Most members of churches in the 12 largest denominations in America have
beliefs that “fall far short of orthodox Christianity,” T.C. “Tommy”
French told messengers to the Louisiana Baptist Convention. He based the statement
on the recently-released finding of a Barna Institute survey.
Most members of churches in the 12 largest denominations in America have
beliefs that “fall far short of orthodox Christianity,” T.C. “Tommy”
French told messengers to the Louisiana Baptist Convention. He based the statement
on the recently-released finding of a Barna Institute survey.
These “shocking” statistics “represent only
the surface of a deeper crisis of faith and practice within the Christian faith
and our Southern Baptist Zion,” French said during his presidential address
to last weeks annual meeting.
Frenchs texts for his message – entitled “Another
Generation” – were Judges 2:6-10 and Hosea 4:6. They record the “transition
from a godly to an ungodly generation of Hebrews that was ignorant of Gods
Word and of his mighty works,” he said. “They were uneducated in Gods
Word and in their historical relationship with God. …
“Have we raised up a new generation that knows nothing
about the vital and fundamental doctrines of the Gospel? …
“According to the recent Barna report, it is apparent
that many Baptists are without instruction in orthodox Christian doctrine, and
if this trend is not checked, like the Hebrews of old, they will be destroyed
for lack of knowledge.”
The Southern Baptist Convention was founded in 1845 “by
Baptists who believed that the Bible was truth without any mixture of error,”
said French, pastor at Jefferson Baptist Church in Baton Rouge and outgoing
state convention president. By 1945, Southern Baptists had grown to a membership
of more than six million.
“Then there arose another generation” French said.
“It came subtly like tares among the wheat, a stealth generation that flew
below the radar, unseen and undetected.”
French maintained this new generation – “clandestine
and subversive, an advocate of neo-orthodoxy” – sneeringly questioned,
“Hath God said?”
This was a ” vertical invasion of another
generation that does not know the Bible as our forefathers knew it, …”
French said. “They use the sacred language of Zion, but they have a different
dictionary. They declare, We believe the Bible is the Word of God,
but a careful analysis of their theology reveals that their concept of biblical
authority is different from that of the vast majority of Baptists.
“Their unorthodox views undermine the foundation of biblical
authority. Once our Baptist theology has been seduced by this pattern of thought,
it will have lost touch with the historical roots that have sustained and nurtured
it.”
French said the invasion of this new generation can be countered
“by vigorously asserting the authority of Christ and the inspiration of
the Scriptures . . .
“We must stand firm on Gods infallible Word,”
French stated as his first point of exhortation to messengers.
French referred to a newspaper article about meetings of two
Baptist bodies in that city. “One of the leaders said that Southern Baptists
have the Bible for their authority, but the Baptists of their brand have Jesus
for their authority. …
“This is highly deceptive, because Christ and the Bible
are one united authority. The two cannot be separated. Not only does the Bible
tell us all we know objectively about Christ, but Christ also identified himself
with the truths, concepts, words, and meanings of the Bible.”
French then offered a second exhortation – “We
must affirm pastoral authority.”
He quoted a newspaper article in which someone said, “Baptists
believe in the democracy of the congregation and their ability to hire and fire
a pastor.”
French decried that position, insisting, “This attitude
downgrades the office of pastor and relegates him to the role of a hireling.
… While Baptist congregational church government places all members on an
equal basis in the transaction of church business, this does not remove nor
diminish the scriptural authority of the pastor. … Pastors are chosen, not
hired, by the churches over which they preside. …
“Let it never be forgotten that God has called out a special
class of men and set them apart officially and has committed to them certain
official duties. The pastor has been given the title of overseer that has special
duty and authority as he directs the labors of those he oversees.”
In a section not in the printed text distributed to messengers
at the close of the session, French added: “People who send letters to
church members without their pastors permission usurp the authority of
the local pastor. They assume arrogant authority that is neither Baptist nor
biblical.”
In his third point, French emphasized the need for a strong
confession of faith.
“The ringing cry of No creed but the Bible does
not have a Baptist origin,” French said. “It received its origin from
Alexander Campbell, founder of the Church of Christ, whose theology was rejected
by Baptists before he was disfellowshiped.
“If by creed we mean any state-imposed religious
test or any human standard that is held to be equal or superior to the Bible,
Baptists are not and never have been creedalists nor have they advocated creedalism,”
French noted.
“(But) Despite this Baptist aversion to creedalism, the
idea of voluntary, conscientious adherence to an explicitly doctrinal standard
is not foreign to Baptists. …
“It is not enough to say, No creed but the Bible,
for immediately there comes to mind two imperative questions – what is
believed concerning the Scriptures and what is believed according to the Scriptures?”
French said. “The answer to these questions becomes a persons creed
and confession of faith.
Baptists have always been a confessional people – “and
anyone that declares we are not, truly is a different kind of Baptist,”
French continued.
In addition to those emphases, French told convention messengers,
“We must lash Christian education to the Bible.”
French said the goal of a professor at a Baptist college should
not be, “I intend to teach you to think for yourself and to decide what
you believe is the truth.”
In that case, “objective truth does not matter (and) only
what you believe is true, …” French charged.
“A Baptist college justifies its right to exist and can
claim the generous support of Gods people only when it lovingly and faithfully
instructs the students under their care in the Holy Word of God. None but the
pious can teach the Bible properly. It is the solemn duty of those that govern
a Christian institution to see that it is filled with the Spirit of Christ.
…
“Let future historians record that Louisiana Baptists,
in our generation, lashed Christian education to Gods Holy Word and to
the Cross of Jesus Christ in their homes, in their churches, in their educational
institutions, and agencies.”
Frenchs concluding point focused on protecting cooperative
missions.
He pointed out that the Cooperative Program, the funding mechanism
for the Louisiana and Southern Baptist conventions, was birthed in Louisiana.
He credited E.O. Ware as the forerunner of the Cooperative Program, “Plan
of Systematic Benevolence.” He said that M. E. Dodd made the first presentation
of the proposed Cooperative Program in 1924.
“Southern Baptists were unwilling to adopt this broad-based
and central form of mission funding without a theological basis of accountability,”
French said. “It needed consensus and The Baptist Faith and Message confession
of faith gave that consensus and won the approval of the messengers. …
“(Now) There are proposals being offered and actions being
taken today that threaten the vitality of the Cooperative Program,” French
warned. “A different program that is competing for Cooperative Program
dollars is being offered to our churches by individuals and groups of people
that have a separate agenda. They are asking Southern Baptist churches to divert
all or part of their mission giving to a shadow convention that is trying to
mirror what the Southern Baptist Convention is already doing.”
French cited other states where conventions have split over
Cooperative Program support. “We must not allow this to happen in our Louisiana
Baptist Convention. …
“Recently, I read the new slogan of the Baptist Message:
STICK TOGETHER – ACCOMPLISH MORE,” French concluded his recent convention
address. “We must continue to walk in the footsteps of our Southern Baptist
forefathers and the apostles. Let us march on together as tried soldiers of
Christ in the conflicts and successes that await us, for we have the certain
knowledge that the work in which we are engaged is not our own, but Gods.
“I urgently call on all Louisiana Baptists: STICK TOGETHER
– ACCOMPLISH MORE.”