey....I'd recommend you try it out too if you have a chance!

Charles Brazeale,
Neosho, MO

[Charles Brazeale]

Ooops.

In point #2 above, I meant to type, "...then they AREN'T accepted". Sorry 'bout that!

Charles Brazeale,
Neosho, MO

[Brad Williams]

I have a question about this. How much of the funding for these churches comes from NAMB, and how much from the State Conventions themselves? Does the state convention have the authority locally to redirect NAMB funding?

[Matthew]

I wonder if a few years from now we'll all be asking: "When did the SBC become totally irrelevent and cut-off from the real-world?"

[Darren Casper]

It was a sad and embarassing day for Baptists in Missouri when this news came out...

As Micah mentioned, pulling the plug on funding six days after Christmas is just unbelievable.

For the record my home church, The Journey, as well as a few other Acts 29 churches in the area such as Genesis in Eureka, Matthias Lot and Refuge in St. Charles, are a part of the St. Louis Metro Baptist Association. A few of these pastors serve on key strategic teams for doing mission in the city.

In our association, we value and respect our existing and more traditional churches. Many of these churches have solid pastors who fully support what's happening in church planting in the city.

We will allow secondary issues to divide us and hurt fellowship when it comes to our church plants and existing churches. Pray for us as we seek to reach out to some of the A29 churches across the state who are losing funding just after Christmas.

Darren Casper
Church Planting
St. Louis Metro Association

[Darren Casper]

not enough coffee yet this morning...

"We will NOT allow secondary issues to divide us..."

[bjnotbk]

Sad to see divisions like this....

[Joe Thorn]

Brad, I believe NAMB funding comes through the State. That's how it worked for me with Grace Baptist.

[Chris Gensheer]

Hey Darren, we are and will keep praying for you and these other churches who are no doubt going to be affected by this. It is encouraging to me to think that just because the MBC isn't into all that is going on in the work of ministry these churches are doing, God at least is. He will provide.

[Brandon Hoops]

yeah, here's some good news...I work for Great Commission Missionaries and our desire is to serve churches by mobilizing missionaries. GCM and ACTS 29 recently partnered to help provide financial support and credibility for ACTS 29 pastors and missionaries.

http://gcmweb.org/leadership/feature.asp

[Rob Mitchell]

I'm praying for you guys -- really sorry to see you having to go through this kind of stuff, but remember something Luther said: "Even the Devil is God's devil." The MBC is driving out A29 churches... in order to fulfill God's purposes. I'm inclined to think that God's on the side of A29 and not that of the MBC, but I'm not privy to the divine council.
Hang in there, guys, God's in control, and he knows what he's doing. MBC is just wrong.

Gee, and I thought the PCUSA was giving us Presbyterians a bad name...

[Marc Backes]

Interesting days ahead for sure....

As this has a direct impact on me, I've shared my thoughts on the situation...

I agree that much prayer is needed...

[Brad Williams]

Joe and all,

Well, if that's true, then that means this Missouri vote immediately affects those outside of Missouri, i.e., now they are telling everyone else who is in the co-operative program that the dollars they are giving to Missouri cannot be used to support Acts 29 churches. So truly, we all have a dog in this hunt, as they say. (Beyond the obvious Kingdom perspective, these are our dollars too.)

[Joel]

To Acts 29:

If you had any plans/planters/funding intended for MO, send it to central Maryland. Southern Baptists in our association will gladly work with you!

Brad,
Often NAMB funding is "included" in the funding one receives from a state convention, but when funding guidelines between NAMB and the state differ, it is state funding alone. For example, NAMB funding (for the most part) cannot be used to support a church planter who has been divorced, nor can it be used to support a guy who has a private prayer language. However, if the state decides to fund the guy anyway, then they and the association can do as they please. We just can't use NAMB money for it. Hope this helps

[Steve McCoy]

Thanks for helping with the funding answers Joe and Joe.

[centorian]

Funds can be reallocated and re-appropriated, right? Perhaps this is a time for some creative ways of funding and organizing of new church starts. A planter may have to consider their options for income, including working a job.

I planted without any outside support. It takes longer, no doubt. There were times I wished I had funding. I’ve also been blessed to see God raise up the work, at times in a super-natural way which I may not have seen if I had received my help from man.

I'm not trying to be smug or hyper-spiritual here. If God is leading, don't let finances be the sole indicator of whether we step out or not.

[Scott Thomas]

Please see my reply on the Acts 29 website: www.acts29network.org

[Tony Stiff]

As terrible as this is, particularly in timing, perhaps now is the time when some of the ministries that Driscoll and Acts 29 have partnered with come around them and support them. De-funded to Re-funded would be the story of reconciliation I'm praying for the most.

My hope is that Jesus turns what could be a stain upon his bride at his birth celebration into a time where he shows just how capable a King he is. Desiring God Ministries, Sovereign Grace, Capital Hill Baptist and more its time to step up and hold up brothers looking at a very cold Christmas...

Prayers from our community for Acts 29 this season...

[Michael]

Matthew wrote:

" wonder if a few years from now we'll all be asking: "When did the SBC become totally irrelevent and cut-off from the real-world?"

Why wait a few years to ask? I think there are significant elements of our (and I am almost to ashamed to say "our") convention that are already there (cut-off from the real world and irrelevant).

Part of the problem I think is that the convention just can't get (or even sustain when it has shown movement) the velocity needed to adapt in today's accelerated world of change...

[Darren Casper]

Men,

As we quickly approach that most special day of the year, we are wanting to make sure that we have the funds in place to replace what will be missed by a few church planters just a short time after Christmas.

Until this most recent decision by executive board members, the MBC had a commitment to these young men. Thus, they were depending on these funds for their churches and families. While the churches I refer to are not in our association, nonetheless we want to help and thought that some of you might like to as well. If you are interested in contributing to this fund to help replace lost funds, please just email me at [email protected]

We will be sure that these church plants know who has contributed.

Thanks,

Darren Casper - St. Louis Metro Association

P.S. - One more thing. If you are wondering, I don't enjoy this mess...at all. I understand that many of my brothers who faithfully serve on the executive board felt that the situation for them was so serious that funding had to be pulled in the middle of a commitment period. While I disagree with them, I love them and thank God for them. We just as I said, disagree. Acts 29 has received different measures of support and recognition from many wonderful, theologically conservative brothers of ours such as Ed Stetzer, Danny Akin, Tom Ascol, and Mark Dever. Do all of them agree with everything about church planting, contextualization matters, and secondary matters of doctrine? No, but they don't allow those differences to keep us from communicating and learning from each other.

And you know, I wish that's what we could do more often in Baptist life, have a healthy spirit of Christian debate and even disagreement, without breaking fellowship.

[Marc Backes]

Steve,

Thank you for bringing attention to this issue.

For continued posting on it, folks can go here.

[Marc Backes]

Read the latest.

[Marc Backes]

Read the STL Post-Dispatch article about the MBC / Acts29 Decision

[Steve McCoy]

Thanks all for continuing to keep us up to speed. Thanks much Marc!

I also encourage you to speak to Darren Casper at St. Louis Metro if you are able to help these churches with some financial help (see a few comments up).

[Lance Ford]

Steve,

I thought you guys might want to know that we (www.shapevine.com) will be doing a live videocast interview on Shapevine this Tuesday (Dec 18th 2:30pm CST) with Darrin Patrick. It is free and only requires a quick login membership.
Thanks,
Lance

Lance Ford
Co-Founder, Shapevine

[Michael]

From the Baptist Press Article -- MBC Chairman Gerald Davidson declared that he has never been soft on alcohol, saying "I've said time and time again alcohol is one of our greatest evils in our society."

Humm....

Wonder what others would be on that list...dancing most probably... :)

For me, I am sure alcohol abuse would not even make my top five and might not even break into the top ten "greatest evils in society".

[sdesocio]

The whole is messed, Im not a Baptist, but as your brother in Christ, I feel for all the guys effected.
I wonder if other states will do the same?

[Andrew]

Just a passing note -

Flying back from KS I was talking with a man next to me who was some sort of politician in Missouri, who happened to be very familiar with the MBC and what was going on with the Theology at Bottleworks/Acts29 situation. He's an unbeliever and professedly very liberal, but reads up on the MBC because of the political bickering that seems to publicly mark them just like the pagan politics he's involved with. He informed me of some of their other legal battles within their own ranks and I have to say it made me sad.

I don't know the detailed nature of the suits, but the fact that unbelievers who are carefully watching the MBC see it as primarily your "run of the mill" group of bickering politicians and old men rather than a group serving as a means to advance the glory of the gospel of Christ is frustrating.

I informed the man of what Paul said in 1 Cor 6 on the matter of lawsuits and politics in the church, and tried to change the subject from that back to the gospel. Honestly, it was embarassing to have anything to do with them.

Wake up, MBC. Your world is watching.