ThE Plaguing Compromise of the SBC

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THE PLAGUING COMPROMISE OF THE CONSERVATIVES IN THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION

If an undiscerning saint were to read only material published by conservatives within the Southern Baptist Convention, he would receive the distinct impression that the SBC is in rock solid condition. The old mainstream neo-orthodox hierarchy that once controlled the SBC now looks anemically from the sidelines as conservatives continue to seemingly tighten their controls over the massive hierarchical convention structure.
But all is not well within the SBC household. The SBC is a thorough-bred New-Evangelical entity that reeks with compromise in its multiple associations, churches, seminaries, colleges and related institutions. The items the F.D. editor cites below are just the tip of the accommodating iceberg within the SBC framework.

Former SBC President and leading SBC Pastor Participate in Rally with Charismatic Heretic

          In previous editions of The Fundamentalist Digest, the editor warned readers about the pro-ecumenical nature of the forthcoming 2005 "Global Day of Prayer [GDOP]." Organized on a world-wide scale, sponsors alleged that it was the first time since Pentecost that the "entire Church prayed together" on a global scale.
          The GDOP was conceived when Graham Power, a South Africa Charismatic businessman, supposedly received two "complimentary visions" of a "five-stage global prayer movement" beginning with the year 2001. According to the news report, there were communities and 38 states in the USA that participated in the 2005 global prayer event.
          Speakers at the Dallas, TX event included heretical Charismatic bishop T.J. Jakes of the Potter's House Mega Church, Jack Graham pastor of the huge Prestonwood Baptist Church and a former president of the SBC, plus Rick Warren, the pastor of the world's largest SBC Church in Lake Forest, CA.
          Despite denials to the contrary, Jakes' theology has been verified as heretical and non-Trinitarian in essence, with Jakes denying the Father, Son and Holy Spirit as distinct persons, but rather alleging they are only "modes" or phases of one divine person. Jakes critics have also asserted that he teaches baptismal regeneration.
          "During the event, Warren liked the [GDOP] prayer movement to the Protestant Reformation," which he claimed would "in time…unify the church." [Ed: Warren's book, The Purpose Driven Life, quotes from 15 modern translations, using over 600+ quotes from these unreliable versions to support his unscriptural market driven "feel good" casual Christianity approach.]

Southern Baptist Church Participates in Ecumenical Based "Here's Hope" Evangelism Project with Charismatic Heretics

          The Englewood Baptist Church [EBC] of Rocky Mount, NC, is a "conservative" Southern Baptist Convention church. In examining the church's major promotional literature piece, it is obvious that EBC is a church whose entire ministries are saturated with a "contemporary" appeal. Individuals are invited to "come as you are" for which the universal meaning is: Come "dressed down," in casual, sloppy style that reflects a "free," non-disciplined lifestyle.
          The former Sunday School ministry has been changed to "Bible Fellowship Groups," a subtle significant change. In Sunday School, the emphasis was upon students in classes where Bible teaching and Scriptural training composed the main menu, with fellowship being a sweet bi-product. The emphasis change from "teaching/training" to "fellowship" and from "classes" to "groups" clearly infers a shift from objective doctrine to subjective activity!
          The previous Sunday morning and Sunday evening services have been replaced with "Worship Celebration[s]," phraseology that has been borrowed from the Charismatics. In reality, the term "worship" is a misnomer, since entertainment replaces edification. In these "worship celebrations," that many Baptist churches are adopting, the distinctiveness between the charismatic movement and traditional evangelicals is rapidly disappearing.
          EBC has recently linked itself with several heretical charismatic churches in the Rocky Mount, NC area in a Scripturally diluted "Here's Hope" evangelism outreach, including the Pentecostal Holiness Church [PHC], the Church on the Rise, a church affiliated with the Assemblies of God [AOG] and other Charismatic based churches. Baptist Churches that claim to be Bible-believing entities should never associate themselves with religious ministries that believe in unscriptural doctrines and extra-scriptural revelations.
          In checking the brochures of these churches and others associated with this sincere but unscriptural based program, the F.D. editor noted that all the evangelistic literature utilized unreliable modern Bible translations based on the apostate defective critical text. The Bible being distributed was the Holman Christian Standard Bible [HCSB]; the major evangelism tract used the NIV verses and one church employed the NASB in its brochure.
          It is a sad but verifiable fact, that so-called conservative SBC churches all over the country are joining ranks with charismatics and pro-ecumenists in similar manner as the Edgewood Baptist Church of Rocky Mount, NC, has tragically done.

IBN Executive Initiates SBC Disney Boycott End

          In 1996, based on the Disney Corporation's [DC] pro-homosexual policies, the American Family Association [AFA] called for a boycott of the DC. In a 1996 resolution passed by messengers at the annual national Southern Baptist Convention meeting, the SBC passed a resolution, joining the AFA in boycotting the Disney Corporation because of its promotion of the homosexual agenda. The boycott protest was aimed primarily at Disney's "extension of spousal benefits to gay employees," an act that the SBC considered a serious moral travesty.
          The SBC's Disney boycott was based on sound rational grounds. Disney has produced numerous movies that contain immoral scenes and inappropriate themes. In addition to the above, for several years, the Disney Corporation has officially sponsored a special Day for Gays and Lesbians at its famed theme parks, where Gays are given special accord, honor and preferential treatment.
          Since its conception, Disney has been involved in the promotion of the New Age gospel via the Walt Disney cartoons where witches promote "white magic" and "good sorcery." In its 6-10-2005 issue, the FBIS church news noted that Disney had produced at least three movies that distinctly imply that the gods pagans worship is the same God as the genuine God Christians worship.
          Therefore it was somewhat shocking when Tim Wildmon of the AFA, in June 2005, announced recently that the AFA was dropping its boycott against the Disney corporation partly due to the supposed fact that "it is harder than ever to find evidence of new missteps by Disney." In his perceptive remarks about the AFA action, the FBIS editor stated: "Nothing of real substance has changed at Disney when measured Biblically."
          Unfortunately, at its 2005 national meeting, the Southern Baptist Convention voted to follow suit and likewise end its Disney Boycott for the same essential reasons cited by the AFA. The appalling fact is that the resolution to end the SBC boycott was proposed by DR. GENE MIMS, who serves as the head of the newly formed International Baptist Network [IBN]. Source: Detroit News, 6-23-2005, 5A.
          The IBN was recently formed as a cooperative venture of the Baptist Bible Fellowship International [BBFI], the Southwide Baptist Fellowship [SWBF], the World Baptist Fellowship [WBF] and the Southern Baptist Convention [SBC], with Mims resigning his longtime post as Vice-President of the SBC's Lifeway Christian Resources [SBC's Literature division] to accept the helm as the chief executive officer of the newly formed IBN.
          To say the least, Mim's action was disappointing, but the F.D. editor believes it is reflective of the accommodating, compromising, waffling, middle-of-the-road stance that the IBN itself will take, with Mims as its leader, regarding the current raging spiritual issues of the day and others that will develop as the world's culture continues its plunging downward course.
          In its formation, the IBN clearly positioned itself as taking a so-called neutrality stance in areas that it termed as divisive and secondary, such as the use of modern Bible translations, modest apparel standards, the use of CCM [rock music], modern worship trends, and other current "wiles" of the devil that are taking many professing Fundamentalists down the New-Evangelical trail.
          Obedient Fundamentalists must resist the pressures that groups like the IBN will undoubtedly place upon them to remain silent on the great spiritual conflicts raging in our world today. For the historic Biblical Fundamentalist there is no conflict between Biblical militancy and the Marching Orders of the Church-the Great Commission. Jude 3 and Matthew 28:18-20 are both in the Scripture (Jude 3 is included in the "all things" of Matt. 28) and believers have a Scriptural mandate to obey both of these injunctions.

Conservative Southern Baptist Theologian Lauds New Pope

          Dr. Timothy George is a noted Southern Baptist [SBC] theologian who serves as the Dean of the Beeson Divinity School [BDS], the theological graduate division of the Southern Baptist related Samford University. He also serves as an executive editor of Christianity Today, which is probably New-Evangelicalism's most noted "scholarly" publication.
          In an article published in that paper [The F.D. editor has the article in front of him as he pens this item], Dr. George lauded the new R.C. Pope, Benedict XVI [Formerly Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger] as one in whom "evangelical Protestants" should take great delight. George claimed that Benedict XVI's "pontificate will be one of great moment for the Christian church" and "not least for evangelicals."
          Dr. George makes the foolish claim that Benedict XVI's theology is "Bible-focused" and "Christocentric," citing Ratzinger's "pivotal role" in Vatican Council II and Pope John II's "Dominius Jesus" Encyclical, which was basically Ratzinger's personal production. Pope Benedict XVI, however, like his predecessor, John Paul II, adheres tenaciously to every blasphemous dogma of the Roman Catholic institution!
          The unscriptural Roman dogmas of the papacy, the mass, prayers for the dead, confession to a priest, indulgences, purgatory and an unbiblical Mariolatry are all delineated in the New Catholic Catechism that Ratzinger basically crafted for the previous pope. For the dedicated Roman Catholic, the Bible is only one of three sources of sacred authority, with Papal authority and tradition exalted to an authority level equal with/greater than the Bible.
          Dr. George's claim that Benedict XVI's theology is Bible based and Christocentric is both absurd and incredible. In this case, the noted SBC theologian has been looking through religious glasses that are ecumenical and bear a distinctive Romish color.
          The F.D. editor believes that the incidents cited above, plus numerous others of similar nature that occur regularly within SBC circles, validate his thesis that the SBC is not in rock solid condition. When he does not question that SBC conservatives may be genuine Christians, they are basically non-separatists, non-Fundamentalists and New-Evangelicals, with whom discerning saints cannot conscientiously cooperate-Amos 4:12.

August-September 2005 The Fundamentalist Digest; Permission granted for reprint, so long as proper credit is given. The above item is a sample of the numerous timely articles that are contained in the bi-monthly issues of The Fundamentalist Digest.

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