Southern Baptist Leader’s racially charged language dates back far longer than last week’s tweet
Southern Baptist Leader promoted view that Black Christians have superior theology
Southern Baptist Elite Kevin Smith claimed that black Christians have a better theology than white Christians. This is a type of Ethnic Gnosticism—a belief that one has special knowledge because of one’s race.
The Executive Director of the Baptist Convention of Maryland-Delaware Kevin Smith tweeted, “Black Christ-followers in America, historically, have had the richest, deepest, pneumatological, existential, biblical theodicy.”
This is a growing problem among Evangelical Christians—where an allegedly “oppressed” group has a superior relationship or understanding of God. One might recognize this type of view as something promoted by James Cone.
Cone’s work is heretical, but it has gained support in the SBC. In fact, a professor at SEBTS told the New York Times that he secretly teaches Cone to Southern Baptists without their knowledge.
Peter Lumpkins noted that the Kevin Smith’s use of racially charged language goes back some years. In screenshots posted of Kevin Smith’s tweets, Lumpkins found racial rhetoric in tweets dating back to 2012.
Lumpkins said, “#SBC leader Kevin Smith alluded to “can’t-preach-white-boys.” Defenders insist no racial slur occurred. But Smith’s racially charged language evidently goes back yrs. Here’s the deal. Racial reconciliation will not happen without *mutual respect*.”
This follows a bombshell report from the Louisiana Baptist Message showing Smith using “racist language.” According to the Baptist Message, “At a time of already heightened black-white tensions in the country, the executive director of the Baptist Convention of Maryland-Delaware has ratcheted up the rhetoric, using racist language on Twitter, June 14, in his defense of the push for women preachers in Southern Baptist pulpits.”
The defense of women preaching is an interesting theme among Smith’s tweets. In an October, 27, 2018, tweet, Smith joined notorious race baiter Thabiti Anyabwile in attacking conservative anti-Social Justice Evangelicals. You might remember Anyabwile writing that all whites were guilty of the assassination of Martin Luther King.
Smith tweeted, “Because some are punks and cowards – eager to apply doctrinal or ethical ‘accountability’ to a woman with large crowds, or a black pastor saying inconvenient things, but ain’t no way they’d ever be biblically-prophetic about sinful racism. Yep, some of the biggest mouths are mice.”
Racial Identity Politics is consuming the Southern Baptist Convention. If the church succumbs to this then what chance does the rest of society have? The church is in danger. The nation is in danger. Will SBC pastors act?