Saturday, November 22, 1997

Distance between moderate, conservative Southern Baptists widens

By Jim Jones

Knight-Ridder Newspapers

What's the difference between Southern Baptist conservatives and moderates? Is it theological, doctrinal, social or political? Or is the conflict just a high-stakes power game between two groups? The answer is: all of the above. And more.

The differences showed up again in Austin last week when moderates in control of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, the largest and richest of the state conventions, boldly took steps to distance the group from the national Southern Baptist Convention, which is dominated by uncompromising conservatives.

Texas Baptist moderates in some ways are creating their own denomination, in bold contrast to the conservative-led national organization. The 2.7 million-member state convention has a budget of $47.6 million and plans to send out some of its own missionaries, print Texas-focused church literature and support moderate theological schools.

Conservatives say that's competing with the 15 million-member national convention, which has a budget of $148 million. Texas conservatives are so riled they plan to create a separate state convention similar to one in Virginia, where moderates also dominate the state convention.

Why are these Baptists, members of the same denomination, so at odds?

Theology is a part of it. Conservatives believe in biblical inerrancy, the concept that the Bible is without error historically, scientifically and theologically. Moderates are strong Bible believers but leave more freedom for biblical interpretation.

Moderates say the issue is about power, not theology. They maintain that the conservatives - whom they call "fundamentalists" - use the term "biblical inerrancy" as a club to force conformity on seminary professors and other Baptist employees.

Many conservatives, however, are very sincere in believing they have saved the nation's largest non-Catholic denomination from drifting into liberalism, which they say caused many mainline Protestant bodies to lose members in recent years.

Like all denominations, Baptists have a set of beliefs. The Baptist Faith and Message Statement says that Jesus was born of a virgin, died for our sins and was bodily resurrected, and that the Bible is an infallible guide.

Moderates have no trouble embracing that statement. But many conservatives also support a "Peace Committee" report adopted by the national convention in the mid-1980s. It includes a definition of biblical inerrancy, saying that Adam and Eve were real people, that the miracles of the Bible really happened, that the books of the Bible were written by the stated authors.

A seminary professor who admits he doesn't hold to those concepts would be in trouble with conservatives. Moderates contend that such "litmus tests" of theology are merely tools to force conformity.

Differences over the roles of women are also major. Many conservatives say it's unbiblical for women to be pulpit pastors. Moderates often support female pastors and say the local church has the final say on hiring pastors.

Conservative Baptist leaders also are known for firing or forcing out professors, seminary presidents, even seminary librarians who don't show loyalty to what they call the "conservative resurgence" in the Southern Baptist Convention.

Baptist conservatives also are not politically correct and are proud of it. Most Baptist moderates, on the other hand, were embarrassed by the conservative boycott of the Walt Disney Co., for example.

Conservatives also raised eyebrows by announcing they plan to evangelize Mormons when Baptists hold their national convention next year in Salt Lake City, the headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A Baptist video claims Mormons are not Christians.

Moderates and conservatives also clash over politics. Conservative Southern Baptists are the most powerful religious group supporting most of the goals of the so-called Religious Right. Even though President Clinton is a Southern Baptist, conservatives passed resolutions condemning his statements on gay rights and abortion.

In the moderates' view, conservatives also are not upholding separation of church and state. Many Baptist conservatives favor some form of government support of private schools and back new laws or a constitutional amendment guaranteeing the right of voluntary prayer in public schools.

Moderates say mixing government and religion will prove to be a disaster.

So don't expect peace between moderate and conservative Southern Baptists. The two groups, in one giant denomination, are going their separate ways. (

(Jim Jones is religion editor of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Write to him at: the Star-Telegram, P.O. Box 1870, Fort Worth, TX 76101.)

(c) 1997, Fort Worth Star-Telegram

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