by Sandy » Wed May 11, 2016 12:22 pm
I think his writing is more than just a means by which other evangelicals view Baptists. Southern Baptists are, by far, the largest and most influential group of Evangelicals, and there is a lot of common ground, theologically and politically, between the denominational groups and the vast majority of non-denominational churches. Moore is probably one of the top five or six individuals among Evangelical leaders, whose perspective is sought, and who serves as a spokesman for an Evangelical perspective. I'm guessing, from the many times he's been invited, that he is an individual member and a spokesperson for the National Association of Evangelicals. With Evangelicals being arguably the largest voting bloc in the Republican Party, and probably close to 70% Republican, Moore would be on the radar screen of any Presidential candidate. So yes, he is a niche writer, but his "niche" is much broader and larger than just Southern Baptists who are politically active Evangelicals.
While a lot of you guys have been gone from the SBC, in terms of its relationship with Evangelicals, it has become very ecumenical. The denomination's agencies and institutions, particularly Lifeway, have opened up to people of a lot of different backgrounds. While there's no "credential" exchange of ministers, there's been an increase in the number of pastors in the SBC who came from other denominational backgrounds, and the seminaries are appealing to a very large group of non-SBC students. And I think Moore has probably been far more successful in achieving a gathering of a much broader base of support for the ERLC, both inside and outside the SBC, than Land ever did.