How Trump is highlighting divisions among Southern Baptists
NASHVILLE — Ask a historian about the newest tensions in the Southern Baptist Convention, and you'll hear words like theology, polity and methodology.
Dig a little deeper into those tensions, closer to the congregational level, and you'll hear words like evangelism, missions and morality.
Should there be an altar call after every service?
Should the congregation be led by a dominant CEO-type pastor or a clergy-lay partnership?
Should a presidential candidate's party affiliation or political views trump flaws in his or her moral character?
Those are some of the pulpit-and-pew level tensions straining the faith, fellowship and funding in the Nashville-based Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in the U.S.
Read more:
Those tensions — racial, sectional, but mostly generational — have been forming for more than a decade, thanks in large part to the rise of social media and Millennials, and will be on full display this week when the convention holds its annual meeting in Phoenix.
Comments
Post a Comment