Gary Ledbetter
Calvinism and the SBC, tensions
I
admire the people involved in the Calvinism Advisory Committee (CAC) convened by Executive Committee President Frank Page to help Southern Baptists move forward together even as we have small differences in our views of how our salvation is accomplished. I’m married to one committee member but do believe I’m objective in affirming their work. The “unofficial” committee consisted of notables representing the span of SBC opinions about Calvinism. I recognized names I’d consider “fiery” on one side of the subject or the other as well as those more statesmanlike by reputation. The participants represented their viewpoints thoroughly enough to produce a document all can consider reasonable. I appreciate that the report noted tensions as well as many points of agreement. Some brethren get nervous when we acknowledge disagreement. Their concern may be that we will be distracted and neglect the Great Commission. It’s a good point; we do get distracted pretty easily. The sensitivities of the practical-minded should warn us against magnifying details of doctrine inappropriately but should not discourage lively discussions of doctrine. The practitioners among us are less patient with doctrine just as the philosophers among us struggle with application. A maturing Christian needs to have some investment in both camps. The forming of our committee, though, was occasioned not by a neglect of missions so much as a neglect of unity, even courtesy. We have been led now to face that threat to unity without neglecting the beneficial discussion of doctrine. The committee report suggests to me a couple of ideas about how we go forward from here. Face the facts - Calvinists will always be an influential minority within Southern Baptist life. We need to be OK with that. In our day, Calvinistic Baptists lead us to highlight and teach doctrine. Our Calvinists have helped exalt expository preaching and the need for care in how we
Not all will—I’m not even sure some people are capable of courteous speech—and when that happens we should take it seriously. share the gospel. This means that our non-Calvinist brothers need to drop the reference to Calvinism as heresy. Calvinists are influential within the SBC, but they are also a minority and will likely remain so. Our Calvinist brothers need to be at peace with that status without a desperate effort to convert those who do not accept that “Calvinism is simply the gospel.” Talk about something else, vigorously - I’ve heard, participated in and enjoyed debates about Calvinism since I first became familiar with the term. It’s fun to discuss important things with those who can do so in good humor. It is divisive to discuss important things with those who take themselves too seriously. The constant series of discussions over Calvinism seems to have multiplied the company of the self-important rather than that of the good-humored. And I know at least as many humorless non-Calvinists as I do humorless Calvinists. Please don’t stop talking about doctrine but how about adding some others to our list? Theology of missions, Christians and public policy, eschatology, cooperative missions in the 21st century—all these things and others can be beneficially controversial. Sometimes I think we only have these panels and debates to draw a crowd. It would also be nice if some of these other important issues could draw a crowd occasionally. Discipline your own tribe - If we do or if we don’t widen our repertoire of spicy topics we will still have different camps over any issue we bring up. I think that’s also just fine. Unity will require that we keep even our intramural conversations more high-minded than they often are. Our CAC included leaders, men who get an audience when they speak. Leaders have followers, even disciples. In addition to greater attention to their own speech, spokesmen for diverse opinions should admonish their followers to speak their opinions in love and even courtesy. Not all will—I’m not even sure some people are capable of courteous speech—and when that happens we should take it seriously. That may mean undisciplined brethren don’t get invited to preach at a conference or pastor the next church. If we believe that the unity of the body is significant and if we can affirm our Baptist confession of faith or even the matters of agreement included in the CAC report, we need to “in humility, count others more significant than [our]selves.” And to the degree that we are leaders, we need to call on those who listen to us to do the same. As a fan of theological debate, I hope we can continue to sharpen one another as iron sharpens iron. This is a great opportunity to return to a more constructive pattern for discussing important issues in our churches and in our denomination. Perhaps even in our rude society we can be an example of how transformed people disagree.