SBTC board offers ‘another plan’ for college

The Southern Baptists of Texas Convention’s executive board passed a resolution during its summer meeting Aug. 12 that expresses its desire to be a part of the solution to an ongoing discussion about the future of Criswell College in Dallas.

The school is the convention’s only affiliated four-year college. Criswell maintains ties with First Baptist Church of Dallas, which founded the school and still appoints the majority of its trustees.

The resolution notes the importance of “positive ministry relationships” with Criswell College and First Baptist Church of Dallas. By approving the statement, the SBTC board is offering what SBTC Executive Director Jim Richards called “simply another plan on the table.”

The church leaders and the school have been at odds recently over plans for the college’s future, resulting in the resignation of Jerry Johnson as Criswell president on Aug. 5.

The resolution states “the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention desires to see Criswell College become an even greater educational institution” and the “SBTC is willing to elect up to 50% of the trustees of Criswell College to help ensure doctrinal fidelity and to consider increasing the percentage of in-state Cooperative Program budget receipts allocated to Criswell College and to consider providing a one-time grant for transition, understanding that these steps will allow Criswell College to attain independent status.”

In closing, the resolution states: “That we pray for God’s perfect will to be done for all involved in the final decisions that are reached concerning Criswell College.”

Criswell has more than 300 students pursuing bachelor’s or master’s degrees in biblical and theological courses. The school owns and operates an FM radio station, KCBI. The college is independently incorporated, but the church appoints 12 of the 21 trustees and approves all trustee appointments.

Trustee chairman Michael Deahl cited “philosophical differences” between Johnson, Jeffress and the trustees as the cause of Johnson’s departure. Johnson, who came to Criswell in 2004 after serving as president of Boyce College at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., is a Texas native and Criswell College graduate.

Responding to a question from an SBTC board member during the meeting who asked if FBC Dallas would see the resolution as interfering in its business, Richards said the college is “at a crucial point” concerning its future and the convention only wished to state how important the relationship between the SBTC and the school is.

“My understanding of this resolution is, we’re simply offering another proposal,” Richards said. “There have been numerous plans on the table from both sides over the last nine months in this church-and-school controversy. Our proposal is simply another plan?’You can consider this.’

“One issue we heard raised was, ‘How can we ensure doctrinal fidelity of the school if it is no longer tied to First Baptist Church of Dallas?’ Humanly, there is never a way to guarantee the doctrinal fidelity of First Baptist Church, Dallas, or this convention, and we sure can’t guarantee the doctrinal fidelity of the college. But as best as humanly possible, I believe this offers a way to ensure doctrinal fidelity for the college.”

Mark Burroughs, an SBTC board member and also a FBC Dallas deacon, said his connections with all the parties involved?his wife has taught Jerry’s Johnson’s children piano, he said?put him in an awkward position. He noted in the SBTC board meeting his initial concern with the resolution appearing to instruct the church in the matter, but after reading it and hearing the discussion, Burroughs said he appreciated the tone of the board and the “prayerful thought” that went into the statement.

“I think, personally, the most important part of this resolution is it involves a commitment to prayer,” Burroughs said. “Ultimately, as the leadership of the church and leadership of the trustees of Criswell College come to a resolution on this, it has to be bathed in prayer.”

Johnson, in his final report to the SBTC board as Criswell president, challenged the convention to maintain a strong relationship with what he said is the only state Baptist college in the Southwest that has the word inerrancy in its doctrinal statement. Calling that “a signature issue” for the SBTC and for the late W.A. Criswell, “We have a niche there,” said Johnson, who dismissed the notion voiced by some that other schools already offer a similar educational experience.

Johnson said the college’s premillenial conviction about Christ’s return, requirement of both Old Testament Hebrew and New Testament Greek, development of a “first-rate” theological journal, and being the only SACS-accredited school with a 100,000-watt radio station are hallmarks of a unique school.

“The college is positioned to go on with you to do greater things,” Johnson said.

During Johnson’s tenure the school graduated over 250 students, he noted.

“What you’re doing through the Cooperative Program in giving to Criswell College makes you a partner and I hope you don’t forget that. I hope you’ll stay at it and go to new heights and new levels,” he urged, anticipating a resolution that allows for the possibility of increased support if the school moves toward independence.

First Baptist Church of Dallas is dually affiliated with the SBTC and the Baptist General Convention of Texas, though its Cooperative Program giving is almost entirely through the SBTC. The church has been the largest dollar contributor through the SBTC to the Cooperative Program missions funding channel the last three years?something the SBTC board praised in its resolution.

Criswell College, with a campus just east of downtown Dallas on the former property of the now-closed Gaston Avenue Baptist Church, receives budgeted funds?$312,977 in the current
budget?from the SBTC as an affiliated ministry partner.

The other SBTC-affiliated school is two-year Jacksonville College in Jacksonville, Texas. Houston Baptist University has a fraternal relationship with the SBTC, meaning it receives no budgeted SBTC funds though it may receive surplus funding.

On April 10 the school’s trustees voted without dissent that the college would not become a part of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s undergraduate program in the future, an action several advocates have proposed. In May trustees announced they had “no intention of selling 90.9 KCBI,” and would not revisit the issue for five years, nor would they “take any action to separate the College and KCBI from the church at this time.”

The school’s trustees voted in 2005 to sell KCBI to a California company for $23 million pending the church’s approval, but the proposed sale was withdrawn after some indications of disapproval from the church. The campus property is reportedly worth around $15 million.

The late First Baptist Dallas pastor W.A. Criswell founded Criswell College in 1970 as a Bible institute. Criswell College has at times struggled financially, though it is currently $6 million in the black, Johnson told the SBTC board.

Criswell College Provost Lamar Cooper was named interim president on Aug. 13.