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137 chapter 10 ———————Continuity and Change:A Redefined ChurchforthePost-1960sEra Coping with post-1960s American society led New Mexico Baptists to make fiscal, polity, and structural changes within their convention. Their response affected beliefs and customs, for they had to adapt to a religious climate that seemed to be growing less and less Christian. Adjusting to these new conditions began to undermine traditionally held practices and eroded doctrinal preaching. By the 1990s, Baptist churches had changed from a “Christian community” that experienced fellowship through preaching, teaching, and singing, to “spiritual shopping malls” catering to the needs of their members through a plethora of specialized programs. Responding to societal pressure to individualize the ministry for self-fulfillment, congregations ceased to be homogenous bodies of believers. Collective worship fragmented into a myriad of mutually exclusive support groups. These evolving undercurrents slowly altered the outlook of New Mexico Baptists. On the surface, the convention appeared to maintain consistency with its past. In both theological statements and resolutions on historic issues, continuity seemingly prevailed. Yet this outward stance masked an inward change, creating a false sense of stability. Expanding Political Involvement In the aftermath of the Dixon case in 1948, Baptists monitored New Mexico public policy issues, looking for infractions involving church and state issues and religious liberty violations. With the defeat of the revised New Mexico Constitution in 1969, J. R. Burnett and Dale Danielson initiated a work informing constituents of impending legislation affecting church and state relations.1 From 1972 to 1982, Burnett wrote a column during the legislative session titled “Christian Attention to Public Affairs.” Through these columns, he alerted legislators to what he perceived as funding hidden in proposed budgets and bills that might assist religious organizations.2 138 The parochiad battle in New Mexico resumed in 1975 when Baptists and Seventh-Day Adventists confronted Catholics over a bill that allowed full state funding of sectarian colleges through grants to their students. The issue raised spirited debate in the state legislative chambers. Senator Alex Martinez of Santa Fe charged that not passing the bill would be discriminatory. It was not exclusive to Catholic schools, he said, but was intended to aid all religious educational facilities. Senator Ray Luger of Las Vegas asked the question: “Do we want to help students get an education or don’t we? Separation of church and state is not the issue.”3 J. R. Burnett replied that this reasoning was nothing more than the old “child benefit” theory resurrected. If passed, it would use Vietnam War veterans as a conduit for state funds designed chiefly to float church colleges.4 The bill died in the House. Proponents tried again the following year, this time in the form of a tuitionincentive grant program. Under the bill’s provision, a resident student could apply the grant money to any educational institution, whether church or secular. This bill also failed. A U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 1975, however, let stand a Missouri court’s decision that a tuition grant program for its state colleges did not interfere with First Amendment requirements. This decision gave supporters of government aid to religious education in New Mexico new hope.5 New Mexico Baptists and Seventh-Day Adventists, along with the American Civil Liberties Union and Americans United for Separation of Church and State, expressed their outrage at the high court’s ruling. Nevertheless, subsequent provisions passed in the state legislature. Having lost the first round in the battle, New Mexico Baptists turned their attention to defeating the state’s proposed purchase of the Catholic-owned University of Albuquerque. Under a 1979 proposal, the state would turn the campus into a west-side community college. Baptists expressed concern because the proposed governing board included many trustees and members from the former school. They also noted that many of the faculty from the University of Albuquerque would continue in the same positions at the community college. The issue went to the voters of Bernalillo County in 1979. In a close vote, citizens decided to turn the Technical-Vocational Institute into a community college and the issue died.6 Legislative attempts to fund tuition assistance emerged again in 1980, with advocates asking for $3,620,000 for students at independent schools. Baptists and Seventh-Day Adventists addressed the bill’s legality, questioning the loopholes in the New Mexico state constitution. This time the measure failed to muster the necessary votes. After these battles, Danielson and Burnett chapter 10 [18.119.131.178] Project...

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