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At least one leader has stepped down. The IMB's regional director for West Africa, Bill Phillips, resigned his office last year rather than sign the statement. Phillips remains a missionary.

The language in Rankin's letter was offensive to some, Wade said, citing this comment: "Signing this affirmation protects you from charges of heresy behind your back while you are overseas and cannot defend yourself."

Rankin says his letter was motivated in part by persistent reports from short-term overseas volunteers that career missionaries were criticizing the conservative leadership in the SBC.

Rankin's letter reiterates that rank-and-file missionaries are not required to sign the BFM statement. Rankin says he wants to defuse demands to make the BFM mandatory, which he believes might happen at the SBC's annual meeting in June.

In February the Women's Missionary Union of Texas asked Rankin to reconsider. President Kathy Hillman says some missionaries interpret Rankin's letter as a mandate. But Rankin says "a large proportion" of missionaries note disagreements. Missionaries who disagree may pledge to carry out their work "in accordance with and not contrary to" the BFM.

"We do not anticipate terminating anyone," Rankin says. "It depends on why they don't sign it or why they don't agree with it." Rankin says that only two missionaries have resigned since the letter, and they would not discuss their reasons with IMB officials.

Texas Baptists and SBC national leaders have clashed before. In 2000 the BGCT redirected funds, previously sent to the SBC's six seminaries, strictly to Texas seminaries. Most recently the BGCT voted to create a fund to assist missionaries who resign or are dismissed over the statement. Wade said that pastors and laity have pledged $1 million for the fund.

Wade says any unused money from the fund could go into new initiatives that the Texas convention has been working on for two years. "That doesn't mean that the IMB will be totally cut out," he says.

Rankin says the Texas convention's complaint regarding the BFM is another attempt to separate itself from conservative Southern Baptists. "They're just using this to advance their agenda," Rankin said.

Copyright © 2002 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Related news article include:

IMB missionaries must work 'in accordance with' BF&M — Biblical Recorder (Jan. 26, 2002)

IMB requests missionaries to affirm faith statement — Associated Baptist Press(Jan. 30, 2002)

Read the Baptist Faith and Message 2000, see the report of the study committee and other documents, or peruse the 1963 version.

The Southern Baptist Convention's site has links to every board, organization, and ministry in the convention.

Previous Christianity Today coverage of the Baptist Faith and Message includes:

Do Good Fences Make Good Baptists?The SBC's new Faith and Message brings needed clarity—but maybe at the cost of honest diversity. (August 9, 2000)

Culture ClashAsserting the Bible's authority, Southern Baptists say pastors must be male. (June 30, 2000)

Weblog: Baptists OK New Statement, which Opposes Female Pastors (June 15, 2000)

Submission RejectedState convention counters SBC marriage statement. (Dec. 27, 1999)

Texas Baptists Counter Official Southern Baptist Stance on MarriageBaptist General Conference of Texas goes back to 1963 statement, rejecting 1998 vote. (Nov. 11, 1999)

Seminary Faculty must sign pledgeProfessors must agree to teach Baptist Faith and Message statement. (Dec. 7, 1998)

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April 22 2002, Vol. 46, No. 5