SBC President: Start Christian Schools
According to a news release from Exodus Mandate, the call for an exodus from the public schools continues to build momentum within the Southern Baptist Convention.
As the controversy over public schooling among Southern Baptists and other Christians continues to gather force, for the first time a president of the Southern Baptist Convention has publicly called upon churches to start more Christian schools and to make sure that provision is made for the children of families that would not otherwise be able to afford to attend.
In an interview with Jim Brown of Agape Press, the newly elected president of the SBC, Dr. Frank Page, stated that he prays that more churches will begin offering Christian schools, both for families who can and for those who cannot afford such education.
Dr. Page’s call for more Christian schools reflects an expanding debate among Christians about educating Christian children in government schools that began with a resolution submitted to SBC’s 2004 Annual Meeting and that was subsequently fueled by resolutions urging churches and parents to investigate collaboration by school districts with homosexual activists (2005) and in support of Dr. Albert Mohler’s call for the SBC to develop an “exit strategy” from the government schools (2006).
In addition to the Dr. Page and Dr. Mohler, past and present officers and members of the SBC’s Executive Committee have begun to speak out on the need to provide Christian children with an alternative to government schools. Moreover, over the last three years increasing numbers of clergy and laymen have been raising this issue in Southern Baptist state and regional conventions.
Dr. Voddie Baucham notes that “Dr. Page’s call for more Christian schools is the beginning of the ‘exit strategy’ that Dr. Mohler has urged be developed. If the SBC and American Christianity are to survive in any culturally relevant way, we are going to have to repent of our unfaithfulness in the education of our children. And we need to do this sooner rather than later.”
According to Bruce Shortt, co-sponsor of the current resolution and of education resolutions submitted for the 2004, 2005, and 2006 SBC Annual Meetings: “Dr. Page’s bold recommendation demonstrates how far the debate over how we educate our children has moved since 2004. This is because Christians and others find it increasingly difficult to avert their eyes from the metastasizing spiritual, moral, and intellectual pathologies of the government school system. Southern Baptist churches and the SBC’s institutions must get about the business of creating a new public school system – one that is 'public' in the sense that it is open to anyone, but controlled by parents and churches, not bureaucrats and politicians.”
Pastor Wiley Drake, second vice president of the SBC's Executive Committee and sponsor of the 2006 "Exit Strategy" resolution in the California Southern Baptist Convention, endorses Dr. Page’s recommendation and the resolution:
"Dr. Page is right: Southern Baptists, and Christians generally, need to plan a Christian educational future for our children. First, Christian parents are obligated to provide their children with a Christ-centered education. Anyone who thinks that a few hours of youth group and church will have more influence on a child's faith and worldview than 40 to 50 hours a week of public school classes, activities, and homework is simply not being honest with himself. Second, the open collaboration between homosexual activists and many school districts, together with the overall level of crime and violence in the public schools, make the public schools an unsafe place for our children."
Chaplain E. Ray Moore, founder of Exodus Mandate, points out that “the Southern Baptists are setting the pace in debating this critical issue. Other denominations such as the Presbyterian Church in America are also having this debate. It is our prayer and hope that this debate will take place in all Bible-based denominations over the next few years and that both Christian parents and the institutional church will come to understand clearly the urgency of rescuing our children from the government schools.”
Dr. Baucham is a pastor with a national teaching ministry and is the author of The Ever Loving Truth (Broadman & Holman) and the forthcoming The Family-Driven Faith (Crossway).
In addition to co-sponsoring this year’s education resolution (posted below), Dr. Shortt co-sponsored education resolutions at the 2004, 2005, and 2006 SBC Annual Meetings. Dr. Shortt is also a member of the board of directors of Exodus Mandate and is the author of The Harsh Truth About Public Schools (Chalcedon).
As the controversy over public schooling among Southern Baptists and other Christians continues to gather force, for the first time a president of the Southern Baptist Convention has publicly called upon churches to start more Christian schools and to make sure that provision is made for the children of families that would not otherwise be able to afford to attend.
In an interview with Jim Brown of Agape Press, the newly elected president of the SBC, Dr. Frank Page, stated that he prays that more churches will begin offering Christian schools, both for families who can and for those who cannot afford such education.
Dr. Page’s call for more Christian schools reflects an expanding debate among Christians about educating Christian children in government schools that began with a resolution submitted to SBC’s 2004 Annual Meeting and that was subsequently fueled by resolutions urging churches and parents to investigate collaboration by school districts with homosexual activists (2005) and in support of Dr. Albert Mohler’s call for the SBC to develop an “exit strategy” from the government schools (2006).
In addition to the Dr. Page and Dr. Mohler, past and present officers and members of the SBC’s Executive Committee have begun to speak out on the need to provide Christian children with an alternative to government schools. Moreover, over the last three years increasing numbers of clergy and laymen have been raising this issue in Southern Baptist state and regional conventions.
Dr. Voddie Baucham notes that “Dr. Page’s call for more Christian schools is the beginning of the ‘exit strategy’ that Dr. Mohler has urged be developed. If the SBC and American Christianity are to survive in any culturally relevant way, we are going to have to repent of our unfaithfulness in the education of our children. And we need to do this sooner rather than later.”
According to Bruce Shortt, co-sponsor of the current resolution and of education resolutions submitted for the 2004, 2005, and 2006 SBC Annual Meetings: “Dr. Page’s bold recommendation demonstrates how far the debate over how we educate our children has moved since 2004. This is because Christians and others find it increasingly difficult to avert their eyes from the metastasizing spiritual, moral, and intellectual pathologies of the government school system. Southern Baptist churches and the SBC’s institutions must get about the business of creating a new public school system – one that is 'public' in the sense that it is open to anyone, but controlled by parents and churches, not bureaucrats and politicians.”
Pastor Wiley Drake, second vice president of the SBC's Executive Committee and sponsor of the 2006 "Exit Strategy" resolution in the California Southern Baptist Convention, endorses Dr. Page’s recommendation and the resolution:
"Dr. Page is right: Southern Baptists, and Christians generally, need to plan a Christian educational future for our children. First, Christian parents are obligated to provide their children with a Christ-centered education. Anyone who thinks that a few hours of youth group and church will have more influence on a child's faith and worldview than 40 to 50 hours a week of public school classes, activities, and homework is simply not being honest with himself. Second, the open collaboration between homosexual activists and many school districts, together with the overall level of crime and violence in the public schools, make the public schools an unsafe place for our children."
Chaplain E. Ray Moore, founder of Exodus Mandate, points out that “the Southern Baptists are setting the pace in debating this critical issue. Other denominations such as the Presbyterian Church in America are also having this debate. It is our prayer and hope that this debate will take place in all Bible-based denominations over the next few years and that both Christian parents and the institutional church will come to understand clearly the urgency of rescuing our children from the government schools.”
Dr. Baucham is a pastor with a national teaching ministry and is the author of The Ever Loving Truth (Broadman & Holman) and the forthcoming The Family-Driven Faith (Crossway).
In addition to co-sponsoring this year’s education resolution (posted below), Dr. Shortt co-sponsored education resolutions at the 2004, 2005, and 2006 SBC Annual Meetings. Dr. Shortt is also a member of the board of directors of Exodus Mandate and is the author of The Harsh Truth About Public Schools (Chalcedon).
Resolution Supporting SBC President's Call for Southern Baptist Churches to Create More Christian Schools and Encouraging Christian Education Evangelism
May 2, 2007
Submitted by Dr. Voddie Baucham and Dr. Bruce N. Shortt
Whereas, Dr. Frank Page, President of the Southern Baptist Convention, has courageously called upon Southern Baptist churches to expand greatly opportunities for all children to receive a Christian education, stating that his prayer is that more churches will begin offering Christian schools, both for families who can and for those who cannot afford such education;
Whereas, the Great Commission demands both evangelism and discipling;
Whereas, education is not theologically neutral, and for generations the vast majority of Christian children, including the children of Southern Baptists, have been discipled primarily by an anti-Christian government school system;
Whereas, the fruit of our government school habit is unregenerate children, as shown by numerous surveys, and congregations containing many unregenerate members;
Whereas, event and personality driven methods of evangelism are ineffective, unscriptural, and fail to overcome our failure to disciple our children;
Whereas, Christian educational alternatives to government schools are an effective means for evangelistic outreach and discipling, and, as Dr. Page recognizes, such alternatives are desperately needed immediately by orphans, children of single parents, and the disadvantaged;
Whereas, the Messengers of the Southern Baptist Convention’s 2005 Annual Meeting urged parents in Resolution No. 1, On Educating Children, to embrace their responsibility to educate their children by choosing a means of education that would “ensure their physical, moral, emotional, and spiritual well-being, with a goal of raising godly men and women who are thoroughly equipped to live as fully devoted followers of Christ”; and
Whereas, in light of government school curricula, court rulings, and the influence of the NEA, parents cannot satisfy the criteria for the education of Christian children set forth in Resolution 1 by educating Christian children in today’s government schools; and
Whereas, article XII of the Baptist Faith and Message states, “the cause of education in the Kingdom of Christ is co-ordinate with the causes of missions and general benevolence, and should receive along with these the liberal support of the churches. An adequate system of Christian education is necessary to a complete spiritual program for Christ's people”; and
Whereas, the next clause in article XII states that this education is to be provided through ‘Christian schools, colleges and seminaries’; and
Whereas, Southern Baptist congregations can draw upon many existing buildings and other resources to provide an alternative to educating children in government schools; and
Whereas, Southern Baptist congregations have many adults, including pastors, who can assist in the education of children as a ministry; and
Whereas, satellite, DVD, Internet-enabled multi-media computer technology, and other more traditional forms of self-paced learning are effective ways of providing Christian education and are now very affordable; and
Whereas, churches can collaborate in providing alternatives to the government school system; and
Whereas, continuing to fail to repent about our unfaithfulness in the education of our children will lead to justified charges of hypocrisy:
BE IT NOW RESOLVED that the 2007 Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention urges each church associated with the Southern Baptist Convention to heed Dr. Page’s call to create more Christian alternatives to the public schools;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that 2007 Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention urges each church associated with the Southern Baptist Convention to support Dr. Page’s call for particular attention to be given to the needs of orphans, single parents, and the disadvantaged in the development of Christian schools;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the 2007 Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention urges that the agencies of the Southern Baptist Convention to heed Dr. Page’s call to expand Christian education by assisting churches in the development of Christian schools and help coordinate efforts, including partnerships with churches in low income areas, to provide a Christian educational alternative to orphans, single parents, and the disadvantaged;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the 2007 Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention commends Dr. Page for speaking forthrightly on the need to expand Christian education; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the 2007 Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention applauds the many adult members of our congregations who teach in government schools, and this resolution should be construed to encourage adult believers who are truly called to labor as missionaries to unbelieving colleagues and students to continue their missionary work in the dark and decaying government school system.
