ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP)–Opposition is being voiced by a Baptist state convention leader to the nominee for president of the North American Mission Board.
David E. Hankins, executive director of the Louisiana Baptist Convention, opposed the nomination of Kentucky pastor Kevin Ezell in a Sept. 9 open letter to NAMB’s trustees.
“This is not meant as a personal attack on Dr. Ezell,” Hankins wrote. “I would have the same concern about any candidate for NAMB who had a similarly poor record” of supporting Southern Baptists’ Cooperative Program channel of missions and ministry along with another key source of NAMB funding, the annual Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions.
A trustee vote on Ezell is scheduled for Sept. 14. Ezell was the unanimous recommendation by NAMB trustees’ seven-member presidential search team.
Hankins is a former vice president for Cooperative Program with the SBC Executive Committee.
“There are many excellent pastors with an SBC affiliation who have chosen to go a more independent route with their churches’ mission spending,” Hankins wrote. “I am thankful for every success they have brought to the Kingdom but I believe, by their negligible cooperative denominational giving, they have removed themselves from consideration as SBC entity leaders….
“I am concerned that a NAMB president who has chosen the independent model will send a chilling message to the thousands of Southern Baptist congregations who have been led by their pastors and their denomination to believe that generous support for our cooperative mission funding processes is the good and right thing to do,” Hankins wrote.
Information from the 2009 Annual Church Profile maintained by LifeWay Christian Resources lists 121 baptisms at Highview Baptist Church and primary worship service attendance of 3,260. Highview gave $140,100, or 2.23 percent, through the Cooperative Program from undesignated receipts of $6,270,057. Its total missions expenditures of $1,350,107 includes $50,000 for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions and $10,000 for the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions.
The full text of Hankins’ letter, which has been forwarded to the full NAMB trustee board, is posted at his website, www.davidhankins.net; the text also follows this news story.
Ezell, 48, senior pastor of Louisville’s Highview Baptist Church, is the immediate past president of the Southern Baptist Pastors’ Conference. He has led the multi-site Kentucky congregation since 1996.
The nomination is the culmination of a 10-month search that began in October 2009.
Baptist Press is developing this story further to include reactions from the NAMB trustee search team, the nominee and other voices around the convention.
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Art Toalston is editor of Baptist Press. The full text of Hankins’ letter follows:
September 9, 2010
An Open Letter from Dr. David E Hankins, executive director of the Louisiana Baptist Convention, to the North American Mission Board Trustees:
I am conflicted about writing this letter. I have been a cooperating Southern Baptist all my life, and since being given leadership responsibilities, I have endeavored to cooperate with my fellow Southern Baptists at every level, especially those who have been given particular leadership assignments. I want to support leaders and pray for them as they carry out their assignments rather than presume to do their jobs for them.
While I anticipated having this same mindset with respect to the search process for a new North American Mission Board president, I find that I must make an exception because I believe that principled convictions are being ignored. Certainly, it would be easier not to say anything, not ruffle feathers, and not risk the criticism from those who disagree with me. I have spoken with some of your leaders and your candidate privately. They have been cordial, open, and helpful. That makes it even more painful to speak publicly. But I have a duty to Louisiana Baptists and others to raise unresolved objections before a larger audience.
Let me come right to the point: I believe you are being asked to elect a candidate who, while having many admirable qualities, is unqualified in one significant way. Dr. Ezell’s excellent credentials in areas such as character, family, leadership, and theology do not compensate for the demonstrated lack of support for the mission of NAMB.
Under his tenure, the income of his church has tripled to more than $6,000,000. Yet the financial contribution of the church, through the Cooperative Program and Annie Armstrong Offering, has been marginal, at best. Consequently, one has to believe the anemic support of cooperative ministries has been a purposeful decision by the pastor and the church leadership. Dr. Ezell has indicated he believes this was a better way to reach their congregational objectives. Is that what Southern Baptists believe and what they expect from the leader of the North American Mission Board?
While each local Southern Baptist church has the right to do whatever it decides about denominational mission support, those who would presume to lead Southern Baptist entities ought to have a track record of supporting those entities.
This is not meant as a personal attack on Dr. Ezell. I would have the same concern about any candidate for NAMB who had a similarly poor record on cooperative giving. There are many excellent pastors with an SBC affiliation who have chosen to go a more independent route with their churches’ mission spending. I am thankful for every success they have brought to the Kingdom but I believe, by their negligible cooperative denominational giving, they have removed themselves from consideration as SBC entity leaders.
I know the search committee must have had some criteria that potential candidates had to meet before they received consideration. For example, I’m sure a candidate, no matter how exceptional his leadership skills, would not have been considered if he lacked theological soundness as articulated by the Baptist Faith and Message. A candidate, no matter how fast and large his church grew, would not have been considered if there were questions about his Christian character. Why is demonstrable support for the North American Mission Board, and leading by example in denominational cooperation, not a prerequisite for the NAMB presidency?
What is at stake here? The methodology of cooperative missions is at stake! Some among us have proposed that Southern Baptists de-emphasize cooperative missions (i.e., all churches being encouraged to support ministries they decide upon together in their respective conventions). These brothers propose a more independent model (i.e., all churches being encouraged to give funding primacy to their own congregational mission enterprises).
While your nominee has chosen the more independent model for his church, Southern Baptists reaffirmed in June the cooperative missions model, especially with regard to Cooperative Program support. The SBC messengers approved amendments to the original GCR report regarding CP thusly: “…to continue to honor and affirm the Cooperative Program as the most effective means of mobilizing our churches and extending our outreach. We affirm that designated gifts to special causes are to be given as a supplement to the Cooperative Program and not as a substitute for Cooperative Program giving.” Given the opportunity to elevate designated giving, Southern Baptists chose instead to elevate cooperative giving. I voted for the GCR report at the 2010 SBC because it came down on the side of increased, rather than decreased, cooperation among Southern Baptists.
I am concerned that a NAMB president who has chosen the independent model will send a chilling message to the thousands of Southern Baptist congregations who have been led by their pastors and their denomination to believe that generous support for our cooperative mission funding processes is the good and right thing to do.
How will such a president have the moral authority to carry out the conclusions of the GCR report that “The greatest stewardship of Great Commission investment and deployment is giving through the Cooperative Program” and “that we call upon Southern Baptists to adopt goals of giving no less than …$100 million annually through the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions”? How can he challenge cooperative support if he has led his church in the opposite direction?
Which philosophy do you believe is best for Southern Baptist mission work? I believe NAMB trustees want Southern Baptists to continue to vigorously support NAMB ministries and not divert millions of dollars for use in independent projects. Sadly, the average Cooperative Program percentage (which was over 10% in the mid 1980s) dropped again this year to an all time low of 5.86%. I believe this is directly attributable to the example set by certain prominent Southern Baptists. Our congregations don’t need any more signals that discourage cooperative giving.
I am certain that Dr. Ezell did not seek this nomination. The burden is on the board, not on him, to set the appropriate prerequisites. I believe the NAMB trustees understand the SBC’s wishes. And I believe the NAMB trustees are people of integrity.
Friends, this is a matter of integrity. Will you keep faith with the Southern Baptists who are generously supporting the work of the North American Mission Board?
I have been told that there are no candidates who have all the credentials of the current nominee and an exemplary track record of Cooperative Program and Annie Armstrong support. I do not believe this. There are any number of leaders who possess outstanding leadership skills and meet all the prerequisites, including denominational cooperation and support.
This is serious business at a serious juncture. No one needs to remind you of the struggles that NAMB has had due to conflict at the executive level. I know you want to get this decision right. Compromising on cooperative missions methodology is not the pathway to getting it right. Please, seek a candidate to lead our national work who possesses all the prerequisites your Southern Baptist family expects and deserves.
May the peace of God, the grace of the Lord Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit be upon you in this great task.
Fraternally,
David E. Hankins
Executive Director, Louisiana Baptist Convention
