Public school exodus not backed by all

By Ann Work, The Times Record News (Wichita Fall, Texas), April 29, 2006

Baptist students will be staying put in public schools if three local Southern Baptist preachers have anything to say about it.

The three Wichita Falls pastors who talked to the Times Record News this week agreed with one another more than they did with activists in the Southern Baptist Convention who are pushing the denomination to recommend removing Baptist students from public schools.

A Missouri businessman and a Texas lawyer plan to submit a proposal for a possible vote by the convention at the annual meeting in North Carolina in June.

Criticizing public schools for "indoctrinating children with dogmatic Darwinism" and for implementing curriculum and policies that are accepting of the homosexual lifestyle, the resolution may - or may not - go to a vote.

A similar resolution in 2004 that called for parents to remove their children from public schools was rejected by the denomination.

In 2005, Southern Baptist members acknowledged valid concerns about the public schools during their convention but advised Southern Baptist's 16 million members to work within the current system.

"Every parent needs to decide for themselves about the issue of public school verses private school or home schooling," said Dr. Robert Jeffress, pastor at First Baptist Church of Wichita Falls.

The Jeffress family has a long history in the public schools. Jeffress' two daughters, ages 18 and 14, have attended public school, and Jeffress' wife, mother and grandmother were all public school teachers.

"It's unfortunate that several individuals in the Southern Baptist Convention are trying to speak for all Baptists," he said.

"Personally, I think it would be a tragedy for all Christian families to abandon the public school system. We have been called to be salt and light in the world. We cannot have that influence upon our educational institutions if we are not present."

Warren Hall, pastor of Allendale Baptist Church, agreed.

"I'm not for (the resolution). I don't see how we can really accomplish the things of Christ by taking our kids out of the environment of the world. I read in the (newspaper article about the resolution) that the issue was, instead of our kids evangelizing the schools, the schools are evangelizing our kids. That's a home problem."

Both of Hall's two boys - now grown - attended public schools.

"There are just a few radicals who push these things," said Jack Jordan, pastor of Western Hills Baptist Church. "I think we need to get back to the basics and leave the speculation and theories alone."

Jordan, who was familiar with the resolution only through what he had read in the Times Record News, said such an admonition to take children out of public schools could be harmful to families. Some can't afford private education, he said. Other children wouldn't be well-served by being separated from their peers and educated at home.

But public schools do have their problems, he said.

Schools are for teaching children the basics - and that doesn't include evolution or homosexuality, he said.

"I do object to educational systems, wherever they are, that will promote something against God himself. But men have always been foolish."

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