There is a longer conversation to have here than I’m going to lay out today. Of interest to me here at the moment is the forecasted danger of Social Justice and Critical Race Theory within the church. I simply want to put this here as an early warning of a grave sickness within the Southern Baptist Convention.
Now, understand this… I’m speaking like a weatherman in Southern Idaho. To give the forecast at this time of the year is pretty simple, usually… “Today’s weather forecast will be sunny and hot. Tomorrow’s forecast will be much like today. But next Tuesday, there is a 3% chance of an isolated afternoon thunderstorm… somewhere.”
After all is said and done weather in Southern Idaho is a simple four-season climate. That’s part of why we like living here. The hot dry days come every year but they don’t last very long. The rains come a few times a year but they will stop eventually. The snow will fly early and late sometimes but it will all melt soon.
This may be how the Southern Baptist Convention might be described – like a weatherman’s job in Southern Idaho, allegorically.
However, there is something fundamentally wrong.
This is not to say that every local independent church in the SBC has been drinking this Social Justice and Critical Race Theory kool-aid. It is looking more like someone has come in unnoticed. They came in with a familiar language. They began doing things to the foundation of a convention of churches that God has from time to time used for great advancements of the gospel and protections of the inerrancy of Scripture.
Left uncorrected, things may move along for decades like nothing has happened. Until one day we all wake up and say things like “how did we even get here?” May God grant us wisdom today to ask; “Why does the SBC actor have such big ears?” or say “My, what sharp teeth you have.” (I know, I’m mixing metaphors now, but stick with me, please.)
Let me get to the chase.
This summer I attended the Southern Baptist Convention in Anaheim, CA. On the last day of the convention, as all messengers entered the meeting-hall, we found an advertisement for a website, www.unifysbc.org. Within a short time, a video was played (don’t get me started on how much time was wasted at these meetings to show short video clips to market programs.) This video, within a few moments began to sound like another social justice program, soft-core Critical Race Theory. The trappings of Socialism and Communism. Mind you, the familiar language of the Bible was highlighted, but a close examination of the content was really what was being highlighted (“My, what sharp claws you have, grandma.”)
This is not your historic, biblical SBC.
The “SBC actor” (who is a known plagiarist) wants the SBC to trust him.
“Coming this Fall”, the website claims. That’s just a month away.
What is this highly anticipated new program for Southern Baptists? I’m being told not to be worried about it. Yet we don’t even really know what it’s about. It’s being promoted as “an innovative movement of Southern Baptist churches working toward racial unity together so the world will encounter the hope of Christ.”
I’m sorry friend, but an “innovative movement… so the world will encounter the hope of Christ.” is just risky language for this pastor to trust. There is currently no information anywhere about this promising new “innovative movement of Southern Baptist churches”. It’s like we are being told to adopt the bill and then we can read the content later to know what the bill is.
I say, “no thank you.” And I urge all of my SBC pastor friends to reject whatever comes of this www.unifysbc.org movement. The gospel never needs innovation. The advancement of the saving gospel of Jesus the Christ relies on faithfulness, not innovation.
The Gospel needs men in the pulpit who know how to fight. The pulpit needs men trained in spiritual warfare not how to perform a choreographed interpretive dance to some girly toon. Come out from among them, brothers. Their sharp teeth are the better to devour you with.
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