SBC Mission Board Shows Partiality: Gives Preference To Candidates Who Will ‘Increase The Ethnic and Gender Diversity’
The Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, led by President & Executive Director Dr. Randy C. Davis, is charged with conducting all activities on behalf of the Tennessee Baptist Convention in between annual gatherings.
When this Southern Baptist entity is not serving 66 Baptist associations and nearly 3,200 churches, they are committing the sin of showing partiality.
Because they have some powers of the convention, except where limited, the TBMB is always accepting board recommendations for their various boards, including the Committee on Committees, the Committee on Constitution & Bylaws, the Committee on Credentials, the Tennessee Baptist Foundation, and others.
These prospective members must meet certain requirements, however, in terms of bylaw non-negotiables and committee preferences.
For the former, they must be a member of a cooperating Tennessee Baptist church, must agree to “serve in accordance with, and not contrary to, the Baptist Faith and Message 2000,” and must “be off a Board or Committee for at least one year before serving on another Board or Committee.”
For their preferences, while some are run of the mill and really should be included in the bylaw requirements, such as “preference is given to qualified individuals who are Christ-followers” who “serve effectively in their local church,” one consideration reeks of partiality, stating:
“Preference is given to qualified individuals who will increase the ethnic, gender and vocational diversity on Boards and Committees.”
Put another way, when faced with two equal or almost equal candidates, the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board will give selection preference to women and racial minorities over white men.
Candidates not being judged on their merit but rather on their skin tones and whether they have a Y chromosome. They’re being evaluated on characteristics they cannot change rather than ones they can.
No recent addition, it has existed since 2017, causing us to wonder how many candidates they’ve applied these parameters to.
This sinful partiality exemplifies the spirit of critical race theory and the worst excesses of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. TBMB needs to repent of this partiality and rectify the situation immediately.
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This is akin to J.D. Greear (IIRC. Could be Stanley …) comment about choosing a black 6 over a white 7 Unequal weights and measures are an abomination unto God Prov 20:10 …