I notice the many attacks on the SBC lately on the Christian Podcast Community. Many rightly so. I notice the nearly 50-50 split mirrors the kind of political split in American politics. Regardless of the leftward shift, for many churches and individuals in the SBC, it really won’t matter, and others won’t consider leaving. Even among the progressive side, there is still a connection to historical conservative programs. (Programs don’t offer salvation though, Jesus does. The Gospel matters)
The conservative bunch clings to the way the SBC used to be, and what it stood for. They consider that autonomy is the only church government needed, and what a small group of progressives does in Nashville doesn’t affect them in their local church, many states away. Their church leadership still teaches and preaches the biblical gospel, and serves the community as best as they can with the strengths God gave them. Being the hands and feet of Jesus. Possibly the progressive side feels the same, but when the church looks like the culture, instead of the culture-changing to look like the body of Christ, somebody is doing it backward.
Should members be concerned over the goings-on in the SBC leadership? Yes.
First, an honorable background.
Historically, the SBC has been known for missions. It’s the other half of why they split from the American Baptists in the early 1880s. Southern churches didn’t think Northern churches were doing enough missions work and were on a declining track regarding mission support. Besides, the American Baptists refused to allow slave-owning preachers on the mission field.
Until the end of the 1880s, the SBC largely relied on a curriculum for Sunday School and discipleship from the American Baptists. Over time the SBC worked to develop their outlet for providing curriculum. SBC churches were not restricted on where they get their Sunday School quarterlies, then or now. Sometime after the Civil War, the Baptist Book Store was incorporated. A standalone publishing house to provide study material with sound Baptist theology. Eventually, curriculum sales surpassed the American Baptist publisher, and it became the default source for SBC churches.
Around the same time, the concept of the Cooperative Program was developed. One source to supply funds for missionaries. They would have an easier time raising funds. The usual way is taking furloughs to raise sponsorship from anyone, or a group of churches. The Cooperative program ensures every dollar donated makes it to missionaries in the field. This includes seminaries as part of the Cooperative Program.
If every dollar goes to missions, how are administration fees covered? Enter the Baptist Book Store. It is a standalone commercial publisher, not officially connected to the SBC, other than being the supplier of curriculum, and originally being owned by a man who was a member of an SBC church. The book store tithes from its profits to support the SBC admin expenses Individual churches do not give money directly to the SBC, and all funds are given to the Cooperative Program are expected to go to missionaries.
Over time, the Baptist Bookstore has bought out other publishing houses. About 30 years or so ago, they bought out a little publisher named Lifeway. I guess they liked the name and wanted to rebrand themselves to be more appealing to other denominations, so they replaced their familiar name with Lifeway. The publishing house is still separate, and a commercial enterprise. The relationship with the SBC remains in supporting the administration of the SBC.
The problem is that leadership matters. Even if the local church is autonomous.
The SBC elite may not be able to dictate orders directly to the local church, and their cash flow comes from a third-party source, not the local church.
However, the SBC leadership holds the purse in good faith for missions, including seminaries. They set the course and guidance of seminaries that train both missionaries and pastors. Over time, this can and will affect the local church.
An individual SBC member or pastor may not be concerned over whether some other pastor plagiarized a sermon. They should be, and I have some gripes over the way high-profile pastors were caught in sermon swapping. But hey, Lifeway has offered a sermon outlet for pastors for years. I don’t know any who use it, but there must be enough to keep it going.
More likely SBC members would respond to a legation of misusing Cooperative Program funds. They might get their hackles up if they realized how far off-track seminaries have become. better reporting on missions in the local churches might also draw attention to drifts in theology. No mandate limits a local church to only support the Cooperative program. If a church wanted to support a missionary directly, they are free to do so.
Lifeway has been accused of printing heretical work in recent decades. I don’t have an answer for that when it comes to books. When it comes to quarterly study material, I would say it has held close to core doctrines of the Baptist Faith and Message, and probably more so in recent years. Editors of the periodic materials are usually pretty good at selecting their writing staff. However, there is not now or ever has been a mandate to buy from Lifeway. If a local church has doubt, the leadership is free to get study material elsewhere or develop your material.
In the end, I think most SBC churches are comfortable in staying put. Of course, there’s that line to walk, being in the world but not of the world. Showing compassion, but without condoning. Calling out sin, while extending forgiveness through the Gospel. I’m not sure the current, or past SBC leadership shows much confidence in that balance.
The best I could suggest local churches do is actively participate in the annual meetings. As they say, “decisions are made by those who show up.”