Lawrence Ware, Baptist pastor and co-director of the Center
for Africana Studies at Oklahoma State University, was deeply offended by the
hesitancy of the voting delegates of the Southern Baptist Convention to adopt a
resolution condemning the Alt-Right political movement with its racist, white
supremacist ideology. After some
discussion and a rewriting of the resolution, the convention overwhelmingly
approved the second resolution and condemned the racist and white supremacist
vision of the Alt-Right.
This hesitancy, however, along with the perceived captivity of the
convention to a far-right-wing political vision, combined with Ware’s
experience with racism in Southern Baptist life, seem to have all come together, causing a crisis moment for him. His
position seemingly stems from his disappointment with Southern Baptists, and he has
decided to withdraw from participation with Southern Baptists.
Upon
reading the article, my heart sank once again, because this is a struggle that
has been going on among Southern Baptists and in our nation ever since our
churches began to try to understand and respond to racism in all its ugly
forms. Painful indictments can be made
regarding Christian leaders, across the history of America, who have joined in
racist and murderous attitudes toward African Americans, Native peoples in
America (American Indians), Chinese workers who helped build our national
railroads, Japanese Americans who were incarcerated after Pearl Harbor, and
certainly Mexican migrants who work the fields providing food for America’s
tables. This endemic racism has many
sources, and prejudice is a prevailing sin that needs to be addressed and
confronted in every generation and in every life.
When I was a young pastor in the
early 1960’s, I was tempted to give up on Southern Baptists, even though it was
the only church life I knew. What kept
me engaged with Southern Baptists was the influence of some gifted and
courageous men.
- Walker Knight was the editor of the Home Mission Magazine, the communication organ of the Home Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). He told the stories of Black Americans and the ministries that were challenging the segregationist mind-set of many Southern Baptists. His approach was like oxygen to my soul.
- T.B. Maston was professor of Christian Ethics at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and he spoke often of the need for Baptist churches to develop a new understanding of the Bible and race.
- Foy Valentine was the outspoken leader of the Christian Life Commission of Southern Baptists (now called Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission) and, in calling Baptists to a Christian embrace of all races, he, like the other two, drew the wrath and opposition of many Southern Baptist leaders and laity.
I suspect today there are young Southern Baptists
who are holding onto the hope that things will get better, fostered by the
leadership of Russell Moore, who now has Foy Valentine’s job. Indications are that he will help Southern
Baptists get to a good place in their understanding of other cultures and
ethnicities and come to embrace a more civil, moral, and generous public life. To be effective, however, Russell Moore must steel himself against criticism.
He has faced the ire of Southern Baptist leaders this past year because of his vocal
concern about the moral capacities and attitudes of the Republican nominee for
president in 2016.
I remember 1976, it was the year
our family moved to First Baptist Church, Arlington, TX, where I had been called
as pastor, when Jimmy Allen, pastor of FBC, San Antonio, TX, and former leader of
the Christian Life Commission of Texas Baptists, was elected president of the
SBC. In the fall of that year, Jimmy Carter, Georgia
governor, and Baptist deacon and Sunday school teacher, was elected
President of the United States. I
thought things were finally going to get a lot better among Southern Baptists, because both of these men were articulate and passionate about addressing the
moral crisis that racism and greed presented to America and, specifically, to Southern
Baptists.
But it was not to be. Jimmy Allen was followed by Adrian Rogers, who
ushered in a new reality in Southern Baptist life . . . I called it “the
Fundamentalist Takeover of the SBC.” SBC leadership called it “the
Conservative Resurgence” and claimed that they could make Southern Baptists great
again by emphasizing “biblical inerrancy” as the only acceptable way to affirm
the authority of the Holy Bible in our churches and seminaries.
Baptists like me had, and still have, a high
view of Scripture and the divine inspiration of the written Word of God. We believe the Bible to be the authority by
which we understand Christian doctrine and practice. We believe it to be the foundation of all we
preach. But we could not in good conscience use the phrase “biblical
inerrancy,” because it suggested a kind of precision suitable for math equations
or an engineer’s blueprint. For many of
us, it was not an appropriate or acceptable description for the inspired nature
of biblical literature, which was clearly not “dictated” but is the product of
the Holy Spirit’s perfect work in the life of those who were witnesses to the
work of God in creation, the Exodus, and to the life and ministry of Jesus
Christ and the early church.
It soon became
clear to me that the leaders of the so-called “Conservative Resurgence” were
strategically using this issue as a wedge to divide the convention and the
churches. They apparently wanted control
of all institutions and agencies of the convention in order to purge all
who were not loyal to their agenda.
During this time, another movement
began in the political life of America, often called the “Religious Right.” The SBC provided many of the leaders and foot
soldiers for this alliance. They turned against
President Carter, who led and served out of a deep Christian desire to bear
witness to Jesus and exemplify the principles he knew as a Christian and a
Baptist. They threw their support to another
candidate, even though his religious background and practice showed little
understanding and commitment to church life. For Christian leaders to hold up moral integrity as an important qualification
for a national leader and then turn their backs on Carter was sad,
disappointing, and disturbing. (More
currently disturbing is a comment made by one Baptist pastor during the recent
election cycle. Paraphrasing, his point
was we have had a Sunday school teacher as president, but now we need a strong
leader -- even though there is little evidence he has even a passing
acquaintance with Christian convictions and practice.)
So, for the last 37 years, Southern
Baptists have been dominated by leaders who have cherished their “victory” over
the moderate wing of the Convention . . . who, of course, they describe as liberals. Some good things have happened among Southern
Baptist through these years, including a growing racial diversity in the
churches. But the promised victories in the churches, if Southern Baptists
“purified” the leadership of their institutions and professors in the schools,
has not come to pass. Southern Baptists
have experienced decline in almost all areas of church life over these years.
When the leaders of the SBC
“conservative resurgence” determined to take over the life, ministry, and work
of the Baptist General Convention of Texas (BGCT) as they had done with the
SBC, many Texas Baptists opposed them, and Texas Baptists were able to deny them
the control of our convention and institutions (Baylor University and the Baptist Standard, e.g.), which they so
much wanted to have. Along the way, Texas Baptists stood in the gap on behalf
of the Baptist Joint Committee and the Baptist World Alliance when Southern
Baptists decided to defund, and withdraw from participation in, their work.
When
the new SBC leaders decided not to endorse woman chaplains, made unacceptable changes in
theological education at the SBC seminaries, adopted a new Baptist Faith and Message (2000) that differed in some significant
ways from the previous BF&M
(1963) and then required all missionaries to sign the document and effectively
treated it as a creed, Texas Baptists (BGCT) opposed them and made efforts to
mitigate the damage.
The Baptist General Convention of
Texas continued to support and include all Texas Baptist churches who wanted to
support SBC missions and ministries, as well as those who preferred to support
the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF) or to support only the BGCT’s mission
and ministries. As for me personally, I
was present for the organizing of CBF, have attended most annual gatherings,
and am deeply appreciative of the role CBF has played in giving a voice to
those who were marginalized by Southern Baptists. When asked what kind of
Baptist I am, I reply “I am a Texas Baptist.” I am aware that Texas Baptists are not perfect. We struggle to embrace
one another and to celebrate the ethnic, linguistic, and racial diversity among
us. But we rejoice in all the peoples
God has brought together in Texas, and we are seeking to minister to them
all.
I am grateful for the years I spent
as executive director of the BGCT and the opportunity to travel across Texas
working with and for Texas Baptists. I saw with my own eyes our local churches increasingly filled with people from different backgrounds, languages, and
ethnicities. Almost 15 years ago, we
elected Dr. Albert Reyes as the
first Mexican-American to be president of our Texas Baptist convention. The next year, we elected the Rev.
Dr. Michael Bell, the first African American to so serve. Then we elected Mrs. Joy Fenner as the
first woman to hold that office. They,
of course, served with distinction, and it was my privilege to work with them in
that setting. We widened the make-up of
our Executive Board and mandated that 30% of the 90-member board would be from
our ethnic populations. What this does is to raise the level of discourse and
make it possible to increase real understanding of diverse cultures
exponentially. We said at the time we
made this change, “We want the face of Texas Baptists to look like the face of
Texas.”
In the last few years as lay-member
and pastor emeritus of FBC Arlington, I have watched the church show significant
signs of growing ethnic inclusivity. We
have intentionally built bridges of understanding and mutual support with African
American and other ethnic congregations in our city. The missional heart of our
senior pastor, staff, and congregation is on display Sunday by Sunday.
Although I cannot fully understand
or experience the pain of Lawrence Ware, I fully trust that his position, so
aptly expressed, will evoke a genuine conviction and a sustained willingness to
change, not only within the hearts of Southern and Texas Baptists but reaching
out to all America. In support,
Christians and people of all faiths can immediately confront the Alt-Right
movement honestly and courageously. We
can deny it legitimacy and hold accountable its defenders. The Alt-Right is neither a political
philosophy nor is it simply one idea among many. It is deliberately and intentionally racist,
white supremacist, and xenophobic while cultivating arrogance and fear. It traces its ideology to the same roots as
the Ku Klux Klan and Nazi Germany. It
has no place in the lives of Baptist people anywhere.
Bottom line, I do not suggest that
Texas Baptists, or my own church, have achieved an ideal awareness of the
questions and commitment to the solutions. I do not criticize Lawrence Ware’s decision to withdraw from
participation with Southern Baptists. But because of his discourse, perhaps we are closer to understanding
what needs to happen to make a difference worth celebrating in our churches,
communities, and nation. I do believe
that as Baptists, and as a people, we want to be better. We are growing, and we will keep on learning
and caring and making room for one another. We know God has made room for us all.
