MBLA Endorses Candidates… or Not.

October 12th, 2007 | Posted in » Baptist Issues, In the News...

I hate to take up more space on this site about MBC politics, but the saga has taken another turn this evening. There was incorrect information passed on previously here, and it must be corrected.

Remember a few days back, when I posted news from David Krueger (originating on the Missouri Baptist list) about a new set of candidates for Missouri Baptist Convention officers? Well, supposedly, they were endorsed by the Missouri Baptist Layman’s Association (MBLA).

This evening, David informed the list that his “sources” were in error. Although the candidates he announced were spot on, the endorsement didn’t actually happen. David conveyed that, per a conversation he’d had with Kerry Messer (MBLA president), that MBLA has not met, that they did not endorse the candidates, and that they have no plans to do so.

Given the deluge of debate and argument on the list over endorsements for candidates since the announcment on Monday (there have been so many messages, I can’t hardly keep up with reading them all), the sudden news that these endorsements didn’t really happen is certainly interesting, to say the least. It raises quite a few questions in my mind, but to vocalize these publicly and imply that there was anything other than misunderstanding involved in this wouldn’t extend a bit of the grace to David and his “source” that I would hope for were I in their shoes.

(BTW, Rodney? You’ll probably want to correct your post, or create a new one clarifying the matter.)

2 Responses to “MBLA Endorses Candidates… or Not.”

  1. By Micah Fries on Oct 13, 2007

    John-

    Here’s my question. We’re told that the MBLA has not endorsed them, and I believe that. However, a slate of candidates has certainly been set forth. Each of these candidates, unless I am wrong, has agreed to run. I believe some are currently in their positions, but some are no doubt new to the position. That being said, who put this slate together? Why are they grouped together? If they are simply candidates independent of each other, why release their names in companionship together? Since we know of the SOC candidates, it’s obvious that this isn’t all the candidates, so why are these guys put together? Do they represent someone or some group outside of SOC? It just seems curious, even if MBLA hasn’t endorsed them, that their names would be released as a part of a cohesive group without any behind the scenes work to form the slate occurring.

    What do you think?

  2. By Bennett Willis on Oct 15, 2007

    Since I am not from Missouri and do not get any of my income from a church related job, perhaps it would be safe for me to speculate about what went on. Roger and his friends and relatives put together a group of people that they know are supportive of the MBLA agenda. Then (since they regard themselves as being the MBLA) they endorsed it and released it.

    At that point, someone (presumably someone not in the meeting) pointed out that for the MBLA to actually endorse someone that the MBLA would have to meet. If they did not, what had happened would be really obvious and undeniable. Since the meeting could not happen in time, the “endorsement” was “withdrawn.” The quotes around both endorsement and withdrawn are justified since neither action really happened.

    Bennett Willis

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