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Jonathan Merritt has written a thoughtful and largely unantagonistic article on the SBC. It's worth the read.

Very interesting article. I honestly believe I heard some moderate Baptists warn the conservative takeover crowd that once the moderates left, it would only leave the conservatives to fight with each other. That prophecy seems at least partially true.

I believe the SBC is on the very same trajectory that all of the mainstream denominations are on. Some thought being conservative would some how protect the SBC from the changing culture. But I believe the same forces sapping strength from the mainline/progressive denominations is happening to the SBC as well.

Is the time for big institutional denominations over in the Church?

I posted this because Merritt is an insider. This is not a cause for rejoicing in the moderate Baptist world. The whole question of support for denominations and their bureaucracy and institutions does seem a weight that many churches may no longer be willing to carry. It is evident that change is in the winds, and the SBC is trying to find its way through this maze.

Not much of an argument from me with Merritt. There are points of conflict. There is also a generation change under way. I'm at the SBC convention in Birmingham. There's a different feel to it and I've been to many over the past 40 years.

The abuse crisis is being addressed by age 40ish SBC leaders. Different altogether than if the old lions were in charge. You can't escape autonomy and polity in this issue.

I suspect that the SBC will begin shedding institutions in the next few years. I wonder how long Midwestern and Golden Gate can survive. I also wonder when consolidation will occur between the IMB and NAMB. No predictions, but I wonder.

Midwestern and Gateway, formerly Golden Gate, are actually in pretty good shape in terms of both enrollment and finances compared to the other four and over the past several years are the only SBC seminaries that have shown actual growth in enrollment. Golden Gate sold their campus in Mill Valley, CA for $85 million, paid off all their indebtedness, purchased and paid for a new campus in Ontario, CA and moved into a metro area with 15 million people and added $50 million to their endowment. They've been far more innovative than the other schools with satellite campus locations and on-line programs and are seeing their enrollment increase. Midwestern has undergone a complete renaissance. Part of that is due to their more innovative, less traditional approach to seminary education with online and satellite campuses, part of it due to the sale of some property and assets which enabled them to renovate and add some new facilities to a dilapidated campus. I think I read somewhere that they have outgrown New Orleans and moved into the #2 spot in terms of total number of students and are #3 in FTE.

I am most concerned about my seminary alma mater, Southwestern. Perhaps William can share some insights regarding the financial report they turned in to the SBC, the seminaries were supposed to report at about 10 this morning. Their debt load seems to be a bit on the high side and their enrollment is still declining.

Still a mess to be fixed and reported. Enrollment is up. No major crisis resulting from big donor defections.

Timothy, did you mean once a month?

One of your more mindless mental excretions, Stephen. Fits well on your site and naturally had virtually no relevance to what was happening this week. Glad to see you haven't lost your touch.

You could have joined me at Shaw's bbq. Very good.

Yeah, Saws. Autocorrect. Whatever. Very good BBQ.