BUENA PARK, Calif. (ABP) — A former Southern Baptist Convention vice president criticized by denominational leaders two years ago for controversial comments concerning Barack Obama is considering allowing his nomination for SBC president in 2011.
Wiley Drake
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Wiley Drake, pastor of First Southern Baptist Church in Buena Park, Calif., elected as the convention's second vice president in 2006, sent out a press release Jan. 24 seeking "prayer and counsel" about the following question: "Should I allow my nomination for the position of president of The Southern Baptist Convention in June 2011, and make a run for this position?"
"In my opinion we have left our traditional biblical positions and become a large group being led by a small group of leaders who are out of touch with what the average Southern Baptist desires for our ministry under the leadership of the Holy Ghost," Drake explained.
In a telephone interview Jan. 25, Drake said he sees things going on today in convention life that are "sort of a repeat" of the situation that existed prior to the "conservative resurgence," the grassroots movement that redirected the denomination beginning in 1979.
Drake said he also sees parallels in the Tea Party movement in secular politics. "People are just saying, 'We're tired of you guys up there running things and not asking us, and even if you do ask us, you are not paying any attention.'"
Drake said he has heard similar things from fellow pastors. "I'm hearing people say, 'I'm not going to convention any more. Nobody listens. They just ramrod it. They run it through.' That concerns me, because I'm a convention kind of guy."
For many years, Drake was a fixture at SBC annual meetings with his perennial motions made from floor microphones during business sessions, including a resolution calling for a boycott of the Disney Co. in the 1990s. Messengers rewarded him at the 2006 annual meeting in Greensboro, N.C., by electing him among four nominees to the office of second vice president.
Drake was outspoken during his one-year term in the office, but he became even more controversial in 2009 when he said on Fox New Radio that he was praying for Obama to die. The comment was in response to a question by host Alan Colmes about Drake's use of "imprecatory prayer," directing certain Psalms containing prayers for divine judgment on enemies back to God.
Drake, who ran as Alan Keyes' vice presidential running mate on the American Independent Party ticket on the California ballot in the 2008 presidential election, has a pending lawsuit challenging the legitimacy of Obama's presidency. The suit, now under appeal to the California Supreme Court, says Obama's election should be voided because he does not meet the constitutional requirement that the president be "a natural born citizen" of the United States.
Drake is among a minority commonly referred to as "birthers" who believe Obama was born outside the U.S. and that documents recording his birth in Hawaii are fake.
After his comments about Obama's death, one SBC official described Drake as out of the denomination's mainstream. A resolution at the 2009 convention applauded the election of America's first African-American president, while opposing many of President Obama's policies. The resolution did not mention Drake by name, but the chairman of the resolutions committee said one reason for recommending it was "irresponsible" statements by "some Southern Baptists."
Drake later lifted his call for imprecatory prayer against Obama. Recently he issued a similar edict against Fred Phelps, founder of the controversial anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan., for being "an embarrassment to Bible-believing, pro-life and pro-family Christians, especially for those who are proud to be called Baptist."
Drake, 67, has kept a low profile in denominational life the last two years. "It had to do with the fact that I was being criticized, that I was always outspoken and nobody was listening to Wiley," he said. "Why should I invest money? Why should I invest time to go to a state or national meeting when nobody was listening?"
If he were to be elected as SBC president, Drake pledged to travel around the country holding "town hall" church meetings to find out what people desire and to use the input to "lead our denomination back to the Baptist Faith and Message."
Drake said he has been praying and fasting for about a month and believes the Lord is leading him to allow his nomination, but that he sent out his press release seeking prayer and counsel because: "I don't want it to be a Wiley thing. I want it to be a God thing."
"I believe God wants me to do it, but I want to hear from the family," he said. "I am honestly seeking not only prayer but counsel."
Either way, Drake said it is time for him to get re-involved in Baptist life.
"I'll be back in the swing of things, whether I run or not," he said. "I'm going to do what I can to bring Southern Baptists back to all the things that we used to do."
"I am back in the battle," Drake said. "I am going to fight. I figure if I could fight from the top down it would be easier, but if not I will fight from the bottom up."
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Bob Allen is senior writer for Associated Baptist Press.
Previous ABP stories:
Drake, former SBC officer, says he's praying for Obama to die
African-American pastor says SBC leaders should repudiate Drake
SBC spokesman disavows statements by former second VP
SBC praises Obama's election, criticizes policies, in resolution
Drake won't repeat as SBC 2nd VP but won't rule out higher office
Reform-minded Wiley Drake won’t accept traditional obscurity of SBC's 2nd VP