On Wade Burleson’s blog today, he told of a Trustee rotating off of the board who took the opportunity to speak as a chance to verbally abuse Wade, though not by name.
I was disappointed by that. Some people don’t have enough sense to make peace when they should. It was not that surprising, though, because there are a few folks in every crowd who shoot their mouth off, especially as they walk out the door and know that they don’t have to live with the mess they make.
I did not, however, expect this from Tom Hatley today. I had heard that Tom was going to make a real effort to make peace and resolve any issues with the Wade Burleson situation. Either that was completely false, or the definition of “peace” among others and my understanding of it is completely different.
I talked on the phone last night to a man who heard Paige Patterson say of another person completely that many a great man of God does not finish well.
I would say verbally abusing Wade, accusing him of wrong doing without providing evidence, silencing the microphone when Wade went to ask for specifics about the charge and then putting Wade on a one year probation of service from any committee is a complete failure to finish well.
Wade comments on the exactitudes of Tom’s clumsy goodbye in this post:
This Really Gets Old But In The End It Will Be Worth It All
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Kevin Bussey
on May 24th, 2006
@ 3:27 pm:
Sorry to hear about it! Keep us posted.
CB Scott
on May 24th, 2006
@ 4:54 pm:
Only a coward attacks a man in front of his wife. I have known professional mercs with more honor. I own bulldogs with more class.
cb
Ann
on May 24th, 2006
@ 8:39 pm:
Art, Several weeks ago I gently suggested to you (in a comment) that perhaps in your assurance to those you were trying to prepare for convention participation that you were being a bit naive. Tonight I am in no mood to be subtle. Do you still believe that mics will not be turned off, that all will be treated fairly and that the parliamentarian is our friend? Maybe, instead, you may now fear that the IMB BOT meeting could be a microcosm of a larger coming event.
CB Scott
on May 24th, 2006
@ 8:55 pm:
Ann,
You are comparing apples to oranges. Today was a one man(or spoiled boy) show.
I do not believe that anyone in the true Power Network had any real knowledge of what was going to happen. Those men would never do what was done to Wade in front of his wife.
The Power Network has an agenda but it would never include this kind of rude behavior.
This was the vanity of one coward that obviously cought some good men off guard or they would have stopped it before it happened.
There is no comparison.
cb
tim rogers
on May 24th, 2006
@ 9:35 pm:
Brother CB,
I know you believe what you said to Ann, but are you really not concerned about something like that happening in Greensboro? Any motion that is made has to make it through the Committee on the Order of Business, which usually refers the motion to the BoT of the respective entity. (Why am I telling you this, you know how it works better than I) Also, and I questioned it last year, the Parliamentarian told me that the convention meeting in session could not direct the BoT to do something they could only suggest it. Then it was up to the BoT to act at their discretion, mind you.
Ann
on May 24th, 2006
@ 10:04 pm:
CB, Are we talking about the “Longhorn” thing or the Hatley thing? Your experience with the “power network” left you with more confidence in them than I would have expected. Wives often have a different perception than husbands. I applaud your generosity.
art rogers
on May 24th, 2006
@ 10:33 pm:
Ann,
CB is talking about the Hatley thing.
Honestly, those guys are better at politics than this. Hatley just made Wade a martyr one month before Greensboro because he wanted to take a parting shot for which he would not have to answer.
I can say this… I have personally talked to several in key governance positions and they are bending over backwards to be fair about all of this.
I will also guarantee that if this ind of stunt happens in Greensboro – they will kill the Younger Leader movement, as the YL’s will just walk away forever, taking churches and offerings with them.
They know that and they will not cross that line, in my humble opinion.
Ann
on May 24th, 2006
@ 11:23 pm:
The whole thing is very sad. Thanks for your involvement and for your comments to me. I’ll try to stay quiet.
CB Scott
on May 24th, 2006
@ 11:40 pm:
Ann,
Please do not be silent. Cry foul in the streets. Get together with your friends and rent a billboard in Greensboro and call for Tommy Hatley to apoligize to Mrs. Wade Burleson for his cowardly act in New Mexico. Email Villa Rica and ask him to send Merle and Dr. Bob Rambo to bring order to this chaos.
I just heard that Tommy has one more year on the board. If that is so has he not violated the new guidelines?
cb
CB Scott
on May 24th, 2006
@ 11:45 pm:
That should be apologize, not apoligize. Or is it more intense when said with an i?
cb
flounder
on May 25th, 2006
@ 12:18 am:
Can we expect any commentary by our Presidential candidates about this episode?
GeneMBridges
on May 25th, 2006
@ 3:03 am:
I can’t say much, but I happen to know there are friendly faces to the YL movement that folks have no idea about who are in key positions for Greensboro, over a number of committees. I don’t think this will happen there. If it does, expect a scene. However, be sure, be very sure that y’all have a really, really, really good Parliamentarian of your own if necessary.
Phillips Lynn
on May 25th, 2006
@ 9:45 am:
C B,
Maybe Hatley’s directions did not include the statement “don’t do this if his wife is present.”
Ron West
on May 25th, 2006
@ 9:54 am:
CB,
Although I think Bobby Welch has too much class to turn off the microphones, Ann has precedence on her side. Charles Stanley employed that technique in Dallas in 1985 and I saw it happened in New Orleans in 89. I too think our leaders today know they cannot get away with that stuff like they used to but I cannot blame Ann for being concerned.
There is also precendence for this kind of behavior at board meetings. You should have seen the way Dellana O’Brien was treated when she attended a board meeting to represent the WMU or the European Baptist leaders when Bill Hancock was chairman and they were invited to address the Ruschlikon issue.
CB Scott
on May 25th, 2006
@ 10:46 am:
Ron,
I, also, was there. If you remember the system used for the mics. was different then. It was inadequate for the large crowd. There really were technical problems.
The circumstance was another factor. We are not dealing in abstractions here.
There was a mob factor in the past in regard to those meetings you referenced.
I believe that the younger SBC crowd will behave differently than we of the former yelling and screaming Baby Boomer crowd.
Their purpose is far more missional ( trying to get used to using that word ) than political.
The word politics is not a bad word and all things human usually have political attachments.
The difference then and now seems to be that this new type of leader is willing to use politics only as far as to achieve their goals toward being missional and more positive in bringing the gospel to their communities and the world at large. Having done so they seem to agree that they then want to go back to their ministries and work in building the Kingdom.
My generation seemed to use politics as a vehicle toward personal advancement. It would appear that we became drunk with the wine of political power and could not find our way home. I realize that this is not true across the board with all people of my Baptist generation, but it is true enough that we now find ourselves in this “CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER”.
cb
CB Scott
on May 25th, 2006
@ 11:08 am:
Phillips,
You may be right, but my prayer is that they did not know what Tom Hatley was going to do.
Also, I need to ask Tom’s forgiveness for calling him Tommy in the manner that I did. I called him Tommy in taking a shot at his maturity and that was wrong and sinful of me.
I have no excuse other than to say my old ways are a constant thorn in my flesh and the Devil knows my home phone number and I sometimes answer when he calls even though I have caller ID.
Therefore, Tom, I am sorry for the Tommy statement, but only for that statement. All other statements are true. That which you did to Wade in front of his wife was wrong and with any Christian merit. You need to apologize to Mrs. Burleson and you need to do it publically and soon.
cb
Wes Kenney
on May 31st, 2006
@ 11:47 am:
In reference to the opening paragraph of this post, I have had a conversation with the trustee who made the comment, and he told me that it was intended for several in the room, and that had he had anything to say exclusively to Wade, he would have done so directly.
For what it’s worth…
Anonymous
on May 31st, 2006
@ 9:41 pm:
Wes
As always – thanks for going to the source. I still think it is an inappropriate comment – no matter to whom it was addressed.
Art