by Tammi Reed Ledbetter/Southern Baptist TEXAN, posted Monday, June 08, 2009 (15 years ago)
WOODSTOCK, Ga. (BP)--Greater funding of the Cooperative Program will occur when Southern Baptists have greater confidence their gifts support the priorities of North
"I would be real open to say that we look forward to every meeting that there will be a state editor there to be able to document the meeting. We have nothing to hide."
American church planting, global pioneer missions around the globe and theological education, declared Southern Baptist Convention President Johnny Hunt in an interview with four state Baptist paper editors.
Hunt responded to critics who he believes have misjudged his motive in calling for a task force to
"They can use percentages [all they want], but the bottom line is everyone there is paid and every missionary is paid not by percentages, but by dollars."
examine the denomination "at every level" via his "Great Commission Resurgence" declaration. Far from having "a hidden agenda," the Georgia pastor said his proposal seeks accountability for the investment of mission dollars.
He predicted his call for a study will be approved overwhelmingly by messengers to the June 23-24 SBC meeting
"... maybe some [state conventions] have grown to a certain place where they send 50 percent now [beyond the state]" ... that kind of generosity "would keep us from being tempted in our churches to give designated gifts [around state conventions]"
in Louisville, and endorsed an appeal from four state Baptist paper editors that meetings of the prospective task force would be as open and transparent as possible.
"I would be real open to say that we look forward to every meeting that there will be a state editor there to be able to document the meeting. We have nothing to hide," Hunt told the editors from the Florida Baptist Witness, Georgia Christian Index, Illinois Baptist and Southern Baptist TEXAN in the June 3 conference call. Read More
