Colleges Are the Focal Point of Southern Baptist Battle

The battle for fundamentalist domination of the Southern Baptist Convention, largely settled at the national level, has moved to the states, with colleges leading the opposition by moving toward greater autonomy.

Fundamentalists, disturbed at what they regard as liberal teaching at Baptist colleges and buoyed by successful efforts to get control of seminaries and church agencies, are seeking more control over colleges’ governing boards.

Issues related to control of Baptist colleges came up at three Baptist state conventions in recent weeks, with sharply different results:

Fundamentalist efforts to gain control were thwarted in Texas and Florida, but they gained a partial victory in South Carolina.

The actions were:

* The Baptist General Convention of Texas, a stronghold for fundamentalist leaders, approved a compromise Nov. 11 that limits the state convention to choosing one-fourth of the members of the governing board of Baylor University in Waco. Previously the convention had elected the entire board.

The compromise is significant because it removes Baylor from control by state Baptist leaders, many of whom are fundamentalists.

* The Florida Baptist Convention narrowly rejected a motion Nov. 12 to withdraw all funds from Stetson University in DeLand. Fundamentalists, who regard the school as liberal, had favored cutting off funds.

* Fundamentalists persuaded the South Carolina Baptist Convention to initiate legal proceedings against Furman University Nov. 12 rather than accept a compromise that would have limited the state convention’s control over the school.

The compromise, opposed by fundamentalists, would have authorized the state Baptist convention to elect 80% of the trustees of Furman University in Greenville, rather than the entire board as it had until now.

Not only did the convention reject the proposal, it voted to sue the school for changing its charter unilaterally.