CBF or SBC? You Can't Have It Both Ways

                                                                                                                                                                   Vol. VII, No. 2, February 1994

This quote is excerpted from a letter to the editor in the Western Recorder, the Kentucky state Baptist paper, 7 September 1993. "I attended the Paducah [CBF] meeting and asked Cecil Sherman [CBF national executive director] if the Southern Baptist mission cause would be hurt by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. I taped his reply: 'Well, you can't spend a dollar two ways. If it goes to one, it doesn't go to the other.'

"He discussed the three CBF giving plans and then asked: 'Does this diminish the money that goes to the Foreign Mission Board? Oh yes.' I said, 'So, in other words, you could say the CBF hurts Southern Baptist missionaries ... because money is diminished that would have gone to the Lottie Moon offering that's now going to the CBF's mission offering.' Dr. Sherman replied, 'That's right. ... If Southern Baptist missions is what you're about, that diminishes it. ... If you're interested in Southern Baptist missions, this is a competitive way."'

Though Cecil Sherman's moderate stance is to be deplored, his consistent forthrightness is commendable. Here you have it, readers, from the most prominent moderate: "If you're interested in Southern Baptist missions, this is a competitive way."

The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is starkly misnamed, for it is neither cooperative, nor historically orthodox Baptist, nor in fellowship with loyal Southern Baptists. The CBF is trying to seduce every possible church, individual Southern Baptist, and dollar away from the SBC. Folks, you can be an honest Southern Baptist or an honest CBF'er. But you cannot be both AND honest. You simply cannot have it both ways.