During considerations of the proposal to put the operation and publication of the Baptist Message under the Executive Board’s staff, this editor has remained publicly silent. What to do about where the paper’s operation and publication was a Baptist Message Board, Executive Board and Louisiana Baptist Convention decision. While I had strong thoughts and feelings about the matter, I did not feel a departing editor should try to sway opinions and actions for the future.
During considerations of the proposal to put the
operation and publication of the Baptist Message under the Executive
Board’s staff, this editor has remained publicly silent. What to do
about where the paper’s operation and publication was a Baptist Message
Board, Executive Board and Louisiana Baptist Convention decision. While
I had strong thoughts and feelings about the matter, I did not feel a
departing editor should try to sway opinions and actions for the future.
But messengers to the Louisiana Baptist Convention
last week spoke clearly to the matter on two points. The first was when
messengers voted to alter the 2006 budget proposed by the Executive
Board. All agencies of the convention were reduced, but the Baptist
Message allocation was reduced by a greater percentage – a dollar value
of some $52,500 – than other agencies, and that money was placed in the
allocation of the Executive Board. After hearing an explanation of why
the Executive Board recommended the figures it did, messengers were not
willing to accept the recommendation and voted to reduce each budget
allocation by an equal amount and, thereby, restore the $52,500 to the
Baptist Message allocation.
Later on Tuesday afternoon, the Convention recessed
so that a meeting could be called by the owners of the Baptist Message,
or representatives of local churches – in this case messengers. It was
simply a legal move so the decision about the standing of the Baptist
Message could be properly considered.
In this meeting, messengers voted overwhelmingly to
leave the Baptist Message as a separate agency from the Executive
Board. The proposed change required a two-thirds positive vote to
become effective, but most observers thought less than one-third of the
messengers voted for the proposal.
There can be little if any question in anyone’s mind
that messengers said decisively they want the Baptist Message to remain
an independent agency.
Many messengers and other Louisiana Baptists who
called this editor and made personal visits to my office were emphatic
that they want an independent reporting voice from which to learn the
news about the work of their convention. Some of these folks said that
while they were not in agreement with every editorial that had been in
the paper over the years, they believed that the Baptist Message has
reported fairly and accurately what has happened in the Louisiana
Baptist Convention and Southern Baptist Convention over the years, and
that is the way they want it.
By the vote to restore what messengers considered an
additional reduction to the Baptist Message funding beyond what others
received, they indicated that they do not want a diminished role for
their state paper.
Practically, this editor believes this means several things.
First, trustees of the Baptist Message now have
messenger affirmation in finding an editor that will be committed to an
independent, accurate and fair publication that will not slant the
news, and must resist any effort to do so in any direction. They also
have affirmation to support strongly the editor in producing such a
publication. The task will not be without pressure, but that will
continue to be their responsibility. Their commitment and loyalty is to
be for the Baptist Message as a separate agency.
Second, it is a reminder that while the Executive
Board is responsible for presenting a budget proposal to messengers of
the state convention, the money comes from the churches and, therefore,
grassroots Louisiana Baptists. The budget and allocations must reflect
the desires of the people who give the money. In this case, messengers
indicated they do not want the Baptist Message defunded in any way.
Allocations cannot be used as control.
Third, the Baptist Message, while independent in
structure, is part of the Louisiana Baptist family and must work to
tell Louisiana Baptists about the work of their convention. The paper
has not and should not work at cross purposes against the Executive
Board staff or any other agency of the convention. There should be
greater cooperation between the Baptist Message and other agencies.
While the primary purpose of the Baptist Message is
not promotion, what the agencies are doing is news-worthy and must be
shared through the Baptist Message. This also means that other agencies
must work with the Baptist Message in telling their stories. Strong
communications and public relations departments can only strengthen the
Baptist Message as these agencies share their news stories with the
Baptist Message and the paper is then able to share that news with its
readers. There must be a balance between hard news and promotional
news, but the two can be better sustained by an independent, objective
news source.
Fourth, there must be greater support of the Baptist
Message from Louisiana Baptist churches. If Louisiana Baptists do
indeed want an independent paper, they must support it financially
through subscriptions and the use of its other services. While
Cooperative Program support is vital for the paper’s well-being,
Louisiana Baptists must step up to the plate for the paper. Every
Louisiana Baptist church should strive to send all of its member
families the weekly publication. If churches cannot find it feasible to
send the paper to all its members, they must at least send it to its
leadership and decision makers.
Fifth, the Baptist Message must take significant
steps to provide a better product. This includes a better appearance of
the printed page. Additionally, the Baptist Message must also provide
an electronic publication that Louisiana Baptists can receive via the
internet.
Messengers said they see the Baptist Message as a
vital part of the Louisiana Baptist family. Other agencies should seek
ways they can strengthen the ministry of the paper as the paper
continues to seek ways to strengthen the ministry of the Executive
Board, Louisiana College, the Louisiana Baptist Foundation and the
Children’s Home – and certainly the Cooperative Program that makes all
of these possible. And, the paper must continue to tell the story of
what the Cooperative Program supports around the world.
All newspapers, religious and secular, are
struggling with declining circulation. Electronic media challenges the
print media for readership. In the years ahead, there must be an
expansion and improvement of the ways the Baptist Message is
distributed. The operation of a news agency must make changes, and
change is seldom easy. But the paper can have a greater ministry in the
future than it has in the past. To have that brighter future will take
effort by everyone involved.
But is not cooperation the Louisiana Baptist way?
As the Baptist Message theme has been for the last few years, “Stick Together, Accomplish More.”