Several Southern Baptist leaders including a seminary president and the current SBC president tweeted out fake news smearing good Southern Baptists. Daniel Akin, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS), and J.D. Greear, president of the Southern Baptist Convention, were among many SBC Elites who shared on social media lies about fellow Southern Baptists. Now, members of the SBC are demanding these men who engaged in gossip—spreading rumors online without evidence—apologize.
If you need the background, Julie Roys reported on this story here. Quick summary: some conservative church members were concerned about a potential new pastor because the pastoral candidate may have supported the Social Justice Movement. The pastoral candidate also happened to be black. And the pastor also happened to be an SBC Elite Insider. So, when the church failed to hire him—it was, of course, racist.
And the SBC Elites spread condemnation of the allegations on Twitter. Some of the gossips included Daniel Akin and J.D. Greear. Roys provided evidence of their tweets. However, no proof was ever offered. Roys asked for comment and evidence. Nobody responded.
So, will SBC Elites who spread gossip about their fellow Southern Baptists apologize? Some are asking for SBC leaders who slandered these good people to publicly apologize.
Southern Baptist Pastor Tom Buck said, “I pray that the SBC leaders who publicly joined in condemning these church members as racists will publicly apologize.”
I pray that the SBC leaders who publicly joined in condemning these church members as racists will publicly apologize. https://t.co/rtZXahSCc8
— Tom Buck (@TomBuck) March 19, 2020
And in reply to Dr. Buck, was an interesting comment from a man who worked with one of the alleged racists on the mission field. John Rabe said, “I’ve traveled to Tanzania to do missions with one of the men named here, who has had an ongoing work there for years. The notion that he’s a racist is absurd, and these charges are shameful for the leadership of this church.”
And this isn’t only one voice talking about the problems in the church leadership.
Dr. Tom Ascol made a startling and important statement on the slander against good Southern Baptists. He said, “As the events described here unfolded, I had several FBC members contact me. What they told me, & other information gathered by our local association, fits with what Julie has written. It is sad all the way around. Pray for the church.”
As the events described here unfolded I had several FBC members contact me. What they told me, & other information gathered by our local association, fits with what Julie has written. It is sad all the way around. Pray for the church. https://t.co/kjTr6IqRL3
— "Not marquee" Tom @tomascol (@tomascol) March 19, 2020
It is sad.
But notice the news—the local association looked into this issue and they found that what the Evangelical Dark Web—Pulpit & Pen, Reformation Charlotte and others were reporting was right—that SBC Elites were spreading gossip.
And these men like Greear and Akin are considered Trusted Voices in the Southern Baptist Convention.
It is time for new voices.
It is time for new leaders.
Leaders who don’t gossip on Social Media.
Thanks for this needed article! However…. I would urge that the need is not an ‘apology!’ That’s a good old favorite word…. but the need is this: “I sinned. I am repenting of my sin– I gossiped, I lied. I was wrong. PLEASE FORGIVE ME!
Very well said. The act of apologizing is not heroic, in fact it is often a completely hollow act.
It is in the act of granting forgiveness that one finds the spirit of the Lord.
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