Live Out Loud? Really?
I am sitting in Starbucks this morning, reading a post by Todd Littleton regarding the tactics of the political machine that is the Southern Baptist Convention. The latest iteration of the squabbles surround the Great Commission Resurgence. In particular, it involves the politics going on between Johnny Hunt and Morris Chapman.
While I was not impressed with the report Morris gave at the recent Southern Baptist Convention in Louisville, his clarification of his report is to be commended. Some hated it, a la Timmy Brister (see here, here, and here). Some, like imonk Michael Spencer, thought is was right on target. [UPDATE: I have misrepresented imonk, for which I am truly apologetic. He states his thoughts on Chapman's clarification below. My frustration got the best of me. I should not have included him.]
However, Dr. Chapman is really being taken to task because he chose not to support the Great Commission Resurgence and is taking heat from Al Mohler, Johnny Hunt, and others in the state newspapers, twitter, and other venues.
What if, as Todd Littleton suggest, Morris actually discovered that what the GCR is nothing more than moving around the deck chairs on the Titanic and decided he didn’t want to play that game? Is it wrong for him to stand up? Actually, is it wrong if he just didn’t like it and chose not to support it? Are we really at a point where we can’t have differences of opinion and we are forcing people to conform rather than have an honest discussion on the topic? I feel like I’m watching an Obama administration trying to Rahm through policies and arm-twisting those who disagree.
The GCR task force is nothing more than some politicos trying to fundamentally transform our denomination. Oh there are some good people. Danny Akin is a good enough guy. But Ronny Floyd is on the task force as payback for not getting one of the entity spots or a term as the President of the Convention. Al Mohler has decided to align with the group that will get him the most money for his seminary and most influence in its politics. Jim Richards has been pushed as a perpetual nominee for any number of entity positions. The rest of the group – sans the 4 additions – are for the most part, leftovers form the CR. It shows it’s just all politics. Nothing new has changed. In fact, I’ve been told, it’s really all just a bunch of keystone cops running around.
What they are going to do, and this has been in the works pre-convention, is to close Golden Gate and Midwestern. They want to the money for the property these seminaries sit on. It’s in the 9 figures. Forget the presence and reputation these schools have in non-traditional Southern Baptist areas. The seminary presidents want the money for themselves. Some of the seminary presidents themselves have been trying to get a yearly offering, a la Lottie Moon. So far this has been resisted. This may be part of the increased attack on the Executive Committee and Morris Chapman. I’ve already shared with you my thoughts on the seminary situation. Close them all down except Southeastern and Golden Gate and fold them into the state conventions. That won’t happen, just like Danny Akin or Al Mohler will not allow their seminaries to be sold or disbanded. In addition, they will shut down NAMB, turn church planting over to the states and have one mission board whose main focus will be international missions. They also want to break the power of the Executive Committee.
None of this has anything to do with ANYTHING missional. This is not a philosophical and theological change. This is simply an attempt to fundamentally change the structure of the convention into a structure that second generation CR people can own. Might it save money? It might. But it will only put off the inevitable demise of the convention.
This is demonstrated by the lack of a great commandment resurgence. We are saying one thing and doing another. If Johnny Hunt really wants to know what was going on with Morris Chapman, he needs to be a man, pick up the phone and call him. Stop acting like a little girl! Quit talking about it in the papers until you call him. All you are doing is demonstrating that it’s politics as usual. This is straight from the CR playbook. This has nothing to do with how Christ would handle the situation.
The reason people are leaving the convention is because people are saying one thing and doing another. I have said it before, until the leadership of our denomination confesses of the blood on its hands from the CR and repents – including Patterson, Chapman, Hunt, Floyd, Mohler, et. al. – this denomination is heading for an iceberg and the leaders are so blind they cannot even see it.
Listen guys: Until your talk and walk line up, you have no credibility. If your talk and walk don’t line up – as it currently is not – then your hipocracy will be evident and the mass of people leaving will be even more pronounced. As of now, I see nothing to indicate any change in the way things have been done in the past.
Here’s hoping that a real revival will come to the convention – one that starts with a great commandment resurgence.
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David is an entrepreneur, pastor, coach, and author. He has his doctorate from George Fox Seminary where he studied under Len Sweet, his M.Div. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and has done post graduate work in communications from the University of Alabama and the University of South Florida. He lives with his wife Brenna Phillips in Smyrna, DE. 
Maybe it will catch on that the preponderance of the conversation in the Witness document was about money and how to get more. Under the rubric of missions we want to gut everyone else’s but our own. Maybe Marty Duren was right when once he suggested the need to burn it all down and watch the organic networks produced as a result. Now where is Marty on this? Now that is a question James Smith might think about asking. Oh, wait, I am thinking we may hear from Marty before long.
O.k. David. I totally don’t keep up with this stuff, but if even 20% of what you’re saying is right, I’ll be throwing a big party about a month from now when I am done with my present position and can shake the dust off my feet. How do these people spend all this time wrangling and then read the gospels and NOT see themselves in the Pharisees? I guess I can only hope that they’re enjoying their positions of power and prestige and wealth now, because this may be the only reward any of them ever see.
David,
Since you didn’t contact me, I need to correct this piece’s representation of me.
1. I am a long time supporter of the basic concept of the GCR. I support Pres. Hunt, Dr. Akin and others in the belief we need to take a look at whether our denom as currently structured is responding to its decline.
2. I was saddened and shocked at Dr Chapman’s speech at the convention, and believe that it indicates he should consider resignation if this is his concept of the role of the Exec Sec. I actually said this privately long before the convention. I am not a Calvinist, but I am a “Frank Page” SBCer. I have no time for divisive caricatures from denom employees.
3. I commended some of Dr. Chapman’s clarification as being on target. Specifically his citation of Iain Murray’s work on hyper Calvinism and his apparent recognition that Baptist Calvinists support missions strongly. Perhaps I misread him, but if I read him correctly, I was more impressed with the clarification than the speech.
4. I am afraid that Dr. Chapman has, in my view, lost administrative and executive neutrality, and therefore, should consider resignation if he can’t be supportive of the elected leaders and direction of the denom.
Thanks for the opportunity to represent myself clearly.
Michael Spencer
Michael,
Absolutely…I apologize if I incorrectly represented you. I thought had read it in a post or heard it in a podcast. I did a quick search on your blog but didn’t couldn’t find it. I was frustrated and spoke incorrectly. I will correct in the post.
Michael,
I am glad you offered this public clarification. 12 days ago you tweeted Chapman’s clarification on Calvinism was an A+ but on leadership that cow will not go back in the barn – close to exact quote. I suspect David would agree. I do.
Going from the convention speech to citing Murray’s book was an A+ improvement.