My Mind's Musings

Why I am Southern Baptist July 2, 2006

I am a member of SharperIron.com. It is a fundamentalist blog for fundamentalists, and it is very well done and gives me a lot of food for thought. Also, I would still consider myself a historic fundamentalist, believing the fundamentals of the Christian faith. However, I was browsing through it today and found a link to another blog by one of its members that reminded me why I left the independent fundamentalist circles and became a Southern Baptist. This is the link to the blog entry. http://immoderate.wordpress.com/2006/06/17/the-sbc-has-issues/ I do not know Ryan Martin at all, and I am sure that he wants nothing more than to glorify God with his life and ministry. However, when I read his post, it really seems like his whole problem with Southern Baptists is not our doctrine, but our music. When issues of music, dress, and numerous other non-essentials become issues of separation and condemnation then Biblically, I cannot be a part of that movement. I know that he looks at music and the conduct of the convention as an issue of holiness, but style simply cannot be the test of holiness. We are told in scripture to live holy lives. That means that we are to abstain from sin, and lead lives that are characterized by Godliness, not worldliness. Holiness then refers to our actions, attitudes, words, and thoughts, but to take a vehicle such as music and then make it holy or unholy apart from the message communicated by the words is without basis, I believe.

That is what led me to the SBC. The fact that I can be different from my brother in the non-essentials of music, dress, Bible version, hair style etc., but be united around a common set of doctrinal beliefs known as the Baptist Faith and Message (2000), and world missions through the Cooperative Program. Is the SBC perfect, NO! But none of us are, and when organizations are made up of regenerated sinners, they will always be imperfect. There are numerous items that trouble me among Southern Baptists such as needing to put an emphasis on a regenerate church membership, recognizing that a healthy reformed theology has constantly been present in Baptist heritage and other type emphases. We even have musical wars within our own SBC churches. I just had a conversation on the backpacking trip I was on with an older church member who happened to be a classically trained pianist, and he was adamently against those 7/11 choruses as he called them. No matter what our differences though, we can be united in Christ doctrinally and missionally as we strive to reach the world with the life changing message of Jesus Christ. That is what led me to the Southern Baptist Convention, and Ryan Martin’s article was a good reminder of why I am here and here I remain.