I attended my first Southern Baptist Convention as a “messenger” (a registered voting attendee) in 2015 when the annual meeting was held in Columbus, OH. There were 5,407 other messengers in attendance, and for this first timer it felt massive. Since 2015, I have been to nearly every convention, and they have all been larger than my Columbus experience.
After last year’s Covid cancelled meeting, this year’s convention had 15,726 messengers present and an additional 5,748 non-messenger attendees (non-voting attendees), making a total of 21,474 attendees--by far the convention’s largest meeting in decades.
Why the sudden jump in attendance? Perhaps people were happy to get out and travel again after a year of Covid cancelled events. For some, it was a desire to reconnect with old friends and network with other pastors/ministries. But you know what really motivates people to travel to the annual meeting? Politics. The SBC elects a President every year, and this year the candidates running for the position represented two camps that have grown increasingly critical of the other. The top issues being debated between the two sides centered around racial issues and the handling of sexual abuse allegations over recent years in SBC churches. Churches and pastors from all over the country came to have their voice heard on these important issues.
To summarize the difference between the two camps, both are concerned about the state of the SBC and want to influence the denomination for a better future, yet they have very different perspectives on how to do so. Of the top two candidates, Mike Stone represents a group supported by a faction called the Conservative Baptist Network. This network, which in my perspective appears to be largely made up of leaders and figure heads of the convention who have been around for decades, tends to focus on being vocally anti-CRT (critical race theory) and are concerned about the voices calling for greater transparency on sexual abuse allegations, claiming that it is a distraction to the Church’s gospel work.
On the other side, Ed Litton represents many who are not part of the Conservative Baptist Network. From my perspective, those behind Litton tend to be younger and more racially diverse. Litton, a pastor in Mobile, AL, has been a champion of racial reconciliation in Southern Baptist life. The efforts by those in the Litton camp toward gospel centered racial reconciliation has caused the CBN to accuse them of being “woke” and insufficiently committed to biblical inerrancy, due to their desired softer language on issues like race and abortion.
On issues of sexual abuse allegations, many on the Litton side have championed a third-party investigation into past handlings of sexual abuse reports, and encourage greater transparency. Many on the Mike Stone side have expressed concern about a third-party investigation, claiming it would be a distraction and could weaken the network of churches. While there is much agreement on major issues by the convention, the sharp disagreements are happening over the way the convention will apply our theology and live that out in our churches, structures, and the public square.
From my perspective, all Baptists seem primarily theologically conservative. The uniting Baptist Faith and Message ensures this. The criticism of the CBN is largely based not on the substance of what is communicated but on the tone by which it was communicated. You can find many CBN articles decrying that Critical Race Theory was not directly condemned, yet multiple leaders from the stage affirmed that Southern Baptists do not agree with the tenets of CRT. James Merritt, chairman of the resolutions committee of the 2021 annual meeting, effectively quipped, “If some of us were as passionately concerned with reaching the lost as we are with CRT, this world would be won for Christ tomorrow.”
I have friends who are part of the Conservative Baptist Network. And I understand that there are many self-identifying Evangelicals today who are compromising in beliefs and practices, bending toward cultural pressures. There is always a danger of a theological or philosophical drift happening in a convention. As a matter of fact, I fear it is happening right now. But, instead of seeing it as the so-called “woke” Christians who are drifting to the left, I see those identifying with the CBN as drifting towards fundamentalism.
After the initial ballot between four candidates (including Dr. Albert Mohler, president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary), the run-off election between Litton and Stone ended with a Litton victory as he gained 52% of the votes. Though you may have seen headlines about the dramatic events of the annual convention, for the most part the meeting was prayerful, worshipful, and peaceful as thousands of Southern Baptist brothers and sisters celebrated the cooperative work for Kingdom advancement.
Even as some are disappointed with the election results, all Southern Baptists would do well to keep in mind that there is more that unites us than divides us. There is much to celebrate as all were in agreement about the core tenants of the gospel and theology. We may diverge on some issues, but as Psalm 133:1 reminds us, “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!”
Meet the authors!
Lauren McAfee is a PhD student in ethics and public policy from Southern Seminary. Lauren is author of Not What You Think, Only One Life, and Legacy Study. She also works at the Hobby Lobby corporate office as a project coordinator. She grew up in Oklahoma City and loves her church community at CRBC. Lauren and her high school sweetheart, Michael McAfee, have been married for over ten years and have one daughter, Zion. Connect with Lauren at www.laurenamcafee.com or on Instagram @laurenamcafee.
