by Gene Scarborough » Wed Dec 14, 2011 9:06 am
I agree that we shouldn't get far afield of the thread topic, but I thought the question was a good one for UMC activities.
It was Wildman who made serious turmoil along the same lines as the Conservative Resurgence folks in Baptistland.
I was at Hartsville, SC, in the early 70's. We had a Southern Methodist church at the fringe of town and, as I reacall, they were opposed to most things UMC. Around this area, once in a while, I see another one. I presume that is an un-recognized branch of Methodism.
At the same time, in Hartsville, there was an Independent Baptist Church with a Liberty University / Bob Jones background. This pertains to the thread and the history of Independent Baptists who have been on the fringes of the SBC for many years. Their spirit of fundamentalism was also part of many participating SBC churches---more so in Texas and the Midwest. The further west you went, the more conservative/fundamentalist many churches/people were.
With respect to seminaries there were slight differences. New Orleans was noted as quite conservative. Southern was pretty much middle-of-the-road. Southeastern was taged as liberal. Frankly, much was in the mind of the beholder more than the reality of the school. The scales were leaning conservative in each. In my experience, none was left of center.
I was at SEBTS 1967-70, I found it to be a collection of professors mostly teaching good solid material and challenging us to deal with it. Leo Green, for example, was always giving a conservative slant to his lectures. On the other hand, Marc Lovelace was fond of pointing out how the archaelolgical record did not support a universal flood, if you want to call that "liberal."
A fellow classmate of mine is fond of his role in bringing conservatism back. He claims SEBTS was "liberal." Again, it is a matter of personal observation with blinders on, in my view. That same man was pastoring a conservative church in Rocky Mount and doing his best to get fellow conservatives into every church which became vacant. He was instrumental in forming a pastor's meeting outside the Associational one. Further, he was always after our DOM because he lusted after the job and didn't get it. He was part of a group which tried to get churches to quit giving to the Association. That shortfall in funding eventually led to the resignation of a good fair and balanced man who never meddled in local church business. When asked for any candidates for a pulpit, he always gave the entire folder to a church. It contained candidates of all stripes. His only advice was that he did not personally know the candidates and the church should check them out carefully.
What troubles me most in all the "Battle for the Bible" was the conscious manipulation of what used to be a far-less-political process in all matters. Paige Patterson was a master of manipulation and led in the Takeover. He and Paul Pressler worked tirelessly in Texas and surrounding states to convince average church members and pastors that the SBC was going liberal and must be stopped---whatever it took. W.A. Criswell, a flaming fundamentalist, taught him well about the structures and possible ways to manipulate it toward conservatism.
The "whatever it took" part is my concern. Lies were told / votes were manipulated / dirty tricks were performed. They seemed to have little or no conscience as long as it benefited their cause and purpose. For me it was "doing the 'right' thing for the wrong reason." God will be their judge and they must live with it as best they can.
Gene Scarborough