Liberal Theology: Where the Rubber Meets the Road                                       

by T. C. Pinckney                                                                                                Vol. IX, No. 4, April 1996

     Over the 35 years since 1961 when the Conservative Resurgence first began in reaction to the liberal theology of Ralph Elliott's then-new book, The Message of Genesis, there have been many claims and counter claims as to the motives of conservatives. Liberals and moderates usually maintain that conservatives are simply out for power, status, prestige. Those who may or may not have a biblical theology but who have too little backbone to openly stand for what they say they believe frequently salve their consciences by charging "It is just a preacher fight."

     So one pertinent subject is, "Is there a real impact of the differing theologies? Does the theological controversy have real results on the growth of God's kingdom, or is it irrelevant to saving souls? Can we document such impact?"

     With that in mind I recently called the Home Mission Board [now renamed North American Mission Board] and asked that they send me the baptismal records of all the states for the most recent year available. They sent the results for 1994, 1995 not yet having been compiled.

     Here are the figures. The baptismal ratio is derived by dividing the number of baptisms in the State during 1994 into the total number of resident members of all SBC churches in the state. Thus a ratio of 1:10 would mean that the state recorded one baptism for every ten resident members.

                 Position    Ratio  State

                        1        1:9      Caribbean area

                        2        1:11    Montana

                        3        1:13    New York, Nevada, & New England

                        6        1:14    Dakotas & Utah-Idaho

                        8        1:15    Alaska & Minn-Wisconsin

                       10       1.16    Hawaii

                       11       1:17    Northwest (OR &WA)

                       12       1:18    California

                       13       1:19    Arizona, Colorado, Michigan, Pennsylvania-S. Jersey, & Wyoming

                       18       1:23    Florida, Iowa

                       20       1:24    Indiana, MD-Del, New Mexico, Ohio

                       24       1:25    KS-Neb, Oklahoma, W. Virginia

                       27       1:20    Illinois

                       28       1:27    Arkansas, Louisiana

                       30       1:28    Texas

                       31       1:31    Georgia

                       32       1:34    Alabama, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee

                       36       1:35    District of Columbia

                       37       1:37    South Carolina

                       38       1:38    North Carolina

                       39       1:39    Kentucky & Virginia

     Note the dismal records of those states closest to the two previously most liberal SBC seminaries, Southeastern in Wake Forest, NC, and Southern in Louisville, KY. Here is clear evidence of the doleful impact of liberal theology: to the degree that you choose to disbelieve the Word, you have less Good News to tell and you will be less concerned about souls.

     Praise God that Southeastern and Southern (as well as the other four SBC seminaries) now teach the Word of God as inerrant in every realm of reality. Praise God that as they graduate Bible-believing pastors who move into pulpits in the “old-line” states the Book will be preached expositorily, members will be discipled into soul-winners, and millions more gospel seeds will be planted which the Holy Ghost can then nurture.

     Winning souls is what the conservative resurgence was and is all about.