It has been a fascinating few weeks in the world of SBC blogs. Accusations have been made and points argued at a pace reminiscent of the early days of Baptist blogging back in 2006. In all the excitement, some have perhaps overreached, and I want to point out one example of what I view as a gross overstatement regarding a divide in SBC life that does not, and should not, exist.
In a post published yesterday, one commentator had this to say:
“While I am a convinced and confessional Baptist, I am also an evangelical, and here is where I have serious disagreements with the Baptist Identity vision and why I’m committed to the Great Commission Resurgence.”
In these few words, this blogger has attempted to mark a division that makes absolutely no sense. As far back as 2005, in his sermon and white paper titled The Heart of a Baptist, Dr. Malcolm Yarnell gives a clear exegesis of the key terms contained within the Great Commission, and then applies those lessons to Baptist life in a way that, although it doesn’t use the phrase “Great Commission Resurgence,” makes it clear that that is precisely what is needed. Striking a very similar tone in laying the foundation for the Great Commission Resurgence, Dr. Danny Akin, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, made it clear that the GCR will be grounded in a strong confessional identity (source):
“When other denominations are in retreat, apparently seeing how little they can confess, Southern Baptists are headed in a different direction all together. We desire to be clear and transparent in what we believe, preach and teach. There is no biblical gospel without theological content. There is no Great Commission to pursue without doctrinal conviction. This is who we are. This is where we stand. This is what we believe. This is why we go!”
You will find no greater supporters of the idea of a Great Commission Resurgence than among those who also stand firmly for a robust, biblical Baptist identity. For evidence of this, one need look no further than the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention (SBTC).
For all the rhetoric in recent months about the great need for a Great Commission Resurgence that builds upon the legacy of the Conservative Resurgence, only one Baptist body has explicitly endorsed, in essentially those terms, this grand vision. In its annual meeting in 2008, the SBTC, in a resolution authored by FBC Joshua, Texas pastor Jeremy L. Green, said the following (selected paragraphs; click here to read the entire resolution):
WHEREAS, over the course of the past three decades the Southern Baptist Convention has been blessed of God to experience a dramatic course correction in the Conservative Resurgence; and
WHEREAS, the natural next step from the Conservative Resurgence is a Great Commission Resurgence;
RESOLVED, that on the 10th anniversary of our convention, that the messengers to the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention in Houston, Texas, November 10-11, 2008, express our heartfelt appreciation to those who worked diligently to bring about a Conservative Resurgence in the Southern Baptist Convention; and be it further
RESOLVED, that we express our sincere gratitude to those who were led of the Lord to birth the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention; and be it further
RESOLVED, that we recognize the Lordship of Jesus Christ and submit to His authority in every aspect of our lives including His Great Commission; and be it further
RESOLVED, that we hereby commit ourselves and our churches to carrying out the Great Commission of our Lord by making disciples; and be it further
RESOLVED, that as we pursue a Great Commission Resurgence that we intentionally work to teach the members of our churches the precious doctrines from the Word of God that will distinctively preserve our Baptist identity.
Dr. Akin has been by far the most outspoken individual regarding the need for a Great Commission Resurgence. Some bloggers have attempted in recent days to suggest that there is some sort of contrariety between those identified in the quote above as holding the “Baptist Identity vision” and Dr. Akin. From my perspective, nothing could be further from the truth. In all that Dr. Akin has said and written about his vision for a Great Commission Resurgence, I can find little to nothing with which to disagree. I heartily agree with Dr. Akin in his articulation of this need, and greatly appreciate his leadership on this issue.
It is unclear why some Southern Baptists seem insistent on promoting the idea of some sort of widening divide, but it is my hope that careful observers will conclude no such divide exists.
REMINDER: We have disabled commenting. You can contact any member of the SBC Today team by clicking “About” in our header, then clicking the email links on that page.
SBC Tomorrow has posted an article about this issue where you can comment.
