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Did MBTS president lobby state to accept more refugees?

UPDATE 2: D’oh and Mea Culpa

We erred. We erred in our use of an anonymous political source to shape a blog post posting the question: Did MWBTS President lobby state to accept more refugees? The question was and is reasonable given a state political source said so, and Dr. Jason Keith Allen’s signatory status with the George Soros funded Evangelical Immigration Table. However, one must take anonymous sources with a degree of skepticism. They are after all pursuing their own agenda. However, while the source maintains their view of the matter, we must accept as definitive regarding the December meeting this:

“How do I know this is fake news? I was there. I arranged the meeting between Dr. Jason Allen and Governor Mike Parson. The governor was gracious with his time and I was with them during the entire visit. Immigration never came up. In fact, we did not discuss politics. Dr. Allen shared with him all of the wonderful things God is doing at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City. The governor was interested because he understands that the seminary provides many pastors for Southern Baptist churches in his state (the governor is also Southern Baptist). It was a great meeting and it is disheartening, if not downright disgusting that such a false report could be so widely disseminated.
“Dr. Allen’s integrity is impeccable, and this report not only should be removed, but an apology and the truth should take its place. Call me. I was there.”

When the anonymous source claims one thing and a witness claims another, then it is wise to consider the central claim—which bears repeating: “Immigration never came up. In fact, we did not discuss politics…I was there.”

That must be the end of the matter and the definitive answer to the question our post asked.

We must be thankful that both Dr. Allen and Don Hinkle took the time to provide clarity and deliver the definitive account of the matter.

UPDATE: Dr. Allen vigorously denied that he ever lobbied the state on these issues. On Twitter, Dr. Allen alleged the source was wrong and that there were inaccuracies in the article.

Of particular interest are these tweets:

“More broadly, I’ve not, in any way, been a part of lobbying efforts nationally nor in Missouri related to immigration or refugee placement. It’s not that these are inappropriate considerations, I’ve just been more focused on other ministry issue & concerns.”

Image of Evangelical Immigration Table website listing Dr. Allen as a signatory of its principles.

Of course, this ignores that he is listed on the Evangelical Immigration Table’s website. But, he hasn’t lobbied on the issue.

Of course, we’ll take Dr. Allen at his word and make sure his denial is given the attention it deserves. Again, the source close to the state GOP was specific in the allegation, but Dr. Allen was specific in his denial. That’s important and people have the right to know.

Source: Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary President Jason Keith Allen lobbied Governor Mike Parsons to accept more refugees.

A source close to Missouri state politics said Southern Baptist Convention leaders lobbied the state government to continue accepting the resettlement of foreign refugees into the state. The source said MBTS president Jason Keith Allen used a December 9 visit with Gov. Mike Parsons to promote “pro-life” talking points that included George Soros backed immigration issues.

Dr. Allen is a supporter of the George Soros funded Evangelical Immigration Table. He’s also a defender of former Democratic congressional staffer and Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) president Russell Moore.

In fact, Dr. Allen is known to have berated a prominent critic of Russell Moore. We’ve been told by two sources that Dr. Allen appeared to value the 11th Commandment more than conservative criticism of Dr. Moore’s progressive record. 

The chatter within state GOP circles grew throughout the holiday season in Missouri about Southern Baptists lobbying the state on the refugee issue.

Dr. Allen was asked on Twitter if he lobbied the State of Missouri and Gov. Parsons to accept more refugees. As of press time, Dr. Allen had not responded to the question.

Previously, the MBTS website scrubbed conservative critics of Dr. Russell Moore from its For the Church website.

It is well known in evangelical circles that the Evangelical Immigration Table pressured state leaders to accept more refugees. Even one progressive evangelical admitted this on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/AlanLCross/status/1215045864214777858

If the state GOP source is correct (and we have every reason to believe the source), this entire situation raises many questions for Southern Baptists.

First, why are so many of the Elite leadership supporting the George Soros funded Evangelical Immigration Table?

Why is SBC Cooperative Program money being used to pay the salary of Allen so he can lobby for the George Soros immigration agenda? Don’t even get us started about Russell Moore’s salary.

Is this something most Southern Baptists are comfortable with?

Why is Allen working to enrich the refugee resettlement contractors—government contractors that actually profit off of taxpayers by resettling refugees?  The more refugees accepted into the US, the more money refugee resettlement contractors make.

Is this a good use of SBC time and energy?

Also, what’s the right balance? How can Christians help refugees, help legal immigrants and balance all of this while promoting the interests of citizens and the National Interest?

Too often, Evangelical Elites fail to recognize the important role of the National Interest in setting immigration policy. As Rich Lowry said in his recent book The Case for Nationalism: How It Made Us United, Powerful and Free:

“Outside of exceptional cases, the focus of US policy should be the national interest… The animating goal of our government should be promoting the interests of its own citizens.”

That’s common sense. Why is it so hard for Elite Evangelicals to understand that asking if something is in the interest of our citizens is the best place to start a political discussion?

Lastly, the Southern Baptist Convention won’t fix its problems until men like Dr. Allen end their obeisance to the 11th Commandment. It protects those promoting the rise of progressive thinking in the SBC.

12 thoughts on “Did MBTS president lobby state to accept more refugees?”

  1. From what I hear, Jason Allen is the most liberal president in the entire history of MBTS. He definitely takes his marching orders from Russell Moore and George Soros via the Evangelical Immigration Table. I had some friends who sent their daughter to MBTS but pulled her out because the school has become so liberal under Allen.

      1. Actually it is wise to listen to everytning you hear but rather be discerning about what you believe. The facts look bad for the SBC…it had the vestiges of a great institution but leaders who engage in semantics and double speak..very sad. When people start telling you to stop listening to critics, bet they have something they do not want you to know. They should engage and not disregard.

  2. If you are White Southerner, and you wish to remain a part of a White Southern majority in Dixie, you have only one honourable option – work for political secession.

    Any other strategy that involves staying in the United States means that you, your children, and your grandchildren are going to be a minority in a minority majority Southland.

    I’m afraid a large cabal of interests, from the Corporatists to the Globalists, to the Evangelists, and some others, as well, will see to it.

    The writing is on the wall, and has been since 1965 – when Yankee senators, Ted Kennedy (Massachussets) and Javob Javitz (New York) designed ‘Immigration Reform’ to ensure it.

    It was then they set the odds on Southerners : will they secede or will they buckle under to gradual replacement and sure alien dominion?

  3. I’m been a local church pastor in the Kansas City area almost fifteen years. Having been affiliated with MBTS since 1989, earning three degrees from the institution (under the leadership of three different presidents), having served as an adjunct professor, and serving as a trustee for ten years, any statement related to MBTS becoming liberal is absolute tripe. I know Dr. Allen personally (and have known the other presidents personally, too) and I can promise you Dr. Allen takes no orders from Dr. Moore or the likes of George Soros. He functions under the lordship of Jesus and in conjunction with a staunchly conservative Christ-following board of trustees. I’d be curious to hear about your personal conversations with Dr. Allen. Wait . . . crickets . . .

    1. Yes, Mr. Parker – you make a good point, this being that Dr. Allen need have no connections, whatsoever, to Mr. Soros, in order to be pursuing policies that are profoundly similar to those his in their direction for the country.

      I think at the core of this issue is the gulf between those who wish The United States to remain White European Majority and those who either actively wish to make this country Minority a White European, or, in the 3rd case, are concerned with other issues and do not care whatsoever about how their pursuits affect racial demographics.

      To my mind, Mr. Soros is the second of those categories and Mr. Allen the 3rd.

      For those in the 1st category (wish The U.S. to remain White Majority) those in the 2nd and 3rd categories are one and the same – to be reviled and distrusted.

      As I have said, those White Southerners who wish Dixie to remain majority White will not be successful at that, so long as Dixie is in The United States, because the whole mechanism of the government, commerce, and culture is against that, as are increasingly, the vehicles of organized faith.

    2. “I know Dr. Allen personally (and have known the other presidents personally, too) and I can promise you Dr. Allen takes no orders from Dr. Moore or the likes of George Soros.”

      Then why did Jason Allen silence all criticism of liberal Russell Moore at MBTS?

      Why is Jason Allen a signatory of the left-wing, Soros-funded, open-borders Evangelical Immigration Table?

      Jason Allen sounds as conservative as Jim Wallis, Russell Moore’s co-founder of the Evangelical Immigration Table.

      1. Here again we see a laziness in the commentators or an outright malicious intent. Making no judgement myself on the EIT, how do you claim it to be a Soto’s backed entity? My research shows that you making that claim would be likened to saying you are a backer of Donald Trump because your tax money was used to fund the recent execution of an Iranian terrorist.
        We have become so quick to connect any link of any kind to support what we want to believe rather than taking the time to get the facts.
        You have a statement from Dr Allen about the meeting. Did you bother to ask the Governor what was discussed? No because then your claims would be blatant for what they are.
        It is time to take responsibility for finding the facts for ourselves and quit allowing people with an agenda and lack of integrity to feed us from their manure pile.

    3. Dr. Parker, where is the “like” button on this thing? Oh well, I can affirm Dr. Parker’s sentiments of President Allen.

      Devin Hackler
      Pastor, Calvary Odessa, Mo.
      MBTS MDiv Student

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