Quite a Week for Southern Baptists

[Sandy]

A group of conservative pastors announces the formation of a network aimed at another conservative resurgence because the SBC has paid attention to women accusing pastors and church leaders of sexual abuse, has gotten too close to genuine rather than token racial reconciliation and needs to go back to white supremacy, and has leadership and members who haven't bowed the knee to Trump. Along with that we have

...a raging controversy over the choices of speakers and presenters at the annual Pastor's Conference. Apparently, the choice of a couple of Charismatics, some unconventional preaching involving Game of Thrones and a woman who does vocal readings turned the apple cart upside down and offended a whole lot of preachers who thought they might get an invitation to speak. Now, adding to the controversy, the Executive Committee has exercised a power grab by threatening to pull use of the convention space for the conference unless the president of the pastor's conference, duly elected by the pastors, changes the lineup.

...an executive session of the EC during which a motion was made to conduct an investigation into the ERLC to see if it is conforming to the mission and purpose of an agency receiving Cooperative Program funding. There's not much question that this is a secular political move aimed at Russell Moore for his ongoing appropriate vocal opposition to Trump. Of course it was behind closed doors. The committee makes the recommendations regarding which agencies and entities receive CP funding and how much, so this is a way to get at Moore for his failure to support the President.

...the EC kicking out Ranchland Heights Baptist Church in Midland, Texas for hiring a convicted sex abuser as their pastor. This is the first "test" of the new protocol put in place at last year's convention.

[William Thornton]

Yes.Quite. Kinda makes me want to go on down to the liquor store and get a bottle.

[Haruo]

How can the EC "kick out" a church!! I didn't think there was a direct link between the SBC and local churches.

[William Thornton]

[Dave Roberts]

Actually, the EC can't remove a church from fellowship with the convention, but it can refuse to accept gifts from a church, an act tantamount to removing them or at least denying them messengers.

[Sandy]

[Sandy]