Wednesday, June 22, 2011

The State of the SBC

The blogger and twitter world is abuzz with endless opinions of the state of the Southern Baptist Convention after last week's abysmal turn out in Phoenix (just 5,000 people--the smallest turn out since the 1940s), the decline in baptisms and giving, and the various camps within the convention pointing fingers. One thing is for sure, the SBC doesn't lack for armchair QBs.

I for one am not alarmed at the longterm relevance and future of the SBC. She will come back stronger than ever...in ten to fifteen years. Between now and then we'll see more floundering, finger pointing, alarmists, extremists, and conflict. We are merely experience the ramifications of twenty years of moderate/liberal theology in our seminaries. When it comes to strong theological training, which produces strong leadership, the SBC has a generational gap. The students in our seminaries when our schools were in such bad shape the Conservative Resugence began, are now in their 50s and early 60s. That is the age group that usually gives leadership to our convention. Many, but definitely not all, of this group tend to be atheological. Men of God who love Him and are deeply committed, but didn't have the theological training from a mentor like an Adrian Rogers or a school like our seminaries of the last 15 years. The theological void was filled by methodology and programs which has led to the rise of pragmatism over theology, which in turn produced the slippery slope down which we are currently sliding.

The last theologically driven generation is in their very late 60s, 70s, and 80s and sidelined by the convention. The next theologically driven generation is still under 45, which means lots of biblical grounding, but still very inexperienced when it comes to the ability to lead at a national level.

Hence the generational gap in SBC leadership. Ask anyone who has served on a search committee at a church, IMB, or NAMB in the last ten years how hard it is to find theologically driven, experienced leaders between 45-60. Candidates are out there, but not in great numbers.

But we have hope. History has proven that theologically driven leaders produce thriving, healthy organizations. The SBC will rebound and be as great as ever, just not for another decade while we await the coming generation of leaders. As for the finger pointing, we all share the blame. We all sat idly by while our seminaries drifted from God's Word. We are sleeping in the bed we made 20-40 years ago.

I believe the SBC will rise again to days of great glory. It is just going to take time. In the meantime we should cling to the things that matter: being a people of the book (inerrancy and sufficiency of Scripture and our six seminaries) and a people of missions (IMB and NAMB). Let's make sure these agencies remain well funded through CP and maintain great leadership like they now have, and let's ride this out. Let's stop fighting and pointing fingers. Things are going to turn around.
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