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a thought on the sbc

So, Johnny Hunt has been announced as the new president of the Southern Baptist Convention. This interested me greatly, considering I’ve both been a member of an SBC church (note the alliterated B’s on the website), and attended Johnny’s church (I wasn’t a member there though, if that matters), in fact, I literally live less than a mile from Johnny’s church. So, I know just a bit about both of these organizations, and I’ll say I was a little shocked when I read the announcement in the AJC this morning (link), apparently the AJC’s opinions mirrored my own.

Josh Brown had made mention, a few months ago, that the SBC is in serious decline, and made the point of poor mode/method as the cause of this, and I must say that I agree with him. However, seeing the growing number of New Reformers (or as the AJC article calls them, young reformers) I had hoped that a fresh breath would be given to the SBC (and all baptists for that fact). I know several progressive steps had already been taken, namely the mention of global climate change as a large issue of our time, and thought that perhaps the organization was changing.

Well, with this appointment, I’m pretty sure I’m wrong.

Seriously, I remember the few services I attended at FBCW (Johnny Hunt’s church), there was always some sort of fundamentalist political overtone (please note, I’m not knocking the political overtones in services, I would likely discuss politics were I to ever step up to a pulpit). The two large issues I remember that were brought up are gay rights and abolitionism eerr… Sunday Alchohol Sales. I remember being told that if we were to vote Yes to Sunday Alcohol Sales our nation would fall even farther into moral decay. As far as gay marriage goes, I only remember being told that we needed to support the constitutional amendment in our state (Georgia) that would prohibit gay marriage from being legal.

Now, there are several good things that go on at FBCW. They have a, if I may use the term, kick-ass homeless help program, complete with both training (for the homeless) and I think nearly daily meals (they travel down to Atlanta to do so). They also have a program to help ministers who have in some way screwed up (affairs, stealing, etc) and are more often than not, kicked out of their churches instead of being taken care of. If Johnny is able to bring these sorts of programs to the SBC as a whole, than I would view his appointment as a LARGE success.

However, I’m worried that his appointment will be seen as a rallying cry to make the SBC into a PAC of the religious right.

For now, my prayers and my heart certainly go out in hope that a great change shall be had within the organization.

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This entry was posted Wednesday, June 11th, 2008 at 9:37 am and is filed under church, politics, social justice. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

  • interesting. i saw this in the news yesterday, but didn't pay much attention because i'd never heard of the guy. if what you say is true, that's really disappointing. i, like you, was encouraged when climate change and environmental awareness were brought to the forefront. do you think he'll roll back the clock on that?

    either way, to me, it's is really encouraging to see (and in some cases, hear) the splintering of the religious right and evangelicalism around us. i think it's healthy. i dare say the landscape of this general election will, for once not be defined by that voting bloc. but i digress.
  • I don't think that he'll try to regress, at least not in the form of climate change and the environment, but I do think that they will solidify the fundamentalist theology which their core believes. I do honestly think that Hunt, as opposed to say Piper, would be willing to work with different theological adherents, in order to better the communities in which their churches lay. I honestly cannot say enough about the work that FBCW does within the inner city. (On the other hand, I don't know how they work with the poor in the local area, but thats another tangent entirely).
    I do see some hope in this appointment, If they wish to fortify their theological stands, then more power to them (even if I think they're wrong on certain points), but honestly, I think social justice issues will be nurtured under Hunt.

    As far as voting blocs, I was watching CNN and I saw an interview with a Republican Strategist who was saying that he had advised McCain not to court the religious right, then there was Ralph Reed on the Daily Show last night saying that religious groups are somewhat changing their voting profiles.
  • J. Peaslee
    I have to agree with your thoughts here. I remember most of Johnny Hunt's services - particularly how he always mentioned alcohol. I mean, granted, the man is a dry alcoholic, but sometimes I wondered about his reasoning as to why we ALL should abstain.
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