Retired Presbyterian minister’s letter ignites Chicago-Baptist controversy
By John H. Adams, The Layman Online, December 3, 1999
A retired Presbyterian minister is the author of a controversial letter urging Southern Baptists not to send 100,000 volunteers to Chicago to tell people about Jesus. The letter says the Baptist evangelism program could provoke hate crimes.
The Rev. Paul H. Rutgers, retired executive director of the Chicago Presbytery, wrote the letter on behalf of the Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago, which he says is a group of 40 Roman Catholic, Protestant and Jewish communions.
While urging Paige Patterson, president of the Southern Baptist Convention, to call off the volunteer evangelists, Rutgers did say they were welcome to go to Chicago to perform service projects.
Salvation through Jesus disputed
Rutgers told The Presbyterian Layman that he disagreed with Baptist – and Christian – theology that salvation comes only through faith in Jesus Christ. “I cannot say [to non-Christians] that if you don’t know Jesus, you’re living in impenetrable darkness,” Rutgers said.
In his letter, Rutgers warned that the evangelism effort could “disrupt the pattern of peaceful inter-faith relations in our community and unwittingly abet the designs of those who seek to provoke hate crimes by fomenting faith-based prejudice.”
Rutgers told The Layman in that he did not regret the “hate crimes” reference or other strong language. He did say, however, that it was “unfortunate” that he released his letter to the press before Patterson received his copy. But, Rutgers added, “We function in the public realm and this is a public issue.”
Patterson said in a letter responding to Rutgers, “Letters like the one that you wrote to the press, under the guise of writing to me, are more likely the stuff from which hate crimes emerge.”
He and other Baptist leaders said Rutgers’ letter had not altered their plans. They accused the Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago of pandering to cultural pressure rather than the demands of the Gospel.
‘Cowardice posing as compassion’
R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, said, “To link New Testament evangelism with hate crimes is cowardice posing as compassion. This is political posturing, not a serious argument. It greatly saddens me to see so many supposedly Christian leaders who are determined to avoid evangelization at all costs.”
Rutgers’ letter said the idea of sending “an army of believers” to Chicago “evokes images of a crusade. We are particularly disturbed that two groups who appear to be among your primary targets, Muslims and Jews, have during the past six months been victims of faith-based terrorist violence in Chicago … the evangelism campaign of the nature and scope you envision could contribute to an atmosphere conducive to hate crimes. This would assuredly not be your intent, but it could be a disastrous consequence.”
Patterson takes different view
In his letter responding to Rutgers, Patterson took an entirely different view about the impact of evangelism. “During the lifetime of Jesus and throughout the history of the early church, religious leaders often opposed the witness of Jesus and His followers, but the common people heard them gladly,” he said. “The people of Chicago will with characteristic friendship and hospitality do precisely the same.
“When Southern Baptists come to Chicago, we will come as men and women of peace, committed as always to absolute religious liberty for every individual. We will oppose all human violence as unworthy of the Prince of Peace. We will raise the standard of freedom from all religious coercion and intimidation of any kind. We will, indeed, attempt to provide for those in physical need, but we will also point people to the crucified and risen Lord Jesus who said, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no man comes to the Father except through me’ (John 14:6).
“If there is violence or ‘hate crimes,’ such will not be perpetrated by Southern Baptists or in any way engendered by our compassionate message. To the contrary, we are much more likely to be the targets of such attacks.”
The request for volunteer evangelists was made by Southern Baptists in Chicago, according to the denomination’s North American Mission Board. The board said Southern Baptists in Chicago are 50 percent African American, 12 percent Hispanic, 11 percent Korean, 4 percent multi-ethnic and 13 percent white. They invited Southern Baptist churches from around the country to assist next year in conducting service and evangelism projects and beginning new churches.
Robert E. Reccord, chairman of the North American Mission Board, said, “It is our belief as Southern Baptists – in fact it is the historic Christian confession – that everyone is separated from God by sin and that only faith in Jesus Christ can bridge that gulf. We believe it is our Biblical responsibility to share this good news with all people in a loving, non-compulsive way and leave the results in God’s hands and their own conscience.”