Quo Vadis, Moderate?

Quo Vadis, Conservative?

                                                                                                                                Vol. II, No. 2, June 1989

There has been much speculation how moderate churches might respond to continued conservative successes at the SBC level, and on several occasions the moderates have given indication of their intentions. Conservatives should be aware of these indications so that we may be prepared to respond in Christ honoring ways. We will be face( with the need to respond because some of their plans will directly impact our state convention, local associations, and even our local churches. That moderates are being very active in preparing the ground is obvious. This article will touch on four current evidences of their actions and intentions.

First: Last November the Virginia Memorial to the SBC was overwhelmingly adopted at the state convention. The Memorial seems to boil down to a threat, "We are tired of the democratic Southern Baptist way of deciding issues because we keep losing. Therefore, you start doing things our way or ...” The question is what the "or" will be. Presumably we will find out at the next state convention in November.

Second: Individual moderate churches have begun to take steps on their own. One example is the following Report of the "Committee on our Relationship to the Southern Baptist Convention," First Baptist Church, Front Royal. After initially intending to summarize the Report, it seemed to your editor better to present the entire document for your study. As you read the Report, please ask yourself what assumptions underlie it, note the conclusions resulting from those assumptions, and ask yourself what the impact will be upon the SBC if a large number of churches take similar action. Some assumptions that clearly underlie the Report (though they may not have been explicitly voiced) are:

1. Human feelings about an issue are more important than what God's Word says. See especially the second and third introductory paragraphs.

2. The Bible contains errors.

3. The pastor has no special call from God or different role, but is simply one of the many equal partners in a local church.

4. There is no biblical difference between the roles of men and women.

Finally, note where these fallacious assumptions lead in both their resolutions and recommendations: cutting missions giving and transferring the money to hunger relief and to the Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs. We can probably expect to see similar actions by other moderate churches.