Launching a New Denominational Age
Vol. VII, No. 9, November 1994
[The following is reprinted from The Tie, the journal of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Summer 1994. R. Albert Mohler, Jr. became president of Southern a year ago 1 August. In this article he shares his views on the title topic.]
What will the Southern Baptist Convention look like in the future? That is one of the most frequently asked questions among Southern Baptists, and it is a question we ourselves will answer.
For the past several years, sociologists, historians, and observers of American religion have suggested that we have entered a "post denominational" age. The great national denominational structures, they argue, are now out of date and out of place-relics of the nineteenth century which will soon dissipate and disappear.
There is some evidence to suggest that this is true. Virtually all of the so-called mainline Protestant denominations have experienced dramatic losses in membership and downturns in financial contributions over the past thirty years. The United Methodists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Episcopalians, Disciples of Christ, American Baptists, and Congregationalists (United Church of Christ) have all followed to some degree the pattern of statistical decline.
A myriad of theories have been offered as explanations for this decline. Demographic factors, the rise of the baby-boomers, increasing secularization, a loss of denominational loyalty, and changes in congregational life have all been offered as factors. ... I believe that the most critical reasons for these patterns of decline are not sociological or financial, but theological.
The denominations which have experienced the most marked decline are the same denominations which have moved significantly to the theological left over the course of the twentieth century. Some have abandoned not only their unique denominational distinctives, but have compromised essential and central truths of the Christian gospel.
Furthermore, and directly related to this theological decline, is a loss of missionary and evangelistic zeal. By mid-century, several of the mainline Protestant denominations had moved to redefine missions away from a conversionist purpose and toward mere dialogue. Some denominational bodies declared a formal "moratorium" on missionary work.
The linkage to theological accommodation should be clear. If churches do not believe that all persons, regardless of status, gender, or any other circumstance, are eternally lost unless they are redeemed by the atoning work of Christ and confess Him as Savior and Lord, those churches are not likely to maintain missionary commitment.
If this is the pattern denominations will follow, then the denominations deserve to decline.
But what about the Southern Baptist Convention? Is it destined to follow the pattern of the mainline churches? Is it just another giant but out-of-date denominational structure?
But by the grace of God, the answer would be ‘yes.' While many other denominations saw statistics decline, Southern Baptists reported ever-increasing numbers and ever-expanding missionary efforts. But statistics can mislead Southern Baptists into believing it will always be so. Furthermore, statistical patterns can hide significant danger signs for the future.
I look to the future of the Southern Baptist Convention with great hopefulness because I believe we are now entering not a post denominational age, but a new denominational age. In the closing years of the twentieth century, Southern Baptists have the opportunity to renew our denominational vision and to make certain and clear our commitment to the truths of Christian faith and to the mandate of Christian missions.
One of the central factors leading to denominational decline is the shift of authority and influence from the congregations to the denomination. Thus, the denominational bureaucracies set the agenda and determine the mission.
But this shift of authority and mission should be anathema to Baptists. We know – or at least we say we know – that the local church is the locus of authority and is, as the First London Confession of Faith stated, "a company of visible saints."
The new denominational age must see the Southern Baptist Convention deinstitutionalized and recongregationalized. That is true to our heritage and our convictions, yet it is a revolutionary argument in the context of American denominational life. It is the richness of our heritage and the promise of our future.
... We are The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. We know to whom we belong - the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention. The churches must set the agenda, make clear their priorities, and insure theological integrity. As I pledged to the Convention: "You hold us accountable. We will hold your trust." That is, I believe, the motto of the new denominationalism.
[Dr. Mohler was separately interviewed Michel Duduit, editor of the Southern Seminary magazine. Reprinted below are some particularly pertinent portions of that interview. Bold print has been added for emphasis.]
Question: What are some of the major challenges that you see the Seminary facing in the next five to ten years?
Mohler: I believe the 1990's and the early decades of the 21 st century are going to be a testing time for theological education. We have come to this point because of changes in the life of churches and their ministries, changes in denominational life, but most importantly, changes in the vision of theological education.
My concern is that the Seminary be faithful to its founding vision, because I believe it is there we see what Southern Baptists intended for this Seminary to do in the first place: training persons whom God has called for ministry so that they might return to the churches better equipped; ...
For Southern Seminary, the challenge is building upon the tradition of excellence and the heritage of this institution in a day of dramatic change in the local church and as the Southern Baptist Convention itself is entering a new age and a new context of ministry and mission. I am excited because Southern Seminary has always been at the forefront of this denomination and I have not the slightest doubt that Southern Seminary will lead the Southern Baptist Convention both in developing a model for the new denominationalism and in being the flagship institution for theological education.
I can speak in terms of several specific issues like the challenges of building the right faculty, persons who are superbly equipped, persons of unquestionable conviction, persons of genuine scholarship, but also persons who are churchly and who see their function here as that of a minister of the church, a minister of the Word of God. There is a challenge of preparing a generation of students, many of whom do not come from traditional backgrounds and have not been well-grounded. Because of what I see as the abdication of so many of our churches in discipleship and in Christian formation, we cannot assume a background either of Christian conviction or biblical knowledge that previous generations could assume. Nor can we assume that persons who come to us are well acquainted with the Southern Baptist Convention, even though they come from Southern Baptist churches. This denomination has experienced a prolonged period of denominational amnesia, and an important part of our challenge is to reawaken this denomination to itself, to its identity, to its convictions, to its purpose.
In terms of other challenges, of course, every institution faces the challenges of finances. Theological education is an expensive process. It is an absolutely necessary process, but it is expensive to fund professors, libraries, the technologies and support systems that are involved in theological education. But I firmly believe that where God provides the opportunity, He will provide the resources. That has certainly been true in this first year.
Let me speak of one long-term issue. I think the most critical long-term issue for theological education is the preservation of theological integrity from one generation to the next. As we see Southern Seminary moving in a clearly evangelical and conservative direction, one of our essential and unavoidable challenges will be to prepare and educate generations of ministers who will go from here out to the churches with a concern for biblical fidelity, for expository preaching, for doctrinal formation, for theological integrity, for growing churches, for reaching the lost world, for educating Christians in the faith. That is a tremendous challenge, but it is one this institution bears gladly and with a sense of both humility and excitement as we look to the future.
Question: There are some who have asserted that conservatives like yourself will be more concerned with "indoctrination" than quality theological education.
Mohler: "Indoctrination" has become a codeword for unauthentic education. In the supposedly value-neutral world of secular higher education, we are told that an institution has no right to seek to inculcate certain convictions, values, and traditions in its students. Of course, those same institutions turn around and do what they despise in others. The most doctrinaire institutions in America are the secularist academics.
At Southern Seminary, we will not apologize for seeking to implant, nurture and affirm orthodox Christian tradition, evangelical convictions, and Baptist distinctives. To suggest that this is unauthentic for an academic institution is to buy the "big lie" of a value-neutral education. Students, churches, and the SBC have every right to understand what doctrine our institution represents, teaches and confirms. Let there be no doubt that this institution will be evermore committed to excellence in theological education but we will not fall prey to the assumption that we must compromise who we are and what we believe in order to meet some secular expectation of academic excellence.
On the contrary, we will continue to build a faculty of unquestioned academic excellence. When you look at the educational pedigrees of those who have been added to this faculty, you will see persons who bring degrees from institutions such as the University of Aberdeen, from Princeton and the University of Chicago. These persons have an unquestioned background at the highest levels of scholarship and they are investing their lives in The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
The scholarship that is evidenced in a theological seminary must be unapologetically confessional; that is a different mode of scholarship than what is found in the secular world of higher education, which is committed to nothing beyond ideological revolution and moral relativism. As I have repeatedly said, we are not a value-neutral institution. We are a precommitted institution.
Let me go on to say, as we look to the future, we are committed to call and to elect a faculty which will produce a body of literature, will publish in their fields, will be well recognized as those who have come to teach here, are already recognized for excellence in their fields.
Let me give you one example. We have more persons now leading sections and sessions of academic societies than at any point in the Seminary's history. This is unprecedented, and these professors are providing such leadership on the basis of their confessional identity.
Question: You have taken a great deal of criticism about your position on the place of women in ministry. Could you describe your views on that issue, and how your personal views impact the Seminary's position toward women who may come to study?
Mohler: From the very beginning, I have stated as clearly as possible my convictions on the issue of the service of women in the church in ministry and in the pastorate. This is a complex issue. Some have responded because they have understood my position and others because they have misunderstood my position.
First, I believe that all Christians are called to ministry. There is no question God has gifted women, as well as men, for ministry in the church. The second issue is that on the basis of biblical conviction, I do not believe it is appropriate for women to serve in the role of pastor within the church. I find no justification for such service in the New Testament and, indeed, I find clear biblical prohibitions related to women serving in the pastorate. This position does not meet the expectations of political correctness in our own day but it is, I believe, faithful to the New Testament. It is due to our Baptist confusion of the New Testament office of pastor that there is such consternation among some churches and denominations over this issue. It is absolutely vital that I speak clearly to this issue. I owe that to Southern Baptists. I owe that to the church. I owe that to my Lord.
Yet at the same time, it is fundamentally true that the Seminary does not call ministers; we train and educate and prepare ministers. We receive those whom the churches have sent to us for ministry, for education and training and preparation for ministry. There are so many roles within the church, as biblically defined, that can be filled and are filled on a week to week basis by consecrated women. So we must be very careful to define the issue of concern. It is not women ministering in the church. It is women serving in the pastorate. We also owe women students the honest word that the vast majority of Southern Baptist churches are not open to women as pastors. They need to know this at the onset of their seminary experience.
We will receive all those whom the churches send to us, men and women, and all programs of the Seminary are open to both men and women without regard to gender. I believe that women who are going to be serving in support ministries in the church should avail themselves of the highest and most substantial programs of biblical and theological study, in order that they may serve most effectively in their role. I do not believe that those who will serve in music, education, or other specialized ministries should have any lesser quality of preparation for ministry.
Question: Tell me some of your dreams for Southern Seminary, both short-term and then over the potentially thirty-year tenure of your presidency?
Mohler: When that relatively small group of committed Southern Baptists established this institution in 1859, they were up to something far greater even than their wildest visions could have shown them at that time. The need for Southern Seminary in the 21st Century will dwarf anything envisioned as a need for this institution in its first 140 years. This is due both to changes in the life and ministry of churches and the incredible changes in the culture around us.
My vision and commitment is to see Southern Seminary as not only the flagship institution among Southern Baptists, but as the flagship theological seminary for the entire evangelical world. Southern Seminary has the tradition, it has the resources, it has the commitment, it has the heritage that are required for an institution that would assume such a position of leadership. I would see Southern Seminary set the standards for confessional, theological, and biblical scholarship.
I believe Southern Seminary will be on the firing line of ministry. We will be preparing ministers local churches will eagerly call to serve. They will know that those ministers have been trained and educated with programs of study that are unquestionably marked by convictional fidelity, that are unquestionably rooted in the substance of theological learning, biblical exegesis, and the other classical disciplines. At the same time, we will prepare persons who are homiletically without peer in terms of expository preaching and who are pastorally superior in terms of understanding the nature and role of the pastorate and what it takes in terms of conviction, vision, leadership ability, and relational skills to build a great church.
I would see Southern Seminary set the standard for a new era of cooperation among Southern Baptists and Southern Baptist agencies and institutions to help build a new model of denominationalism. I believe that the Southern Baptist Convention without Southern Seminary in leadership, is a denomination lacking an essential part of its soul.