Lecture Three: The Battle for the Convention Standing Firm
Slide 2
The 1919 Denver Convention Laymans Committee on Survey: as a
denomination we record our acceptance of the conception that the
mission of the Christian Church is to establish a civilization,
Christian in spirit and in passion, throughout the world.
Established a denominational paper, the Baptist. It was liberal
from the beginning. Created a General Board of Promotion, with
majority control in the hands of liberal sympathizers. Voted to
participate in the Interchurch World Program under the label New
World Program.
Slide 3
Interchurch World Program Interdenominational fund-raising
campaign, promoted by different name in each denomination. Baptists
voted for $100 million as the New World Program. Tied to a
postmillennial agenda. Proceeds to be divided among convention
agencies without reference to whether the money went to liberals or
not. This meant that some percentage of every dollar given would
support liberal causes.
Slide 4
Reactions Many conservatives had been at the establishment of
the Worlds Christian Fundamentals Association. Robert T. Ketcham
and W. B. Riley campaigned against the New World Movement, others
joined in. It became a financial disaster. R. E. Neighbour and
Oliver W. Van Osdel began to talk about leading a Baptist Bible
Union out of the convention. J. C. Massee and a committee of seven
from Brooklyn called for a pre-convention conference to address
liberalism in 1920.
Slide 5
The Pre-Convention Conference Massee and sympathizers
represented a moderate party: no doctrinal test, mild protest.
Riley and sympathizers represented a militant party: confession of
faith, attempt to expel liberals. Agreed to propose an
investigation of the schools. Agreed to propose that the NBC sell
the Baptist to the highest bidder. Massee was appointed to lead the
fight on the floor. High spirits and expectation of victory.
Slide 6
1920 Buffalo Convention Substitute motion to inquire into the
loyalty of the schools. Massee accepted the substitute. Voted to
get out of the Interchurch World Movement, but to pay $2.5 million
in arrears to the organization. Motion to sell the Baptist
surprised the liberals, who responded with a motion to commit. For
whatever reason, Massee endorsed the motion to commit, which then
carried. The conservatives left the convention without a single
victory to show.
Slide 7
1920 Convention Aftermath No victories were won on the floor.
The conservative group was now a self-aware bloc. Curtis Lee Laws
of the Watchman Examiner gave the group a new name.
Slide 8
Curtis Lee Laws, July 7, 1920 We here and now move that a new
word be adopted to describe the men among us who insist that the
landmarks shall not be removed. Conservatives is too closely allied
with reactionary forces in all walks of life. Premillennialists is
too closely allied with a single doctrine and not sufficiently
inclusive. Landmarkers has an historical disadvantage and connotes
a particular group of radical conservatives. We suggest that those
who still cling to the great fundamentals and who mean to do battle
royal for the fundamentals shall be called Fundamentalists. By that
name the editor of The Watchman- Examiner is willing to be called.
It will be understood therefore when he uses the word it will be in
compliment and not in disparagement.
Slide 9
So What Is Fundamentalism? Like all Christians, fundamentalists
still cling to the great fundamentals. Unlike some other
Christians, fundamentalists mean to do battle royal for the
fundamentals. Militancy. Militancy was understood as organizational
opposition to liberalism in the effort to end fellowship with
liberals and to truncate their influence. Massee thought this could
be done by a smiling protest. Riley understood that it would
require direct opposition through the denominational structure. The
difference was over strategies, not goals.
Slide 10
In Other Words Fundamentalism is distinguished by
separatism.
Slide 11
1921 Des Moines Convention Van Osdel had been pushing Massee
behind the scenes. The mood had shifted in favor of a confession of
faith. The pre-convention conference voted to offer a basic one
written by Frank Goodchild. The investigation of the schools
produced a whitewash. The sale of the Baptist was never approved.
Massee (leading the fundamentalists) failed even to introduce the
Goodchild Confession on the floor of the convention. For the second
year, the fundamentalists left with nothing to show for their
efforts.
Slide 12
1922 Indianapolis Convention Massee had been busy trying to get
fundamentalists to bail the convention out financially. The
fundamentalist conference agreed to put the New Hampshire
Confession on the floor. Liberals also began holding strategy
sessions. Riley led the charge and actually moved the NHC.
Cornelius Woelfkin offered a substitute motion that the New
Testament be affirmed as the all sufficient ground of faith and
practice. Woelfkins motion carried 1,264 to 637.
Slide 13
The Baptist Bible Union Planned by R. E. Neighbour, O. W. Van
Osdel, and William Pettingill. Originally separatistic and
premillennial. The addition of W. B. Riley, J. Frank Norris, and T.
T. Shields deflected the separatism and premillennialism, turning
the BBU into a protest organization. A. C. Dixon was also added.
First meeting held in a big tent in Kansas City, May 1923. By then,
the Big Three had taken over. Intended to work in all three
conventions. Worked in tandem and tension with Massees group.
Slide 14
T. T. Shields J. Frank Norris W. B. Riley The Big Three
Slide 15
The Henshaw Situation Bertha Henshaw was an employee of ABFMS
and a member of J. R. Stratons church in New York. She discovered
evidence of liberalism on the mission field and told her pastor
where to find it. Straton and a committee of 30 walked into the
ABFMS offices and demanded to see the evidence. The ABFMS board
blocked access. The fundamentalists were able to dig up evidence on
a specific liberal missionary by the name of Hartley. They
determined to pursue Hartley at the convention.
Slide 16
The Inclusive Policy Announced by ABFMS in November 1923.
Stated that the board would send missionaries representing all
theological perspectives within the convention. Conservatives
understood this to mean that liberals would definitely be sent.
They determined to pursue this matter at the upcoming convention.
In other words, foreign missions was going to be a big deal in
1924.
Slide 17
The 1924 Milwaukee Convention Fundamentalists were ready to go
after Hartley and the inclusive policy. The liberals approached
Massee with a deal: leave Hartley alone and they would agree to an
investigation of the mission. Massee and the fundamentalists took
the deal. The liberals were able to trade an urgent, hot issue
(Hartley) for a committee. Ultimately, the liberals were able to
structure the committee in a way that was favorable to them The
ABFMS announced its Evangelical Policy.
Slide 18
The Evangelical Policy ABFMS was catching heat over the
Inclusive Policy. It subsequently announced a new Evangelical
Policy. The board promised to appoint only missionaries who were
committed to the gospel. Some conservatives were reassured. Other
fundamentalists saw the Evangelical Policy as a dodge. The
Evangelical Policy remained very vague about the nature of the
gospel, permitting a fair number of liberals to be sent. For years,
the Inclusive Policy and the Evangelical Policy were played off
against each other as need required.
Slide 19
The 1925 Seattle Convention Everyone expected missions to be an
issue. The Hinson Resolution would have recalled every missionary
who denied any of the fundamentals of the faith. A new issue
erupted when Park Avenue Church in NYC decided to accept unbaptized
members (Open Membership). The fundamentalists tried for a
constitutional amendment that would ban Open Membership. Eventually
it was ruled illegal. The report on missions was a whitewash. The
Hinson Resolution was defeated by a large margin.
Slide 20
The 1926 Washington Convention The air had been poisoned by the
Scopes Trial in Dayton, TN. Mockery by H. L. Mencken. There had
been disintegration among the BBU leadership. Neighbour,
Pettingill, Dixon were all gone. The Fundamentalist Fellowship
waffled on Open Membership and opposition failed. A conservative
ballot for ABFMS was defeated 3 to 1. Massee called publicly for a
six-month moratorium on all compromise. The BBU appeared to be poor
sports. Massee publicly attacked the BBU in August.
Slide 21
The Chipps Shooting Norris verbally attacked the mayor of Ft.
Worth, H. C. Meacham. Meacham fired all First Baptist members who
were employees of his department store. Norris redoubled his
attacks in print and from the pulpit. D. E. Chipps, a friend of
Meacham, threatened Norris. Chipps went to Norriss office and
renewed the threat, making a hip pocket move. Norris shot and
killed Chipps. The trial and publicity created a major
scandal.
Slide 22
The 1927 Chicago Convention The leadership of the BBU was in
crisis. Norris gone, Shields exhausted, Riley distracted, money
tight. Determined to attempt an alternate ballot for all convention
officers. Ketcham got it printed in the small hours of the AM. The
alternate ballot received less than 20% of the vote. This was the
last straw for many in the BBU, like Ketcham. They now saw the
convention as irretrievable.
Slide 23
Des Moines University Taken over by the BBU from Iowa Baptists
in 1927. $200K indebtedness, shrinking student population. Kept
most of the old faculty, who were moderates. Installed Edith Rebman
as resident board member. Conflict during 1928/29 between Rebman
and President Wayman. Shields not popular (foreigner). Unwise
decisions by the administration and board. Result was a student
riot in May 1929. Closed the school.
Slide 24
Des Moines University
Slide 25
Administration Building Arts and Sciences Building Des Moines
University
Slide 26
Administration Building after the Riot
Slide 27
Harry Hamilton Howard Fulton T. T. Shields Max Schimpf Edith
Rebman Oliver W. Van Osdel
Slide 28
Disintegration of the BBU 1929 Toronto was devoted to the DMU
mess. 1930 Grand Rapids voted to reorganize as a nationwide
association, appointed a committee of five. 1931 the committee of
five failed even to call for a meeting. Shields was backing away,
focusing on Canada. Ketcham didnt want a church fellowship. Schimpf
was a layman, felt he had little voice. Walkinshaw tried but nobody
listened. Fulton was in transition from Buffalo to Chicago. Van
Osdel stepped up to get things moving.