What Have We Lost?

Returned yesterday from the NC Baptist State Convention. Am so thankful for brother David Talley who went with me to every meeting and slogged through it all. Am also grateful for Martha Roberson, Mike Martin and a fine young lady, Jenny Thacker, who also attended with us.
At the Convention, we started the cutting of ties with five NC "historically" Baptist colleges. The Convention has in the past approved all of their trustees. The college presidents do not want that anymore -- I think they want to tap other resources besides Baptist money -- so they are willing to forgo the Convention's money in exchange for the deal. Of course all five stood there this week and promised that their fine institutions wanted to stay true to their Baptist and Christian distinctives. Yes, and there will arise a king who does not know Baptist or Christian distinctives and we will see these colleges go the way of the world. Strong Christian young men and women, and parents who desire a college education where the Bible is recognized as the truth, where the professors unashamedly have a Biblical worldview are getting fewer and fewer -- one wonders how much a school will sell their soul for?
We also cut ties to the Baptist Retirement Homes of NC. This really was initiated by them, not the Convention. They started distancing themselves from BSCNC years ago. Now it is official. Again, it goes to $$$. I predict that in a few years, if not sooner, what we know as the BRH of NC will disappear, as they will be sold to a conglomerate, and the big cheeses will reap a windfall -- even after faithful NC Baptists have poured millions into the BRH. Oh well, these too will have to answer to God if greed lies at the heart of this.
Along the same path comes the WMUof NC. They want the cake and to eat it too. They want to be recognized as autonomous -- a cherished Baptist principle. I guess they think this means unaccountable. They do not want to be a part of the BSC of NC -- at all, yet they want NC Baptists to fund them in the NC Missions Offering every year. The messengers said, "I don't think so, Ruby."
Hopefully with such distraction out of the way, Hollifield and the other fine folks in Cary can concentrate on evangelizing this state and strengthening the churches that remain. I know we here have work to do, and night is fast approaching when no man shall work. The hour is getting late. Today I read Amos 4 -- "prepare to meet thy God."
The Lord blesses. This morning I received a call from a dear friend I haven't heard from in a while -- Shannon. Shannon is a Navy chaplain, living now in San Diego. What a wonderful friend and brother, and a lover of the Puritans. May his tribe increase.