Dear Co-Laborer:

Upon reading the feature article in the September/October issue of The Baptist Preacher, I got “up in the bit” over what I believe is dangerous Fellowship drift on the Bible issue.  I called The Tribune editor and asked, “Mike, I read your article.  Are you up for a rebuttal?”  He said, in effect, write it; and I’ll consider it.  Around a busy schedule of funerals, sermon preparations, board meetings, and trying to move into a new home, I produced the enclosed, somewhat belated, material for publication.  After reading and re-reading it, I decided against sending it to Springfield for a couple of reasons.

First, Mike Randall has been a friend for over thirty years, and I do not want to put him in the position of refusing me.  In his position, I would refuse to print the response.  I would not be into handing someone the gun to shoot me in the foot.  I hope after the dissemination of this response Mike and I remain friends.  I just strongly disagree with the Rodney King approach to ecclesiastical issues The Tribune/The Baptist Preacher have espoused over the past several years.  It seems every issue is addressed by an appeal for love, unity, or reasonableness.  Institutional unity, loyalty, and esprit d’ corps, while laudable in the proper context, should not be the chief priority of a follower of Christ.  Truth should command the field.

Second, this response, being a point-by-point rebuttal, grew too lengthy and would have certainly required major editorial surgery to fit The Baptist Preacher’s format.  In all honesty, I wanted the response untouched by the editorial penknife.  Of course, there is now an expense factor.  Toledo Baptist Temple cannot afford to mail the entire constituency of the Baptist Bible Fellowship.  If, after considering the contents, you feel the message is worthy of corporate reflection, help by passing your copy along.

At the least, I pray that this “voice crying in the wilderness” will spark a few in the Fellowship to do some soul-searching concerning our position on what we call our “Word of God”, the King James Bible.

Sincerely,
 
 

Billy V. Bartlett
Pastor

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