A Look at the SBC through "Fresh Eyes"



From a young age I have been a part of the Independent Fundamental Baptist Denomination. I was saved in an IFB church, I was called into ministry in an IFB church, and received multiple seminary degrees from an IFB seminary. All of this to say, I know the culture and history of the IFB movement intimately. It is with this understand and with a heavy heart, that in 2015 after 2 years of study, prayer, and soul-searching, I left the IFB to join the Southern Baptist Convention. (Let me say that not all of the churches in the IFB moment are bad. There are many churches in the IFB Moment that are wonderful churches, though I disagree with the methodology, for the majority, we do agree on a theological level. but in the end, I do disagree with their methodology.)

 One of the tenants that the IFB movement hold dear is the autonomy of the local church. Now, I say this with the full understanding, the SBC also holds to this belief. But it is hard to convey the degree of importance the IFB puts on this belief. it is the one thing that drives each church in their motives, beliefs, ministries, and services. The IFB holds so dearly to the autonomy of the local church, they sacrifice unity, for autonomy. I came to the SBC with this devotion in the forefront of my mind. I had seen how this devotion had led to the destruction of several good congregations. 

Upon coming into the convention, one of the things that I noticed immediately, was the spirit of unity within the SBC. I watched in awe as I observed thousands of churches coming together to give to one central cooperative program, commission missionaries through one central mission board, and join together to plant churches in the United States through one central mission board. I watched how young and women men were getting trained in our six seminaries. How the convention has a voice in Washington through the ERLC. When I watched, first hand as all of this happened, one word came to mind, unity. 

I say all of this as someone with fresh eyes looking at the convention. Is the convention perfect? No, it is most defiantly not! But, I do believe that God has His divine hand upon the SBC. 

I went to the Dallas convention this past June, looking forward to seeing even more of the SBC in action. I was privileged to meet several of the SBC leaders. And was privileged to be able to cast a vote on several important issues. I know that there are some who came from the convention upset and discouraged. But, let me give everyone a word of encouragement. As one who has come from a denomination renown for infighting. What I noticed from this convention was unity. I saw a convention unite and take a stand for what they thought God would have them do. In the days and weeks coming from the convention, I observed the messengers return to their churches, seminaries, and jobs and continue the theme of this year’s gathering, to testify. 

In recent weeks, there been those have in high places, who have voiced their sincere concern for the direction our convention has taken. They have voiced their concerns not out of a place of hatred, or anger. But, out of concern, and fear for the new paths that lay ahead. Let me say, even though I am only a youth pastor serving a smaller congregation in the hills of West Virginia, my voice maybe small, yet I speak as one with fresh eyes, and from my view, though there are some spots the rightly deserve our attention and concern, but as a whole we are in a good place, with a bright future ahead of us. As long as we remember at our core why we do what we do. All of our efforts are to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As long as we keep this as our compass and continue to labor in unity, our path is clear and bright.


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