Southern Baptists Convene To Bolster Denomination

12 Oct, 2009 | Written by Matthew C. Keegan | under Christian News

The largest Protestant denomination in the United States is the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), a group that identifies itself as part of the modern day baptist movement dating back to 1609.

I say “modern day” because there are a small number of Baptists who insist they are part of an unbroken lineage that traces itself back two thousand years to the ministry of John the Baptist, cousin of Jesus – the Christ. Most certainly, SBC members acknowledge their kinship with John, but their history is rooted in their separation from the Church of England in the early 17th century.

Four Day Conference

Last week, the Southern Baptist Convention’s Office of Church Relations and the R.C. Ryan Center for Biblical Studies at Union University in Jackson, TN, held a four-day conference, “Southern Baptists, Evangelicals and the Future of Denominationalism,” taking a look at the SBC and where it is heading.

The denomination raised concerns about the decrease in the number of baptisms and loss of church members over the past few years, urging young seminary students to do their part to save the denomination.

The conference kicked off with a lecture by Ed Stetzer titled, “Denominationalism: Is There A Future?” and followed that up with a discussion led by Jim Patterson surveying 400 years of Baptist history. Other topics covered over the ensuing days included SBC relations with other Christians; the future of American evangelicalism; the emerging or emergent church; missions and evangelicalism; the rise and decline of denominationalism; passing on the faith and the future of the SBC.

Death of Cultural Christianity

In his speech to conference attendees, Dr. Mohler – the ninth president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary of Louisville, Kentucky – called on younger members to commit themselves to Christ, to their local church, cooperate with other churches and to go deep in a number of areas including their devotion, missions and doctrine.

Notably, Mohler recognized that the death of cultural Christianity is having an impact on the SBC and urged people not to remain a Southern Baptist because their grandmother was one. Instead, he urged them to commit themselves to their local church so that the SBC would be used by God in the furtherance of the Great Commission. Importantly, Mohler urged listeners to save the SBC instead of leaving it.

Dr. Mohler, by the way, hosts The Albert Mohler Program a one-hour talk show devoted to engaging contemporary culture with biblical truth which can be heard on the Salem Radio Network. Mohler is the author of several books and is a contributing columnist to Townhall.com, a conservative news site.