Baptist News Global
Sections
  • News
  • Analysis
  • Opinion
  • Curated
  • Storytelling
    • Faith & Justice >
      • Charleston: Metanoia with Bill Stanfield
      • Charlotte: QC Family Tree with Greg and Helms Jarrell
      • Little Rock: Judge Wendell Griffen
      • North Carolina: Conetoe
    • Welcoming the Stranger >
      • Lost Boys of Sudan: St. John’s Baptist Charlotte
      • Awakening to Immigrant Justice: Myers Park Baptist Church
      • Hospitality on the corner: Gaston Christian Center
    • Signature Ministries >
      • Jake Hall: Gospel Gothic, Music and Radio
    • Singing Our Faith >
      • Hymns for a Lifetime: Ken Wilson and Knollwood Baptist Church
      • Norfolk Street Choir
    • Resilient Rural America >
      • Alabama: Perry County
      • Texas: Hidalgo County
      • Arkansas Delta
      • Southeast Kentucky
  • More
    • Contact
    • About
    • Donate
    • Associated Baptist Press Foundation
    • Planned Giving
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Advertising
    • Ministry Jobs and More
    • Transitions
    • Subscribe
    • Submissions and Permissions
Donate Subscribe
Search Search this site

Dear Willy Rice and Ed Litton: I will gladly publish your explanation of Voddie Baucham’s theology if you will tell us exactly where we misrepresented him

OpinionMark Wingfield  |  March 9, 2022

The TheoBros have reacted with typical bombast this week to two articles we’ve published about Voddie Baucham. In predictable fashion, they have lobbed vitriol at BNG and our writers while accusing us of being vitriolic.

This is a classic distraction play for narcissists and demagogues: Loudly accuse your critics of doing what you have been accused of doing yourself, so as to avoid the real issues.

Watch the pattern here, because we’ve seen it before: Anytime anyone publishes a well-documented article that calls attention to the extreme views of the Calvinists and complementarians, the TheoBros immediately label it a “hit piece.”

Mark Wingfield

Somewhere, there must be a vocabulary booklet published with key words and phrases for these defenders of male dominance to use on command. “Hit piece” and “antithetical to the gospel” are favorites, along with “the watching world.”

These are the same people who called Vice President Kamala Harris a “Jezebel,” who denied the reality of COVID, who led the Southern Baptist Convention to adopt a resolution demanding a complete ban on abortion with no exceptions for rape or incest, who believe school children should not be taught about America’s racial history, and who believe Donald Trump is a “true patriot.”

They are distraught that we dared to use Baucham’s own words to demonstrate that he espouses a dangerous theology of male domination, physical abuse of children, control over grown daughters and denial of the reality of systemic racism in America. We did not make up any of this stuff; we published Baucham’s own words verbatim. And these are not one-off statements; they are quotations from books, videos and sermons.

The real problem here is that many Calvinists and complementarians actually believe what Baucham believes and can’t imagine why a Baptist publication would think there’s anything wrong with it. They are so insulated in their cultural bubble they assume all true Christians surely believe as they do.

But here’s the problem: Most of the Christian world does not share their beliefs. And that makes them angry. In their hearts, they know they are a minority voice, not just in America but also in American Christianity. Their insecurity makes them scream all the louder for fear of being pushed aside.

And in the troubled state of the SBC right now, even more rational leaders have to pay homage to the far right just to try to do their jobs. Elected leaders and professional staff of the SBC are being bombarded every day with complaints and critiques from this far-right segment of the denomination.

Perhaps that’s why SBC presidential nominee Willy Rice felt compelled March 9 to issue a statement denouncing our coverage while also not defending Baucham’s dangerous theology. He wrote: “Over the last several days, a number of social media posts and articles have been written that are strongly critical of Voddie. In my opinion, some of these things simply cross the line. Such attacks are unnecessary, unloving, and harmful to our witness. I condemn both the nature and the content of criticisms that distort the truth, unjustly impugn Voddie’s character, and attack his family. I do not know Voddie Baucham. I have been aware of his prodigious ministry through the years, and I appreciate his courage and conviction. That does not mean I endorse or agree with everything he has said or the way he may have said it. But Voddie is my brother in Christ, and I welcome his voice and involvement in the Southern Baptist Convention.”

To which current SBC President Ed Litton via Twitter added his endorsement, accusing BNG of “baseless attacks.”

Here’s my challenge to Rice, Litton, Baucham or any other person who believes we’re in the wrong: Show me what we reported that Baucham has said or written that he didn’t actually say or write. Everything we’ve published has been documented. If we have impugned his character, as Rice says, we have followed his lead by simply quoting his own words.

The problem is not that we’ve misreported Baucham’s theology. The problem is that it’s problematic for the SBC to be confronted with Baucham’s theology. Imagine if he were elected SBC president and represented the nation’s largest non-Catholic denomination on national TV by saying daughters ought to stay under their fathers’ rule until they marry? Imagine the president of the SBC giving an interview to the New York Times and suggesting that parents should spank their children into submission — including whipping infants and repeatedly spanking a young girl for being afraid to shake the hand of a grown man she does not know.

Here’s my challenge to the Conservative Baptist Network and Founders Ministries: You’ve been so worked up about your own accusations of plagiarism against Ed Litton, why are you not concerned about documented allegations of plagiarism by Baucham? Or was your concern not really about plagiarism after all?

And by the way, Rick Pidcock’s opinion piece — which I hope you’ll read — is just that: An opinion piece. It is not labeled as news; it is labeled clearly as opinion.

You can disagree with a writer’s stated opinions, but to do so you need to produce evidence that validates your opposing opinion. All we’ve heard so far are general declarations that we at BNG are “sinners” and “liars” and “reprobates.”

Oh, and there’s all the comments from Baucham supporters directed at Rick Pidcock because he’s a stay-at-home dad with five kids. The TheoBros who admire Baucham’s hyper-masculinity are making fun of our writer for being a male who takes care of his kids while his wife works a full-time job. They’re calling him “weak” and “feminized.” And we’re the ones who are slinging mud? How much more sexist can you be?

Again, the root issue here is that Voddie Baucham espouses an extreme and dangerous theology of male headship, science denial and racism denial. If the SBC wants to jump wholeheartedly on that bandwagon, so be it. But messengers to the upcoming SBC annual meeting at least need to be informed about who they’re voting for.

In truth, this is a conversation that needed to happen anyway, whether Baucham runs for SBC president or not. At last year’s annual meeting in Nashville, copies of his Fault Lines book were handed out to messengers. Today I had a conversation with a pastor friend who serves a large middle-of-the road church in Texas, and he was glad to have read our articles because there are people in his CBF-friendly congregation who are holding up Baucham as a model of good theology.

Also consider the context in which this is happening. The SBC is in the throes of a contentious debate about sexual abuse and race at the same time. The most conservative caucus within the SBC — represented by the Conservative Baptist Network and Founders Ministries — wants to avoid that conversation and has tried hard to change the subject.

They are the ones who have viciously hammered Ed Litton about his sermons, and CBN leaders were among the most vociferous opponents of an independent investigation into allegations of mishandling sexual abuse claims at the SBC Executive Committee.

So, it appears they had come up with a perfect candidate to do their bidding, now that Litton has said he’s not running again. They found a Black pastor who has a devoted following among the most conservative segment of white conservative evangelicals and — even though he is likely ineligible to run for office because he’s not a member of an SBC church — were planning to introduce him soon as their candidate. We got the news out first, and they suddenly found themselves on the defensive.

Baucham is a perfect candidate for the white Christian nationalist wing of the SBC because he’s a Black man who agrees with their view that systemic racism isn’t a problem — a view held by precious few Black Christians or Black Baptist pastors.

And for the record, before either of our articles were published, we reached out to Baucham for a comment, and he never responded. Just as we reached out to Litton for comment about his decision not to run for re-election. Litton gave an interview to Religion News Service, but not to us. So, it is ironic that he now wants to jump on the bandwagon criticizing us.

Here’s my offer to Voddie Baucham: If we’ve misrepresented your theology, please respond to our request for an interview and set the record straight. And we’d also like to report your denunciation of the pastor you chose to succeed you at your Houston church who now sits in prison on a conviction of raping a teenage girl repeatedly during the time you were pastor there. What did you know, and what are your thoughts based on what you know today?

Here’s my offer to Willy Rice and Ed Litton: If you want to defend Voddie Baucham’s theology, I’ll publish what you write. You know how to reach me.

Mark Wingfield serves as executive director and publisher of Baptist News Global.

 

Related articles:

Meet the Theobros, who want you to know they’re right about everything

With Ed Litton not running, the race for SBC presidency draws new interest, including one possibly controversial candidate

SBC pastor calls Vice President Kamala Harris a ‘Jezebel’ two days after inauguration

Once again, white evangelicals are outliers among American views on Trump, the election and the insurrection

Plagiarism is the least thing to worry about with Voddie Baucham, who is a threat to children, women and daughters | Opinion by Rick Pidcock

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)

OPINION: Views expressed in Baptist News Global columns and commentaries are solely those of the authors.
Tags:Voddie BauchamSouthern Baptist ConventionSBCFounders MinistriesConservative Baptist NetworkRick PidcockEd LittonWilly Rice
More by
Mark Wingfield
  • Get BNG headlines in your inbox

  • Featured

    • Angels among us

      Opinion

    • Sociologists find LGBTQ United Methodists, allies stay in UMC out of hope

      News

    • If a story is meant to evolve, then so are we

      Opinion

    • He was wrongly put on Death Row and believes you could be too

      News


    Curated

    • Israel’s Reform rabbi and legislator on judicial overhaul: ‘It doesn’t look good.’

      Israel’s Reform rabbi and legislator on judicial overhaul: ‘It doesn’t look good.’

    • Israel, Palestinians pledge moves to curb violence ahead of Ramadan

      Israel, Palestinians pledge moves to curb violence ahead of Ramadan

    • Pope promotes ‘humanitarian corridors’ for asylum-seekers

      Pope promotes ‘humanitarian corridors’ for asylum-seekers

    • Tim Keller and Beth Moore, On and Off the Stage

      Tim Keller and Beth Moore, On and Off the Stage

    Read Next:

    Karen Swallow Prior to leave Southeastern Seminary

    NewsMark Wingfield

    More Articles

    • All
    • News
    • Opinion
    • Curated
    • One-third of Northern Seminary students express no confidence in trustees

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • He was wrongly put on Death Row and believes you could be too

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • If a story is meant to evolve, then so are we

      OpinionKaitlin Curtice

    • Paula Faris makes a case for motherhood

      NewsMaina Mwaura

    • Sociologists find LGBTQ United Methodists, allies stay in UMC out of hope

      NewsCynthia Astle

    • Angels among us

      OpinionMary Alice Birdwhistell

    • Let’s stop treating the dignity of women as a secondary issue good Christians can disagree on

      OpinionRick Pidcock

    • First American woman appointed a missionary beat the system by funding herself

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • An Anglican in Babylon

      OpinionLee Enochs

    • Jimmy Carter leads by example one last time

      NewsMallory Challis

    • Listen to the voices of women

      OpinionKathy Manis Findley

    • Ministry jobs and more

      NewsBarbara Francis

    • Karen Swallow Prior to leave Southeastern Seminary

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Acting chair of Northern Seminary board resigns in protest of board’s ‘official silence’ about Shiell

      NewsElizabeth Souder

    • This Women’s History Month, complementarianism is trending on TikTok

      AnalysisMallory Challis

    • Stranger in the Village: James Baldwin and inclusion

      OpinionGreg Garrett, Senior Columnist

    • Amid rampant antisemitism, most Americans think highly of Jews 

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • How can we say thanks? Reflections on the influence of Andrae Crouch

      OpinionDoug Haney

    • Two days after filing suit against SBC, ‘Pastor Johnny’ was preaching in Georgia

      NewsMaina Mwaura

    • ‘Pastor Johnny’ sues the SBC and Guidepost

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Eating disorders in religious communities: The benefits, and consequences, of assigning moral value to food

      AnalysisMallory Challis

    • UMC agency asks to monitor bishop’s case as suspicion rises

      NewsCynthia Astle

    • Polling is shifting on conservatives’ attitudes on immigration

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • The SBC: ‘They are who we thought they were’

      OpinionKris Aaron

    • Denny Burk pushes back against Rick Warren’s new understanding of women in ministry

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • One-third of Northern Seminary students express no confidence in trustees

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • He was wrongly put on Death Row and believes you could be too

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Paula Faris makes a case for motherhood

      NewsMaina Mwaura

    • Sociologists find LGBTQ United Methodists, allies stay in UMC out of hope

      NewsCynthia Astle

    • First American woman appointed a missionary beat the system by funding herself

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Jimmy Carter leads by example one last time

      NewsMallory Challis

    • Ministry jobs and more

      NewsBarbara Francis

    • Karen Swallow Prior to leave Southeastern Seminary

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Acting chair of Northern Seminary board resigns in protest of board’s ‘official silence’ about Shiell

      NewsElizabeth Souder

    • Amid rampant antisemitism, most Americans think highly of Jews 

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Two days after filing suit against SBC, ‘Pastor Johnny’ was preaching in Georgia

      NewsMaina Mwaura

    • ‘Pastor Johnny’ sues the SBC and Guidepost

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • UMC agency asks to monitor bishop’s case as suspicion rises

      NewsCynthia Astle

    • Polling is shifting on conservatives’ attitudes on immigration

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Denny Burk pushes back against Rick Warren’s new understanding of women in ministry

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Akin apologizes for tweet about slavery but is chastised by the SBC’s far-right

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • 80,000 Jews have fled Russia since Putin invaded Ukraine

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Africa’s freelance prophets are breaking free of denominations

      NewsNyasha Bhobo

    • Transitions for the week of 3-17-23

      NewsBarbara Francis

    • CeCe Winans believes it

      NewsMaina Mwaura

    • BSK seeks input on youth and children’s ministries

      NewsPat Cole

    • Alliance of Baptists and others urge Congress to divert military funds to social services

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Less talked about: Clergy sexual abuse on the mission field

      NewsDegracias Kalimo

    • Stimpson pours lifetime of skill, compassion into Welcome House refugees

      NewsMarv Knox

    • Inflammatory language of Christian nationalism is a real threat, Hollman and Tyler say

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • If a story is meant to evolve, then so are we

      OpinionKaitlin Curtice

    • Angels among us

      OpinionMary Alice Birdwhistell

    • Let’s stop treating the dignity of women as a secondary issue good Christians can disagree on

      OpinionRick Pidcock

    • An Anglican in Babylon

      OpinionLee Enochs

    • Listen to the voices of women

      OpinionKathy Manis Findley

    • Stranger in the Village: James Baldwin and inclusion

      OpinionGreg Garrett, Senior Columnist

    • How can we say thanks? Reflections on the influence of Andrae Crouch

      OpinionDoug Haney

    • The SBC: ‘They are who we thought they were’

      OpinionKris Aaron

    • Blowing the whistle on wedding fouls

      OpinionBrad Bull

    • ‘Grandmas make the best banana bread’

      OpinionJustin Cox

    • Troubling the water, a gospel for the ‘unmet’

      OpinionBill Leonard, Senior Columnist

    • What has happened to suspended UMC Latina bishop?

      OpinionCynthia Astle

    • When we can’t hear our children’s cries

      OpinionSusan K. Smith

    • How I realized I had been shaped by patriarchal views of pastors

      OpinionTambi Brown Swiney

    • My home state is no longer safe for my family

      OpinionLucas Land

    • Saying the quiet part out loud

      OpinionLindsay Bergstrom

    • Tennessee representative who proposed execution by ‘hanging by a tree’ needs a history lesson

      OpinionRodney Kennedy

    • Letter to the Editor: Call out leaders’ bad behavior

      OpinionLetters to the Editor

    • Three years ago today, our world changed

      OpinionMolly Brummett Wudel

    • Sometimes it’s not a good idea to quote the Bible

      OpinionMark Wingfield

    • Shelter from the storm: The Asbury revival as Woodstock 2.0

      OpinionAlan Bean

    • Lessons from a Hindu wedding: What if the point of evangelism is friendship?

      OpinionSusan M. Shaw, Senior Columnist

    • Paved A Way: Why we need to relearn the history of infrastructure

      OpinionCollin Yarbrough

    • The one thing that unites the world’s religions

      OpinionRobert P. Sellers

    • The rest we must have

      OpinionLaura Stephens-Reed

    • Israel’s Reform rabbi and legislator on judicial overhaul: ‘It doesn’t look good.’

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Israel, Palestinians pledge moves to curb violence ahead of Ramadan

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Pope promotes ‘humanitarian corridors’ for asylum-seekers

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Tim Keller and Beth Moore, On and Off the Stage

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Alarmed by their country’s political direction, more Israelis are seeking to move abroad

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • 2nd Vatican official says pope OK’d ransom payments for nun

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Across the country, a push to observe Muslim holidays in school calendars

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Far-right Israeli minister finds enemy in JDC, the mainstream American Jewish aid group

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Charter school movement divided over religious Oklahoma proposal

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Racial Justice Leaders Are Calling For An End To Deadly Traffic Stops

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Russian Christians Make Theological Case for Peace

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Preemptive Love Coalition to merge with Search for Common Ground

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Buddhism Went Mainstream Decades Ago. US Churches Still Aren’t Ready.

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • AR-15 lapel pins are more than political provocation — they’re symbols of the violence at the heart of white Christian nationalism

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • US tribes get bison as they seek to restore bond with animal

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Tennessee’s drag ban rehashes old culture war narratives

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • US Hispanic Protestant churches are young, growing and largely new to the country

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Pope Francis’ Decade of Division

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • For American Zionist LGBTQ group, Israel’s right-wing government has created an urgent crisis

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Bizarre Tweet About Girls’ Bathrooms Backfires On Oklahoma Education Czar

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • How A Faithful Catholic In Congress Turned Into A Heretic

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Trump vs. DeSantis: Florida pastors mull conservative issues

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Far-right Israeli minister urges loyalty as his US visit draws protests, boycotts and arrests

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • I went to CPAC to take MAGA supporters’ pulse – China and transgender people are among the top ‘demons’ they say are ruining the country

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • With Her Newsworthy ‘Firsts,’ Don’t Ignore Religion Angles In Nikki Haley Vs. Donald Trump

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    Conversations that Matter.

    © 2023 Baptist News Global. All rights reserved.

    Want to share a story? We hope you will! Read our republishing, terms of use and privacy policies here.

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • RSS