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Liberty University declares war on Southern Baptist Convention & its Deep State

Progressives are causing chaos in the SBC, and Jerry Falwell Jr. has had enough of the ‘Southern Baptist Deep State’

The president of Liberty University issued a stunning rebuke to the Southern Baptist Convention. During Liberty’s baccalaureate service Friday, Jerry Falwell Jr. accused new leaders in the SBC of taking the convention away from its conservative roots and betraying the conservative resurgence.

Falwell praised the conservative resurgence led by men like baccalaureate speaker Dr. Jerry Vines for bringing the SBC back “to more accurately reflect the values of most Southern Baptist members.”

Falwell said that “unfortunately, a new generation has taken the Convention away from those values in many ways.”

Falwell promised Liberty University would continue to defend its conservative values.

“We will continue to honor the conservative leaders who reformed the Southern Baptist Convention, and we place our hope in your generation to be the ones to step up and provide better leadership for the future,” Falwell told the graduates.

Falwell was hopping mad at what is happening to the Southern Baptist Convention.

What precipitated the frustration? Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s removal of stained-glass windows of conservative theological leaders sparked the rebuke, but it is clear this isn’t about the windows—but it runs much deeper. It is about the theological and public policy stances destroying the unity of the Southern Baptist Convention. We’ve pointed out before, that the future of the SBC is bleak as progressives continue to weaken the Southern Baptist Convention.

He said the windows were “removed by the new regime.”

He likened the operation of the new regime to a “Southern Baptist Deep State.”

The windows were paid for by donations and Falwell wanted the money back. It appears, Falwell got the windows.

According to the university, “Falwell demanded that SWBTS return the money donated for the windows and sent a plane to Fort Worth, Texas, this week to retrieve them. They will go on display in the Jerry Falwell Museum on campus.”

Southwestern appears to be in a crisis as new, inexperienced leadership takes the helm. Immediately, the new president cut about 30-percent of fulltime faculty. Other changes by the new president included hiring his new team of administrators and staff from…you guessed it…Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (apparently, only Al Mohler’s people can run things.)

Falwell’s Southern Baptist Deep State comment was intended as a joke; however, it does have some truth in it. Notice the sheer number of Al Mohler disciples leading SBC entities today (see chart). Also, notice the sheer number of these appointments who are promoting Woke Theology today. Also, notice the ones platforming the likes of Beth Moore—who is now in open rebellion against 1 Tim 2:12 and is now preaching in SBC pulpits on Sunday.

Conservative Southern Baptists should welcome Falwell’s strong stance against the SBC’s progressive drift. Some may criticize him but notice his enemies. He’s routinely attacked by secular Leftists and even insulted by the likes of other “Christians.” Notice this insulting tweet from James K.A. Smith. Shocking and hateful rhetoric from one Christian directed at another.

Judge a man by his enemies.

Jerry Falwell Jr.’s enemies are all liberals, progressives and Woke Christians. If you are a conservative evangelical, I urge you to set aside any issues and work together with Falwell to save the SBC.

I urge this just as I urge those with issues related to John MacArthur to set aside those concerns for the good of the evangelical church. The Social Justice Gospel threatens the church and the country. If we lose the Southern Baptist Convention, I fear for the future of religious liberty in our land; I fear for the future of our children to worship God in spirit and in truth.

Persecution may come. It may be inevitable for American Christians. Yet, we must do all we can now to fight—while we still have time. That fight today is in the church. Tomorrow it may be at the ballot box. But the only way we can honor God in this endeavor is to unify against the real threat.

We must hold fast to the legacy of the conservative resurgence. That is something all conservative Southern Baptists should be able to do.

32 thoughts on “Liberty University declares war on Southern Baptist Convention & its Deep State”

  1. I attended a church that relies heavily on SBC authority, and after three years, I’d had it with that nonsense. I think the SBC weakens the faith because of its tendency to nurture the superficial, easy believism is what it is. Thanks but no thanks.

    If you think church institutions, take a good look at the Roman Catholic Church, and maybe you might want to reconsider. It is too easy to hid flaws in a large body where power evolves from numbers, members, and clout.

    An avid reader, I began reading some of the material put out by the SBC, and I thought the articles were a waste of trees. Get back to depth, the OT, and serious study and forget about who is winning. This is no game.

  2. I’ve 42, have been a Christian for 19 years, and grew up in SBC churches since I was little. I actually didn’t know Southern Baptist was a denomination for years. I thought it just meant a Baptist Church that existed in the South. Ignorance is bliss!

    Not until the last decade have I seen such division! Never did I hear words like complementarianism or egalitarianism. What pride is in all those isms you smart people debate! Aren’t we supposed to avoid foolish arguments? Aren’t we supposed to avoid quarreling about words? If we are the Lord’s servant, aren’t we supposed to avoid arguing?

    I never dreamed that a woman should Pastor a church. I still think the idea is out of whack. But all my dear SBC pastors always allowed women to teach and testify. What is this weirdness going on between men and women in the SBC church? Everybody doth protest too much. The Lord is coming back soon-don’t we have enough to do with a world around us going to hell?

    These extreme machismo and feminist voices I keep hearing have GOT to go. Lol. Just mind your own business and lead a quiet life, get off Twitter and go share the gospel with whatever sex God has placed in your path that day.

    The further men go from the Lord, the more they hate women and want to dominate them. Look at Judges..the decline of how women were treated the further men went from the Lord. From leader to being chopped into pieces and mailed off.

    The further women go from the Lord, the more they hate men and wish they could rule. The Lord said all this already. It’s part of the fall.

    Jesus destroyed the dividing wall of hostility on the cross. Let’s look at the cross, people, and outdo one another in showing honor, for his sake.

  3. I have been against Russell Moore and his loss of conservative values for several years, all to no effect. I have talked to Robert White about Moore and was told that since he is an entity to himself with his own Board of Directors, there was nothing the Convention could do about firing him. Now I am concerned about J. D. Greear as our SBC President. His standards of behavior are NOT those of the SBC conservatives. In fact, it is my opinion that the entire Southern Baptist Convention should be abolished. Since every church is autonomous, we can choose which, and how many, missionaries we may support both at home and abroad, without paying exorbitant salaries to the overpaid men and women at the SBC. The SBC seems to have lost sight of what Jesus commanded us to do, namely, GO OUT into all the world and make disciples, not bring on the pizzas, loud music and purple lights to get the world to come into the church. The church was established for the believers, not the lost. The people ARE the CHURCH. We meet to be equipped and edified so that we may go out to a lost world, led not by an Executive Board, but by the Holy Spirit.

  4. I personally believe the SBC lost it’s focus when they moved from the KJV to the myriad of compromise bibles, which Dr. Jerry Vines was one of the chief supporters. Because of this, my support of the SBC is at an all time low. The KJV may not be perfect; however, I believe it’s the closest to the original manuscript!

  5. I personally believe the SBC lost it’s focus when they moved from the KJV to the myriad of compromise bibles, which Dr. Jerry Vines was one of the chief supporters. Because of this, my support of the SBC is at an all time low. The KJV may not be perfect; however, I believe it’s the closest to the original manuscript!

  6. It is very easy to point fingers. Its also very easy to criticize without having all the facts. It is also easy to speak your mind and believe that what has been written, communicated, articulated and accepted as truth is indeed truth. It appears that all the fingers have been pointed at Al Mohler. Nothing that I have read seems to have checked out the facts. Accusations without the truth to back them up is sin. Always need to remember whomever points the finger needs to examine himself first while realizing that three fingers are pointing right back at you. This is not about Baptist principles. This is about truth plain and simple! What needs to be done is some self-examination and follow the principles of Scripture and follow what is written in Matthew the eighteenth chapter. You follow that and the circumstances become clearer. Let’s be careful in what we say but let us yet be more careful in what we do because the Gospel testimony is at stake.

  7. Article not clear about what has riled y’all up. Stained glass windows, preacher Beth Moore, left-leaning leaders? Will SBC follow the Protestants down the broad road to women bishops, gay-filled churches, ect., and will Beth Moore be the leader to get them there? Wondering because I go to a SBC church

  8. You are condemning one man for the ills you see Mr. Al Mohler. Yet I have not seen or heard or read anything by Dr. Mohler that warrants this broadside attack. If you are going to bring charges then you must bring specific ones. Well, where / what are they.

    1. Dr. Mohler could with a word stop the Wokeness re: MLK50 with Russell Moore and the Kingdom Diversity promotion of Dr. James Cone at SEBTS. The fact he won’t do it, and the fact that he refused to even talk about the issues of Social Justice with Phil Johnson is a serious indictment of Dr. Mohler’s leadership. Plus, the promotion of Williams (who had endorsed Intersectionality in a now deleted essay) is a major question mark about what is going on at Southern.

  9. The leaders within the SBC should give heed to this warning by Jerry Falwell, Jr. The SBC lost its spiritual footing once before and had to be rescued by men like William “Bill” Powell, Adrian Rogers, W A Criswell, Paige Patterson, Judge Paul Pressler, I think also Charles Stanley and others. Now it needs saving again. There is a wave of liberalism and Hyper Calvinism (Reformed Theology) sweeping this great denomination that threatens the very roots of the SBC that will greatly hinder the work of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Church. Ron English

  10. A principle tenet of Baptists has always been in the priesthood of the believer and that Baptists do not have a creed. Baptists have had everything from foot washers and snake handlers and sanctified evangelists to theological scholars. But another thing Baptists have always believed in was the separation of church and state and that meant keeping religion out of politics and politics out of religion. Today a lot of Baptist have forgotten what the principles of their denomination are that make them Baptists and not some other denomination.

    1. Baptists have not traditionally believed in keeping religion out of politics. Baptists have always from the Revolution forward preached sermons that touched on politics: everything from the biblical justification for or against the War for Independence to fighting for or against slavery. The very foundation of the Southern Baptist Convention involved the question of slavery.

      The key for Baptists is a sort of neutral state regarding favoritism of a state church. Baptists were persecuted by state churches, and prefer the power of the state not compel in matters of religion. That’s hugely different than not allowing religion to influence politics. As fundamentally, that is impossible. One’s worldview will influence how they vote and think about important policy issues.

  11. “If we lose the Southern Baptist Convention, I fear for the future of religious liberty in our land; I fear for the future of our children to worship God in spirit and in truth.”

    This is a terrible application of this passage. As if living in America as we know it is essential to biblical worship! The point of that passage in John 4 is that the New Covenant will allow everyone to worship the Father NO MATTER THEIR NATIONALITY. God is Spirit, and all can worship him in Christ – wherever they are! Whenever they are!

    Is the author implying that persecuted Christians CANNOT worship in Spirit and in truth? Is he saying that Christians did not worship properly until 1776?

    This is what so many supporters of change in the Southern Baptist Convention are concerned about. I cannot speak to any liberalism, but there is a desire for real worship that drives real missions (which is the purpose of our convention, by the way. The SBC does not exist to make America great again at all costs. We exist to reach the nations for Christ.) And when we look at members of our convention holding onto the USA and life as it has been with a borderline idolatrous grip, we want that to change.

    1. My point, perhaps poorly expressed, was that the secularists want Christians to deny truth. They desire to see us forced to say Men can be Women, or that biological sex isn’t true, etc. While some Christians will resist if forced to repeat these lies, I fear some, will no doubt say what the secularists demand. I’d prefer to keep religious liberty so my children or grandchildren could avoid being forced to make such a choice.

      The idea that Christians who want to preserve liberty or who are patriotic are somehow borderline idolatrous is absurd, and not really worth engaging.

  12. Southwestern Seminary is not in deep crisis because of “inexperienced new leadership.” Southwestern Seminary is and has been in a terrible financial crisis for years because of the bizarre, out-of-control leadership of President Paige Patterson. His spending sprees and unbelievably lavish lifestyle are partly to blame; however, his dictatorial and vindictive management style contributed greatly to the problem. SOUTHWESTERN WAS ABOUT TO DIE BEFORE PATTERSON WAS AT LAST REMOVED.

    Patterson was not removed because of a liberal conspiracy. He was not even primarily terminated because of his gross mishandling of a rape accusation on campus. He was removed because he was killing Southwestern Seminary.

    I was a deeply involved participant in the Conservative Resurgence from the very beginning. I was at every convention, voting for conservatives, voting for a strong stand on the veracity of the Bible. I still believe in what was done to save the Southern Baptist Convention, and always will. I, too, am concerned about the current direction of the denomination as a whole. But what is going on at Southwestern Seminary is NOT a part of an attempt to destroy its conservative underpinnings. The new president and his staff are working desperately to SAVE the seminary.

    As to the windows . . . they were removed because they were inappropriate in their setting. Honoring those who restored the convention to a strong stand on the Bible? Then pictures of Rick Warren and Frank Page should NEVER have been part of the collection. Neither one of them contributed anything to the Conservative Resurgence. And there are some others who have windows whose contribution to the Conservative Resurgence was minimal at best. I’m glad that Falwell has them now . . . perhaps he can provide a better setting for their display.

    Paige Patterson felt that he, as the co-architect of the Conservative Resurgence (for which we should be and will always be grateful) somehow deserved to be president of Southwestern. And so the premature departure of a great and effective president, Dr. Ken Hemphill, was quietly engineered behind the scenes so that Patterson could fulfill his ambition. He was not content to have turned Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary around . . . he had to have Southwestern, at that time the crown jewel of SBC graduate education. And so Southwestern was given to him. And in fifteen years, he presided over Southwestern’s decline and near death.

    When Paige Patterson went to be president at Southeastern, Southeastern was a small, moribund, ineffectual seminary. It was easy for Patterson to turn it into a strong conservative dynamo with a growing enrollment. However, Southwestern was a different story. It was strong and sound when Patterson became president. Now, it is no longer strong and sound.

    Dr. Greenway is no “liberal,” no “progressive,” no “social justice” crusader. He is a gifted, EXPERIENCED, solidly conservative leader who is working around the clock to save Southwestern and bring it back to its former greatness. He deserves for us to wish him well, assure him of our fervent prayers, and not be ranted against because of the removal of the stained-glass windows.

    When human beings . . . even great humans . . . are constantly honored and praised and glorified and complimented, it is hard for them to keep a lock on their egos. The good results of the years of effort required to turn the Southern Baptist Convention back to the Bible should have been reward enough for all those who contributed. (And multitudes contributed . . . many contributed far more than those memorialized in the stained glass windows.) They are happy simply to know that reverence for the Bible in our denominational institutions was brought back. They didn’t need a window in their honor.

    Southwestern is going to thrive again, and become strong once more. It will always be a conservative seminary . . . probably, once again, our most conservative seminary. It will not be led astray by the admittedly dangerous trends going on in our denomination. Pray much and trust God.

    1. We should pray and all desire to see SWBTS made stronger. I fear Greenway’s focus on residential programs and many of the changes are exactly wrong. In the current state of higher ed, residential shouldn’t be the primary focus. However, I think it is clear that he is too locked into replicating how Southern does it. That might work in Ft. Worth, but I’m not convinced.

      Also, I think the idea that Greenway isn’t Woke is possible, but based on Russell Moore and Daniel Akin, a serious and legitimate concern. We can reserve judgment on that issue. Maybe he’ll be more like Dr. Allen at MBTS than Akin at SEBTS? We can only hope and pray!

  13. It isn’t just leftists..it’s also the feminazis and other SJW’s. they preach something I have(and others) termed churchianity…and it’s rampant. The SBC has already gone down the churchianity path..it’s done…let it go. We do not need a large number…Jesus needed himself and 12. True Christianty is more effective with a smaller number. The Lord warns us multiple times in the New Testament that we will be persecuted for believing in Him.
    https://hescominsoon.com/archives/category/churchianity

    For my post about the SBC conversion to churchianity:
    https://hescominsoon.com/archives/5658

  14. Your reply to Cliff Page included a decidedly unexamined statement: “The very foundation of the Southern Baptist Convention involved the question of slavery.” No. The very foundation of the SBC was centered on the defense of, and violently active support for, the intsitution of slavery, using cocksure misuse of scripture, an over-confident hermeneutic, and a knee-jerk dehumanization of people of color and “northern liberals.” Your article shows little has changed in 165 years. You belittle and mock even the mildest of prophetic critiques from the Moores and the Mohlers of the church, while the Rayal Court-appointed Prophets like Falwell Jr. fawn over and bleat out support for the most cynical and least Christian President of my lifetime. I am thankful for the deep love of Christ and scripture I received from a local Baptist church many years ago. I also thankful that I left.

    1. So, the issue of slavery was intimately involved in the SBC’s foundation. Glad you proved the point.

  15. Erm, happy to be of service in your minimizing a vile, racist ecclesial genesis.
    And apologies for the typos; that should be “Royal” and “I’m.”

    1. I didn’t minimize it. I said it was involved in the creation of the denomination. So, typically, if someone wants to minimize something, they don’t mention it.

    1. I wouldn’t say Mohler is liberal. However, he has empowered, platformed and refuses to publicly denounce those promoting Liberation Theology and other similar issues. He was even rude to Phil Johnson when Johnson asked him about the problem of Social Justice.

  16. I see many fear the SBC might get into politics. The greater fear should be if they do not get in the thick of it. If Christians do not take an active and strong stand for Christ, the Bible, the social slide that we are in knee deep or waist high then the wonderful progress made will slip away. Dr. Jerry Falwell, Sr. always made sure he stated the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ in each appearance on TV. He always generated clarity and biblical firmness. He is sadly missed in these days of blatant compromise and careless disregard for biblical truth. Thank God his son is taking the stand he has. Some of the straight shooters of the last SBC renewal has passed on. I am greatly concerned with the reformed theology of five-point Calvinism that is so deeply rooted in our schools and now sprouting in our churches. That doctrine will impede evangelism and destroy a generation of Bible believers and what could have been their positive influence. John Calvin may have been a bright light in his day, but that day has long past and his doctrine still hinders the church today. Dr. John Rice used to say his doctrine does more damage than the doctrine of sprinkling babies. SBC wake up. Get the leaven out of your ranks while you can.

  17. I see many fear the SBC might get into politics. The greater fear should be if they do not get in the thick of it. If Christians do not take an active and strong stand for Christ, the Bible, the social slide that we are in knee deep or waist high then the wonderful progress made will slip away. Dr. Jerry Falwell, Sr. always made sure he stated the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ in each appearance on TV. He always generated clarity and biblical firmness. He is sadly missed in these days of blatant compromise and careless disregard for biblical truth. Thank God his son is taking the stand he has. Some of the straight shooters of the last SBC renewal has passed on. I am greatly concerned with the reformed theology of five-point Calvinism that is so deeply rooted in our schools and now sprouting in our churches. That doctrine will impede evangelism and destroy a generation of Bible believers and what could have been their positive influence. John Calvin may have been a bright light in his day, but that day has long past and his doctrine still hinders the church today. Dr. John Rice used to say his doctrine does more damage than the doctrine of sprinkling babies. SBC wake up. Get the leaven out of your ranks while you can. This is not a duplicate post.

  18. I consider myself a conservative, but the older generation of the SBC needs to be able to differentiate between sin and changing the approach to ministry. I’ve seen a plethora of lifelong southern Baptist get way more riled up over having a drum set in the church than the fact that there are people in the community dying and going to hell. In addition to this, the marriage between politics and religion within the SBC has been damaging to its testimony. We need to stand on political issues, but why do we have prominent evangelical leaders on the campaign trail with politicians? Are we blinded to the fact that this damages ministry opportunities? Although the younger SBC generation is imperfect, I believe it would be wise for the older generation to pick battles that really matter as things are changing like it or not.

    1. Just because someone prefers classic evangelistic worship does not mean he or she doesn’t care about people dying and going to hell. In fact, there are probably just as many who are troubled by the takeover of contemporary worship who care deeply about lost souls as those who prefer contemporary worship . . . if not more. Just because you love a drum set in the church doesn’t mean you are care more about people in the community dying and going to hell than those who love hymns. I’VE seen a “plethora” of drum-set, bang-your-head, rock and roll advocates who are so self-absorbed by their style of worship that THEY don’t care much about reaching hell-bound souls.

      When we have finally lost classic worship and hymns altogether, we will have lost the greatest tool for teaching sound, solid doctrine besides expository preaching.

      But don’t worry, Luke. Classic worship is dead and drum sets have won. As you said, times are changing whether people like it or not. Your way has got it. You have won. Now we’ll see a great new emphasis on soul-winning and multitudes more won to Christ than ever before. Maybe.

  19. Pingback: Liberty University Declares War on Southern Baptist Convention & Its Deep State

  20. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Whatever I can do to help, I surely will, beginning with a prayer that whatever is in the dark be brought into the light.

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