Ronnie Floyd, SBC CEO

[Rvaughn]

[Sandy]

So far, the SBC has not ventured very far away from the mold they've used since long before the conservative resurgence in selecting executives for institutions and agencies. They did consider the need at Southwestern for a leader who had real experience as a theological educator at the level required by the position, instead of opting to give a political reward to someone whose prior theological experience had been at a broken down, second rate Bible college. Even so, Dr. Adam Greenway, Southwestern's new president, is still a "political insider" in the SBC with a pedigree of trustee board and committee service in addition to his job at Southern Seminary. Everyone else that has been picked is white, middle aged or older, and has rotated on and off several boards and committees at both the state convention and national level. The kind of change that appears to be reflected in the most recent convention gathering and by the election of J.D. Greear as SBC president has not yet reached the trustees who are still business as usual good ole boys.

Floyd is part of the old power base of the original conservative resurgence, and seems that he had to wait in line on a couple of occasions to get his turn at the spoils. HIs nomination and service as SBC president was delayed because some other newbies with more influence cut the line in front. Now he's getting a job that he was up for once before and somehow Frank Page, a relative latecomer to the more traditional group of resurgence wannabees, got it.

[Haruo]

[Dave Roberts]

Once again, it seems the SBC lacks a trust in the younger leaders of the Convention. It seems we often see this model as the old guard tries to hold onto the reins of power.

[Sandy]

[Haruo]

Okay, I updated his wiki.

[Stephen Fox]

Assessed Ronnie Floyd thirty years ago and it wasn't pretty. He goes way back, not only to Criswell's school of prophets but to the network of Pressler and Patterson and the NW Arkansas kingmaker and Pressler insider whose name I cant recall right now. He is on one of Montoya's tapes.

Where is Floyd on the spectrum to Russ Moore and the Trump Question. I imagine Floyd would never publicly second guess Robbie Jeffress affection for Trump.

How will it be for this new "wisest" of Babdists to engage Jonathan Metzl and his book dyingofwhiteness.com as Floyd's SBC is chocked full of working class rural white men Metzl says has been hoodooed by Trump and by implication the fundamentalist takeover of the SBC.

Also see Harold Bloom in the American Religion on Know Nothings. I would say Floyd is the poster child.

[David Montoya]

Ronnie Floyd was not really considered when Frank Page was elected. Floyd is not very good at politics. He depends on staff to get things done for him, the problem is, he wasn't that much of a stand up boss for his staff. Ronnie likes to stubble into opportunities. He has always tried to tie his wagon to those whom he hopes can further his career. He often would say one thing about someone to one person and then turn around and put that person down to someone else. Why in the world would even the SBC consider Floyd after his many foibles? He would make a mediocre leader who would use the office for the pleasure and money he could get out of it.

[Sandy]

The way the SBC chooses its executive leadership is provincial and backward. It is not a system that is able to arrive at the most qualified candidate in terms of expertise, intellectual ability, management skills and IMHO, spiritual preparation and calling. It looks inside the group of individuals who have used their influence and their "wagon hitching" to pick people who are able to advance their own ambitions for career advancement and who are the least threatening to those same ambitions.

Keep in mind, this is a denomination that was willing to sacrifice its crown jewel seminary in order to give a reward to one of the "architects of the conservative resurgence." To legitimize him, because at the time he was leading a broken-down, second rate Bible college struggling with fewer than 400 students, he got the Presidency of Southeastern first and left it in somewhat dubious shape before moving on to leave Southwestern in ruins. This choice has many similarities to that one, though the consequennces of a bad choice are multiplied for the struggling, declining SBC.

[JE Pettibone]

Ed: Sandy, by what standard do you consider that Southeastern was ever the crown Jewel of SBC Seminiaries

[Sandy]

I didn't say Southeastern was the crown jewel, that was Southwestern and yes, I know Southern people always appeal to the school's history, but Southern never achieved what Southwestern did at its peak. Patterson got Southeastern first, mainly because time was needed to get more pro-Patterson trustees on the board at Southwestern.

[Dave Roberts]

[Stephen Fox]

Ronnie Floyd is the national chair. This year it will be a carnival of a godforsaken Trump Ralley. True Believers will ralley in Cherokee County Alabama on the Rome Georgia/Jerry Vines stateline. I may go over and observe. I may wear a Tee shirt that says: Whatever the Question, Trump is Not the Answer, nor Jerry Boykin for that matter.