Repudiate, Repeal, Replace: Plans afoot to rescind SBC’s resolution approving Identity Politics

Laurens Baptist Association members prep resolution to replace the Southern Baptist Convention’s Resolution 9.

A growing number of rank-and-file Baptists are worried about the direction of the Southern Baptist Convention. Resolution 9 appears to be a tipping point. It is over Resolution 9’s approval of Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality that a group of Georgia Baptists are getting ready to fight. It is a fight to save the SBC from the perils of Identity Politics. These fights are taking place at the local associational level and the state level.

“We share the opinion that the SBC has begun a journey down a dangerous path that must be corrected,” said Tom Vann, one of the organizers of the Laurens Baptist Association effort to pass a resolution against Identity Politics

Vann is pastor of Rentz Baptist Church, Rentz, Georgia. He’s led the church for over 23 years.

He’s the type of Southern Baptist who is involved in service to the denomination. He’s an Assistant Recording Secretary for the Georgia Baptist Convention, and  a member of the Georgia Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee. He typically attends the SBC’s Annual Meeting.

And he’s worried.

He became worried during the SBC’s Annual Meeting in Birmingham when messengers approved Resolution 9, which approves of the use of Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality as “analytical tools.”

Resolution 9 drew widespread condemnation from conservatives.

The plan for the Laurens Baptist Association members is to prepare a resolution for the local association to go on record against this type of Identity Politics. They want to make it clear, they reject Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality as ungodly philosophies.

We are developing a resolution for our Association and encouraging our State Convention to follow suit,” Vann said. “At this point we are focusing on our Association and perhaps the State, but we are open to pursuing it further.”

There is a resolution against Critical Race Theory and Interectionality under consideration by an ad hoc committee of the Georgia Baptist Convention. It was appointed to study Peter Lumpkins’ resolution introduced before last month’s annual meeting of the Georgia Baptist Convention.

The Tennessee Baptist Convention adopted a strong resolution condemning Identity Politics at its annual meeting in November.

These local efforts herald a national effort planned to reverse the SBC’s stance on the “analytical tools” of Identity Politics.

The Southern Baptist Convention takes place in Orlando June 7-8, 2020. There will be a multiple resolutions submitted to repeal and replace Resolution 9 with something more appropriate. However, multiple Southern Baptist insiders warn that next year’s Resolutions Committee will be appointed by J.D. Greear—thus, expect another Woke, progressive group working against the conservative masses of the SBC.

The expected hostility of SBC Insiders under the progressive leadership of J.D. Greear and Russell Moore worry conservative Southern Baptists. They point to the approval of Resolution 9—messengers often follow the lead of the platform even when they are ignorant about the underlying issues. So, a concerted educational campaign prior to Orlando will be needed to have any chance of removing the stain of Identity Politics from the SBC.