About 30 Southern Baptist conservatives from diverse backgrounds are repenting of the triumphalism, arrogance and isolationism they say threatens the integrity of the 16 million-member denomination.
Saying they represent “disparate constituencies” in the Southern Baptist Convention, the participants met behind closed doors in Memphis, Tenn., May 2-3 and later issued a “Memphis Declaration,” expressing concern and dissatisfaction over the current direction of the SBC.
But the group stopped short of proposing a candidate for SBC office or actions to be taken at the SBC convention next month — to the surprise of some participants.
Couched in terms of repentance, the statement says in part: “We publicly repent of triumphalism about Southern Baptist causes and narcissism about Southern Baptist ministries which have corrupted our integrity … . We publicly repent of an arrogant spirit that has infected our partnership with fellow Christians ….”
The closed-door Memphis meeting was organized by a group of mostly young pastors who have called for more openness in SBC life, particularly among agency trustees.
“We publicly repent,” their statement added, “of our inattentiveness to convention governance,” of not holding “trustees accountable to the body which elects them to preserve our sacred trust and direct our entities with the guidance, counsel and correction necessary to maintain the integrity of those entities.”
Those signing the declaration stated, “We covenant … to hold those trustees elected to serve our entities accountable and to pray for them.”
While examples were not stated, many in the group have been critical of recent decisions by trustees and leaders of the International Mission Board, North American Mission Board and other SBC agencies and their leaders.
Much of that dissatisfaction came to a head after Wade Burleson, pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church of Enid, Okla., and an IMB trustee, used his weblog to criticize new policies adopted by his fellow trustees. Those trustees recommended in January that Burleson be dismissed from the board but later rescinded that motion, putting in its place a policy restricting the freedom of IMB trustees to dissent publicly from board actions.
Benjamin Cole, pastor of Parkview Baptist Church of Arlington, Texas, acknowledged that he and a few others called the invitation-only meeting. Only one media representative, Don Hinkle, editor of the Missouri Baptist Convention's conservative Pathway newspaper, was invited “as a participant,” according to Cole. He said a media presence other than Hinkle would “limit our discussion.”
Among those in the meeting were participants in the SBC's loose-knit young leaders network, “emerging church” pastors, Baptist bloggers, leaders of Calvinist groups in the SBC, and others on the outside of convention leadership.
In a blog post a few days before the meeting, Burleson called for SBC leaders to abandon their cause of “convention conformity” and become more inclusive. “Unless we stop shrinking the parameters of what it means to be a Southern Baptist, we will end up being a narrow, isolated sect within Christendom and lose our ability to reach the world for Christ,” Burleson wrote.
The Memphis group's emphasis on openness echoes a similar urging from SBC chief executive Morris Chapman, who at the 2004 SBC meeting warned that “crusading” conservatives are in danger of driving the convention into “separatism and independence” by becoming too narrow.
Some in the Memphis group are urging Burleson to be nominated for SBC president during the Greensboro, N.C., convention as an alternative to the established leadership. So far he has declined interest publicly. But in a recent blog, he seemed more open to the possibility.
“If I believed a nomination to a position of service in the SBC would be detrimental to providing solutions to [the SBC's exclusivism], I would decline that nomination without hesitation,” he wrote. “I will do what I believe is best for the convention — period.”
In the Memphis meeting, Cole said, the group discussed many aspects of SBC life but took no actions other than drafting the declaration.
“There was discussion of resolutions which have already been submitted to the resolutions committee,” Cole said. “There was discussion of motions we have heard might be offered,” [but] “we drafted no resolutions. We crafted no motions. We discussed no action on the convention floor either in the way of nominating candidates, offering resolutions, amendments or anything related to the actual business of the Greensboro convention.”
He said potential candidates for SBC office were discussed but “we are not offering candidates, nor have we determined secretly to offer any candidates.” However, he did not rule out the possibility of such a candidate emerging.
Making it clear he was speaking only for himself and not the group, Cole said, “I have become convinced that there is a man in Southern Baptist life who is able to rise above all the constituencies and represent us all and to lead us in a time of self-reflection, reformation and renewal. … That man's name has not been made public. When his name is made public, I intend to rally behind him with everything I have, and I pray to God that he will put it in the heart of such a man to rise to such an occasion.”
The group's declaration repented of “triumphalism” about Baptist causes and narcissism about SBC ministries and pledged the group's renewed commitment to integrity and accountability. It repented of “an arrogant spirit that has infested our partnership with fellow Christians in the advance of the gospel,” pledging instead to partner with other Great Commission Christians “for the glory of Jesus Christ, who is proclaimed with power when his disciples are at peace with one another.”
It further repented of having condemned those without Christ “before we have loved them” and for judging them without a redemptive spirit.
It committed to engage American culture actively and to build bridges and encourage “reasoning together” with those who differ on non-essential theological issues.
“We publicly repent of having turned a blind eye to wickedness in our convention,” the statement said, especially in the form of “slanderous, unsubstantiated accusations and malicious character assassination” of Christian brothers.
“We publicly repent of having disrespected the sovereign grace of our Lord” by “falsely presuming that our strength as a people of God is found in uniformity rather than unity within the parameters of scriptural authority.” It said biblical authority “does not necessitate absolute uniformity on all matters of doctrine or practice.”
“I had no idea what to expect,” said Burleson of the Memphis meeting. “I honestly thought that from this meeting would come concrete, specific resolutions and recommendations for our convention in Greensboro. I came in expecting that. I am pleasantly and unbelievably surprised at the brokenness, humility and repentance that was expressed by the men and women around the table and at the absolute lack of desire for status-quo politics.
“I leave this meeting thrilled at what I have seen. I believe that by the Spirit of God, the conversations that have begun … are leading to wonderful change in Southern Baptist life.”
Another participant and blogger, Marty Duren, pastor of New Bethany Baptist Church of Buford, Ga., added, “The agenda became what was on the hearts of participants, and one of the things that came up really quickly was the need for corporate repentance.”
He said the document represents “our heart of repentance. We, who gathered here voluntarily, are offering public repentance for our sins and mistakes, and a commitment to the rest of the Southern Baptist Convention of how we think God wants us to do better in our personal lives, our churches' lives and in our denominational life.”
Art Rogers, associate pastor of First Baptist Church of Russellville, Ky., said those who met in Memphis do not wish to alter the convention or “move politically” within it.
“We are simply humbly gathering together in an attitude of prayer, trying to cast a vision of humility and cooperation among Southern Baptists, working with not only other Southern Baptists but also other denominations and Great Commission organizations to advance the gospel.”
Some participants declined to be identified publicly with the Memphis meeting and statement.
Among those who acknowledged their attendance were Cole; Burleson; Tom Ascol, pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Cape Coral, Fla., and executive director of the Founders' Conference, a Calvinist organization; Wiley Drake, pastor of First Baptist Church in Buena Park, Calif.; Marty Duren, pastor of New Bethany Baptist Church, Buford, Ga., and blogger at sbcoutpost.com; Steve Hardy, missions pastor at Calvary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, N.C., and editor of a conservative North Carolina publication; and Pam Blume, a member of Mt. Vernon Baptist Church in Boone, N.C., and a former IMB trustee.