The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 83, July 1979 - April, 1980 Page: 43
464 p. : ill. (some col.), maps, ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Texas Baptists, the Social Gospel, and Race
The new executive secretary initially played down the racial issue,
however, dealing with it only in general terms in the early 1960s. But
in 1964, in a report that anticipated the 1968 crisis declaration, Valen-
tine's Commission sharply rebuked Southern Baptists for contributing
to patterns of segregation and injustice affecting black Americans. "Our
thunderous silence in the face of oppressive injustice for American
Negroes has amounted to a serious complicity in the problem," asserted
the Commission. "We have been part of a culture which has crippled the
Negro and then blamed him for limping." In the resulting debate,
heated at times, this strong indictment was deleted in favor of a sub-
stitute resolution reminding "ourselves and the world that Southern
Baptists have not been silent in seeking Christian solutions of these prob-
lems but have spoken and have through their agencies extended their
ministries to people of all races." Likewise, the 1965 Christian Life Com-
mission report contained a strong civil rights statement which aroused
a spirited discussion. Finally, as in 1964, the report, after being toned
down, was adopted by the Convention. The Christian Life Commission
thereafter de-emphasized the racial question until 1968.31
Acceptance of the 1968 declaration, "A Statement Concerning the
Crisis in Our Nation," was the culmination of an effort begun a genera-
tion earlier by socially concerned Baptists. CBS News, overstating the
case, called it "the most revolutionary statement" drafted by Southern
Baptists. Debate at the Convention in Houston, consuming almost a day,
was at times angry. Some revisions were made, but the Convention ul-
timately adopted the Christian Life Commission statement by a one-
sided ballot vote of 5,687 to 2,119. The influence of Texas Baptists in
this accomplishment should not be exaggerated, for the crisis state-
ment could not have been approved without broad Convention support.
Nevertheless, since 1953 Texans Miller and Valentine had occupied a
key position of influence and thus had helped shape denominational
thinking on matters of race and society.32
But the 1968 Convention produced mixed results for socially con-
cerned Baptists. Dr. W. A. Criswell, who stressed the more traditional
Baptist goals of personal evangelism and missions, was elected president.
"I would like to lead our convention into a tremendous evangelistic and
1957, p. 78; ibid., 1958, pp. 81-82.
31Annual, SBC, pp. 72-73, 74 (third quotation), 229 (hrst and second quotations); ibid.,
1965, pp. 84-85, 246.
32Baptist Standard, June 12, p. 4, June 19, 1968, p. 1o (quotation).
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 83, July 1979 - April, 1980, periodical, 1979/1980; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101207/m1/63/: accessed June 3, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.