Sermongate tainted Ed Litton retreats in disgrace. Will preside at Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting in Anaheim but not seek reelection as SBC President.
The disgraced plagiarist Ed Litton announced via video that he will not seek reelection as President of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) at the June SBC Annual Meeting in Anaheim, California. In a video that felt more like something starring Bill Clinton than an SBC President, Litton announced he was going to dedicate time to a “a gospel-centered racial reconciliation” program. Litton’s decision not to seek reelection likely was influenced by the Sermongate plagiarism scandal.
“God has brought alongside incredible partners to support this effort and I’m excited to present this to you in our meeting in June in Anaheim,” Litton said. “But for me this is bittersweet news. The truth is that I believe this work is something God is calling me to do and to devote myself to for the next five-to-ten-years of my life, but I also believe that at this important moment in the life of our Convention and it is best for me to do so as a pastor and not from the office of president of the Southern Baptist Convention.”
According to Litton, it is a grassroots racial reconciliation organization.
In other words, this will be another vehicle for Woke infiltration of our conservative churches. Apparently, Litton has found some funding for the effort—which might explain why he is not seeking reelection—as Litton mentioned “partners.”
Litton also addressed his “failures” in sermon preparation—where Litton took “responsibility” for what eventually became Sermongate.
“I want to speak as plainly as I can. As I’ve previously stated, I take responsibility for my own failures and shortcomings for mistakes I’ve made in the preparation and delivery of particular sermons, but we are at a critical moment and I believe that nothing should distract us from what lies ahead in Anaheim,” Litton said.
What does this mean for the SBC & Conservatives?
Ed Litton was going to face a challenge in Anaheim from concerned Southern Baptists. The Conservative Baptist Network (CBN) has said as much. It was clear the organization planned to offer a slate of candidates as a conservative alternative to the Woke and plagiarist faction. Litton’s withdrawal changes the tone of the campaign.
Instead of the SBC Presidential Election being a referendum on Ed Litton and plagiarism, the Woke will be able to float a different narrative.
Will the Woke campaign crew attempt to make Anaheim another convention about abuse? Or, will they try to double down on Critical Race Theory?
The fact that Ed Litton will not seek reelection means several things. The Woke wing of the SBC likely has a candidate it feels stands a better chance than the disgraced, unrepentant Ed Litton. Also, that they likely have a candidate with appeal to West Coast voters. This makes conservative voter turnout even more critical.