What Does Your Church's Money Support?

by    T. C. Pinckney                                                                                                                                          Vol. XII, No. 4, April 1999

An interesting letter dated 5 February came addressed to our church. It promotes a project titled "equality begins at home" [EBAH] which it says is a project of "Virginians for Justice." At the bottom of the page it states that "Virginians for Justice advances equal justice for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered citizens ..." The first paragraph opens by saying, "On March 21-27, 1999, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force in partnership with a Federation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered organizations will participate in "Equality Begins at Home," a week-long celebration of equality for sexual minorities led by gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered communities throughout the state."

The letter is signed by "Jon Singletary, EBAH Planning Committee Member & Student, Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond". I verified with BTSR that they do have a student by that name.

There are two interesting points about this letter. First, it exemplifies the concerted efforts homosexuals are making across our country to debase biblical standards by working to have their immorality accepted by society in general, by all levels of government, and by the Christian church.

Second, the signatory identifies himself as a "Student, Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond." That seminary is financially supported by the Baptist General Association of Virginia directly through the WM-2 budget track. All BGAV churches are automatically placed in that track unless they have opted out of WM-2; 909 churches were reported in WM-2 per the BGAV treasurer's report printed in the 22 October 1998 Religious Herald. Nine percent of WM-2 money that goes to World Mission Causes supports the Richmond seminary (while only 1.08% goes to all six Southern Baptist seminaries combined). Furthermore, the BGAV provides the WM-3 budget track for anti-SBC churches. 151 BGAV churches have chosen to donate under WM-3. In WM-3 not one penny goes to the SBC; all the World Mission Causes money goes to the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, and CBF also contributes financial support to the Richmond Seminary.