Mark DeVine teaches at Samford University’s divinity school. Samford, located in Nashville, was a Baptist-founded school; and continues to be a Christian school.
DeVine wrote a couple of articles for the Center of Baptist Leadership website. They are found here and here. DeVine rightfully decries the liberal drift in the Southern Baptist Convention.
He cites the contributions of two North Carolina-based figures to this liberal drift. The first is Danny Akin who has led Southeastern Seminary. The second is J.D. Greear who pastors Durham’s Summit Church and who “birthed” Mercy Hill Church here in Greensboro.
Here is a sampling of his writing:
(T)he likelihood that the ostensibly conservative Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) will “conserve” what strength it still retains of its theological, cultural, and political faithfulness is not great. A decade of ill-conceived dalliances with progressive political and theological forces has damaged the SBC’s witness to Jesus Christ. However well-meaning its motives, the SBC’s prioritization of “winsomeness to blue communities” calls into question its ability to resist further absorption by the now century-in-the-making progressive march through the institutions…
(T)oo often, SBC moves do not so much suggest efforts to bear faithful witness as to package products and services to appeal to the progressive/urban community’s market sensibility. The seminary presidents need to attract students…
The default tendency of Convention responses to many controversial issues, when pressure mounts, remains demonstrably sympathetic to the Left. The women-as-pastors coalition remains alive and poised for action, and our entity heads’ dread of being smeared as racist continues.
Wet-finger-in-the-cultural-and-political-wind branding, messaging, and platforming suffuse what passes for leadership in the current SBC. Yes, the conservative base on which our institutions depend limits how far to the Left the SBC ventures. But unless conservatives elect an SBC president or two, and soon, the SBC Overton Window will continue to move in an increasingly liberal direction.
The pressure to protect and grow institutional assets shouldered by SBC entity heads prompts them to accommodate a fierce and left-lurching culture. That’s how “loving one’s neighbor” became a basket full of Democrat Party priorities, preferences, and peccadillos…
And check this out:
No SBC seminary president has done more damage to Southern Baptists for the last decade than has Danny Akin, damage that I and others have identified and examined here, here, here, here, here, here, and elsewhere.
The problem is not just that Akin has led Southern Baptists from his perch at SEBTS into the open waters of wokeness and theological liberalism. It’s also how he has responded to (in fact, bullied) critics.
In an attempt to shield black liberation theology-friendly professor Walter Strickland from my critique of his views, Akin had Southeastern’s attorney send a letter to my employers at Samford University accusing me of slander. Thanks to laws governing disputes between public figures and my tenured status, Akin’s bullying attempts to frighten and silence me failed. But how many others have Akin and other SBC bullies succeeded in silencing by threatening to jeopardize their livelihoods?
Read the remainder of both articles for some good analysis.
It is a sad reality about the leftward drift of the SBC. What can be done?
Fred, Willy Rice is running for the presidency. If he were to win, that would be a huge first step. The author of this article also argues that, if Albert Mohler steps up, that could be a major difference. Mohler’s has made mistakes (as has Rice) but their contributions could turn out to be important.