Chapter 12   Building a Takeover: Foreign Mission Board (another example)

Career missionary R. Keith Parks was elected Foreign Mission Board president in 1980. He would serve the FMB a total of thirty-eight years. During his thirteen years as FMB president, the Board entered forty new countries to give the FMB 3,918 missionaries in 126 countries.^[27]

As early as 1985, Parks spoke out courageously to contend that the controversy in the denomination was damaging Southern Baptist mission efforts. He described SBC missionaries as hostages to the conflict. He urged that nothing be allowed to weaken or interfere with Baptist mission work. He reiterated that the missionaries were fully committed, and that they believed the Bible, holding it to be the sufficient, certain, and authoritative Word of God.

Despite these assurances, the Takeover group continued to question the Biblical ortho­doxy of some missionaries. Fundamentalists were also at a loss over what to do about Keith Parks. He was known as an outstanding preacher of unquestioned missionary zeal and yet he did not support their cause. Both Parks and his missionaries became the targets of Fundamentalist concern.

Problems began to develop after trustees dropped a requirement that all missionaries have at least one year of study in a Southern Baptist seminary. The change opened the door for missionary candidates from independent Fundamentalist institutions to be appointed. Some Fundamentalist missionaries challenged the orthodoxy of their colleagues on the field. In the summer of 1988, Michael Willett, a missionary ending his language training for service in South America , was fired over what was described as a “doctrinal” issue.^[28] Reports indicate that another missionary, a graduate of a non-SBC seminary, kept extensive notes on Willett’s views and informed on him.^[29]

In 1990, new FMB trustee chair Bill Hancock affirmed Parks, saying, Parks is “God’s man for this hour,” and “we as trustees unanimously and uncompromisingly affirm Keith Parks as our leader of the FMB.”^[30] In 1991, Parks stated his wish to continue serving as FMB president until 1995 to maintain momentum and lead preparations up to the launch date of his “Mission 21” vision, which would take the FMB into the 21st century, but the drive to fulfill a Fundamentalist agenda forged onward.

Ruschlikon Seminary Defunded. At their October 1991 meeting, FMB trustees voted to defund the Baptist Theological Seminary in Ruschlikon, Switzerland. Founded by Southern Baptists in 1949, it had come under increasing criticism from Fundamentalists for its alleged liberal faculty. European, as well as many SBC, Baptist leaders expressed shock at the unexpected loss of $365,000, 40 percent of the seminary’s budget. Two professors at the Spanish Baptist Seminary in Madrid, Spain, called the cutoff “a radical measure that has negative influence on cooperative ministries with Baptists in Europe.” FMB trustee Paige Patterson said: “This board is not going to be impacted by the protests of a few Europeans.”^[31] The trustees refused to restore the deleted funds in a December 1991 meeting.

The Baptist Theological Seminary, now supported by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, several state conventions, and numerous individuals, announced in 1993 a name-change to the International Baptist Theological Seminary and its move to Prague, theCzech Republic.^[32]

In reaction to Keith Parks’ expressed desire to remain at the FMB helm until 1995, a motion to form a search committee to seek Parks’ successor was made and withdrawn at the October 1991 FMB trustee meeting. A reported motion to name a co-president with equal authority to Parks was defeated. Parks and FMB trustee chair Bill Hancock praised each other’s leadership in a later press conference.^[33]

But, after years of trying to please Fundamentalist trustees, Parks announced in March 1992 his retirement effective in October 1992. The announcement came after thirteen hours of intense, closed-door dialogue with FMB trustees.^[34] Parks said he was not convinced trustees would give him the freedom to do his job. Some SBC Fundamentalists had opposed Parks since he had publicly opposed Charles Stanley’s candidacy for SBC president in 1985. Parks had cited the minuscule giving to the SBC Cooperative Program by Stanley ’s First Baptist Church of Atlanta, as a sign that Stanley and his church did not wish to serve the Southern Baptist mission effort unless they could control it.^[35]

Keith Parks to CBF. A month after his resignation from the FMB, Parks joined the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship as missions coordinator. Bill Pinson, executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, said of Parks: “At a time when numerous denominations were pulling back from foreign-missions efforts, Keith Parks was urging Southern Baptists to move forward. He helped Southern Baptists realize the extent of the world’s lostness.”^[36] That worldwide vision was now being put to work on behalf of a more moderate community of Southern Baptists who were seeking a missions program they could support in good conscience.

FMB trustees elected career missionary Jerry Rankin, forty-one, as president in May 1993. Rankin was described as “sympathetic to the cause of SBC Fundamentalists and committed to biblical inerrancy.” FMB trustee Paul Pressler led an effort to derail Rankin’s election, but Rankin was elected by a vote of 59-14 just four votes more than the required margin.^[37]

Rankin’s tenure has been rocky at the FMB (now IMB).  He assured missionaries that the imposition of the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message would apply only to new missionaries.[38]  Later he was pressured by the IMB trustees to require all existing missionaries to sign the new document.  Stories circulate that hundreds of missionaries resigned or retired early because of Baptist principles rather than support a creedal statement.[39]  

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