The Southern Baptist Convention is Just Fine

On behalf of, and representing Lakewood Baptist Church, I had the honor to attend the 2021 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting.  It was in the Music City Center in downtown Nashville on June 15th & 16th.  While I was in attendance, I began to notice something peculiar.  Although every person in attendance was displaying a strong Christian kindness and charity for one another, the news which I was reading online (in real time) was reporting the opposite.  Using my phone to search for the hashtag #SBC21, I could find reports within seconds of the author posting it, including all social media.  Reports of frustration and anger by the attendees were rampant.  Other reports spoke about issues being raised and motions being voted on, which were not actually happening.  Again, I was there.  I was present.

Upon further investigation, I discovered that many of those who were using the hashtag #SBC21 to publish their articles were not actually present at all!  Some of them were watching brief snippet of a live feed online and then drawing inaccurate conclusions, and reporting things completely out of context.  After the two-day meeting was completed, the less-than-accurate reports continued to spring up.  I also noticed that many prominent leaders began to repudiate the poor reporting by making attempts to correct the record.

It seems that some people have an interest in seeing the SBC fail.  Allow me to offer a reminder as to who “the SBC” is.  If you are a member of a Southern Baptist Church, then you are the SBC.  We are not a top-down organization (such as the Roman Catholic church, or even the United Methodists); we are a bottom-up organization.  There is no one outside of Lakewood Baptist Church who can direct the actions of our church body.  As your pastor, I submit to God and to our collective congregation.  The only way that the SBC fails is if our local churches fail, and that will begin to happen which we stop preaching Christ and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2).

A few days after the annual meeting, someone made a strong observation.  The thing which unites us as autonomous Baptist churches is the Baptist Faith & Message.  All churches in the SBC must affirm the BF&M 2000 (which is why it is important for you to read it).  The strong observation was this: there has been no effort by any person or committee to alter the BF&M in well over 20 years.  (The BF&M was altered in 2000, from its previous version in 1963.  And it was actually made more theologically conservative in 2000.)  Don’t believe the hype.  The SBC is just fine.

Also, Lakewood can send as many as eight voting representatives to the annual meeting.  You should make plans to go with me in 2022.  It will help to keep Lakewood and the SBC healthy.

Blessings, 

Pastor Bruce

bruce.cullom@gmail.com