Shi

The program was held at the Radisson Hotel, High Point, during the evening of Jan. 9 and the morning of Jan. 10.

E. Leon Smith, pastor of Gastonia's First Church and a former president of the Baptist State Convention (BSC), presided at the Jan. 9 evening session as chair of the Trustee Orientation Committee.

Smith

E. Glen Holt, pastor of Fayetteville's First Church and also a former president of the BSC, presided at the Jan. 10 morning meeting.

Eunice S. Bland of Wake Forest will serve as chair in 1998. The committee consists of nine members who serve three-year terms.

After-dinner music on Jan. 9 was presented by the "Best of Times Singers" from the Baptist Retirement Homes in Winston-Salem. Jim Royston, recently elected executive director-treasurer, brought greetings to the group and made introductions after he commented briefly about his role and sense of call in the BSC.

Shi talked about the Baptist principle of freedom early in his remarks.

"As you know -- perhaps better than most -- the history of English Baptists, beginning with John Smyth and Thomas Helwys in the early 1600s, has continually affirmed the principle of freedom," he said.

"Bible freedom -- empowering people to read and interpret the Bible for themselves.

"Soul freedom -- to deal with God without the imposition of creed or the interference of preachers or government.

"Church freedom -- to order their worship and work as congregations free under the lordship of Christ, to ordain persons they perceive as gifted for ministry, and (to) voluntarily participate in the unity and mission of Christ.

"Religious freedom -- to have freedom of religion, freedom for religion, and freedom from religion, a state form of religion.

"Imagine, if you will, that the relationship between groups -- between a convention and its institutions/agencies is analogous to the relationship between individuals.

"In that context, I would offer the following criteria as a way of identifying healthy relationships between such entities," the historian continued.

Shi outlined several points to guarantee healthy relationships:

• Healthy respect between the convention and the institutions through the trustees;

• Appreciation for the strengths that each party brings to the relationship, an understanding that there is a two-way street of strengths, benefits and assistance,;

• Appreciation for the differences between the two parties, their missions and their mandates.

The Furman president said we must appreciate the dynamic nature of a relationship because we are all living in the midst of change.

"We need to recognize that change is a form of reality," Shi said. "History is driven by the engine of change."

Shi concluded his list of criteria by calling for finding ways to nurture the relationship between institutions and the conventions without taking for granted the relationship will continue in the future as it has been in the past.

"Those Baptists who respect the traditions and the premises which I have just highlighted have always known the difference between Christ and Caesar," Shi asserted.

"To blend the power of the state with church pollutes the cause of Christ and denies the God-given freedom of all people."

Shi acknowledged that state conventions control their member institutions and agencies legally and practically, "not through the personalities and emotions expressed in speeches on the convention floor once a year but through duly elected, eminently capable, and responsible trustees...."

Shi went on to express that the word "control" has some importance, some relevance, some legitimacy but "God help us if it becomes the primary focus of convention concern."

The Furman president stated that the primary concern of trustees -- new or old -- is ministry, service, support and stewardship for the glory of God.

Shi closed his address by offering suggestions for identifying healthy relationships between member institutions and a state convention:

• Make sure trustees hold and interpret a trust.

• Make sure you have read and appreciate the statement of purpose of the institution/agency,

• Make sure you appreciate some of the differences and idiosyncrasies of your organization/institution/agency as it relates to other Baptist entities,

• Provide accountability and ensure autonomy of the institution while sharing governance with the administration (faculty, staff, ect.) and attending to the concerns of special interest groups. These groups or constituencies demand a voice in the fate of the institution as if they were stockholders in the enterprise, he said, adding that the trustee role is unique and amigious.

"Trustees are vital to the success and stability of any institution, as they serve as living reminders of an institution's heritage and tradition," he said. "They are encouraging sustainers of an institution's fiscal accountability and administrative management. They participate in the development of policy and procedures that reflect with integrity the institution's character and values.

"Trustees anticipate the future, with a perceiving vision of the challenges and opportunities, not today, but on the horizon and over the horizon," he said.

"Never content with the status quo, trustees should anticipate those dynamic challenges and opportunities two years from now, five years from now, ten years from now," Shi said as he elaborated on the reoccurring points.

The new trustee orientation usually features an out-of-state speaker for the Friday evening dinner meeting, such as Shi, and invites two persons from within North Carolina to bring addresses in their respective areas of responsibility on Saturday.

William Stillerman, president of the Baptist Retirement Homes, spoke on "Trends in Providing Ministry to the Aging," and A. Max Lennon, president of Mars Hill College, addressed the group on "The Future with Respect to the Economy and its Impact on Institutions." Bonnie H. Davis of Roxboro, a member of the Trustee Orientation Committee and a director of the Biblical Recorder, closed the 1998 session with a benediction.

The Best of Time singers entertain the trustees.

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