Southern Baptist slide???

[Reynolds]

Is the SBC again sliding into liberalism? J.D?
The national committees? The literature?
Personally I am seeing liberalism. I am also seeing Sociology with a few Bible verses thrown in taught instead of Scripture. LifeWay materials are extremely heavy on Sociology and light on Scripture. Sermons remind me of my Sociology classes in College.
Is it just me or a trend others are observing as well?

 

[Reformed1689]

I haven't paid close enough attention to the "official" materials. Lifeway has been a joke for a while though.

 

[Revmitchell]

The top leadership is. The convention as a whole is not. Most do not know what is going on. That is in fact an indictment on pastors who have remained ignorant or just lazy about informing their churches.

 

[Reformed1689]

The top leadership is. The convention as a whole is not. Most do not know what is going on. That is in fact an indictment on pastors who have remained ignorant or just lazy about informing their churches.

I would say that is true in a lot of the denominations. For example the rank and file UMC rural churches. Have no idea what is going on the National/International stage and are now stuck and can't get out because they sat by and let it happen.

 

[Jerome]

Is the SBC again sliding into liberalism? J.D?
The national committees? The literature?
Personally I am seeing liberalism. I am also seeing Sociology with a few Bible verses thrown in taught instead of Scripture. LifeWay materials are extremely heavy on Sociology and light on Scripture. Sermons remind me of my Sociology classes in College.
Is it just me or a trend others are observing as well?

Y'all were forewarned about this sort of thing:

baptistboard.com/threads/baptist-church-brings-in-sociologist.107929

SBC Presidential candidate J.D. Greear...."Last week our staff and our church had the privilege of hearing from sociologist and professor George Yancey..."

georgeyancey.com/bio "...I attended the University of Texas at Austin and received my doctorate in Sociology in 1995. I first began to study interracial romance but then was fortunate enough to work with Michael Emerson on a half-million dollar grant to study multiracial churches....In 1999 I began teaching at the University of North Texas, and today I am working to establish a program for Christian Studies at that institution. It will be the first center that concentrates on conducting critical, but nonhostile, research that helps Christians to better serve their communities and the larger society."

 

[Revmitchell]

I would say that is true in a lot of the denominations. For example the rank and file UMC rural churches. Have no idea what is going on the National/International stage and are now stuck and can't get out because they sat by and let it happen.

They cant be blamed for letting it happen if they didnt know. However, every pastor in the SBC should be informed and therefore inform their chuvhes

 

[Reynolds]

They cant be blamed for letting it happen if they didnt know. However, every pastor in the SBC should be informed and therefore inform their chuvhes

Many of the pastor's won't buck the system. It's easier to just go along.

 

[Ziggy]

And then you have hundreds of smaller SBC churches that for financial reasons simply don't participate in state or national conventions and really have no clue what is going on. If their pastors (or especially their congregations) knew the facts, there would be a major uproar such as never been seen.

 

[Reynolds]

And then you have hundreds of smaller SBC churches that for financial reasons simply don't participate in state or national conventions and really have no clue what is going on. If their pastors (or especially their congregations) knew the facts, there would be a major uproar such as never been seen.

Ignorance and complacency is no justifiable excuse. There is one church in town that only has 20 members, but they send Messengers to the national convention every year. They have a pile of votes because they give over 10%.

 

[Revmitchell]

Many of the pastor's won't buck the system. It's easier to just go along.

I dont know any who are concerned about bucking the system

 

[Rob_BW]

It will always slide, if not occasionally corrected. First it slid into higher criticism and liberal theology in a quest to be "liked" or respected by the mainline, liberal denominations and big league seminaries/universities. Now the big wigs are sliding in an attempt to be "liked" on all of the new social media platforms.

 

[Reformed1689]

They cant be blamed for letting it happen if they didnt know. However, every pastor in the SBC should be informed and therefore inform their chuvhes

It's the same thing as the SBC. Pastors should be informed and should inform their churches.

 

[Reformed1689]

It will always slide, if not occasionally corrected. First it slid into higher criticism and liberal theology in a quest to be "liked" or respected by the mainline, liberal denominations and big league seminaries/universities. Now the big wigs are sliding in an attempt to be "liked" on all of the new social media platforms.

Exactly, this is nothing new. That's why we had the Reformation in the 16th Century.

 

[Reynolds]

I dont know any who are concerned about bucking the system

The ones working on graduate level degrees in seminary immediately come to mind.

A certain local pastor comes to mind. He does not want to be looked down on by his buddies at South Eastern. He still likes running in that circle even though the circle has become liberal.

 

[Revmitchell]

It's the same thing as the SBC.

I have no idea what you mean by that

 

[Reformed1689]

I have no idea what you mean by that

Same problem.

 

[Dr. Bob]

I am not SBC but assumed that the "liberal" element had been shunted to the side in a new organization and the bulk of church and schools on a more conservative level.

Last time I was a part of SBC church was 1986-88 (FBC Dallas) with Dr Criswell fighting for inerrancy and return to fundamentalism in seminaries and across the SBC denomination. They won that battle. BUT . . . know that battles/issues will continue to arise. Nature of a mega-organization that is not monolithic. Adherence to BF&M is one tool to keep modernism/liberalism at bay.

 

[Reynolds]

I am not SBC but assumed that the "liberal" element had been shunted to the side in a new organization and the bulk of church and schools on a more conservative level.

Last time I was a part of SBC church was 1986-88 (FBC Dallas) with Dr Criswell fighting for inerrancy and return to fundamentalism in seminaries and across the SBC denomination. They won that battle. BUT . . . know that battles/issues will continue to arise. Nature of a mega-organization that is not monolithic. Adherence to BF&M is one tool to keep modernism/liberalism at bay.

The liberals are smarter this round than last. They are not stupid enough to challenge inerrancy. They acknowledge it, but then liberally interpret, apply, and often outright ignore the inerrant Scripture.

The "Beth Moore issue" is a prime example of this.

 

[Dr. Bob]

The liberals are smarter this round than last. They are not stupid enough to challenge inerrancy. They acknowledge it, but then liberally interpret, apply, and often outright ignore the inerrant scripture.

That was the downfall of the Northern Baptists in their battle in 1924. They wanted specific doctrinal standards, including definitions, to root out liberalism. Instead their motion was amended to simply affirm we believe ALL the Bible as their authority.

Well, "all" meant something different to the liberals, but at the convention, who would vote against having the BIBLE as authority?

SBC observers saw this, returned home and formulated the BF&M detailed what you HAD to believe to be SBC and pushed it thru in 1925. Hence the Northern (American) Baptists started down the toilet decades before the Southern Baptists.

 

[Revmitchell]

I am not SBC but assumed that the "liberal" element had been shunted to the side in a new organization and the bulk of church and schools on a more conservative level.

Last time I was a part of SBC church was 1986-88 (FBC Dallas) with Dr Criswell fighting for inerrancy and return to fundamentalism in seminaries and across the SBC denomination. They won that battle. BUT . . . know that battles/issues will continue to arise. Nature of a mega-organization that is not monolithic. Adherence to BF&M is one tool to keep modernism/liberalism at bay.

Criswell had to be drug into it because he wasnt convinced there was a problem. He showed up late to the game. Pressler and Patterson were the primary pushers starting in the 70s. The change really began in 79 with the election of Stanley as President.