A Word Through the SBC Storm: Fighting the Right Battle

 

Are you 'weary' yet? I am. As a life-long Southern Baptist, I am weary - (I know, "Let us not grow weary In well-doing, we shall reap if we faint not.") Today, there is a wide difference of opinion as to what "Well-Doing" might be.

The Southern Baptist Convention finds itself in a difficult and painful season. Questions about accountability, trustee oversight, entity transparency, abuse reform, theological boundaries, cultural engagement, and cooperative mission have all converged into what feels like a denominational storm.

Many Southern Baptists (like me) are weary. Others are angry, suspicious, and some are even afraid.

If we are honest, many have begun to fight one another with a level of intensity that has distracted us from the very reason Southern Baptists exist in the first place. That should be a deep concern for us.

Scripture reminds us: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil…” (Ephesians 6:12)

Southern Baptists are not called to fight one another as enemies. We are called to fight lostness, evil, deception, and spiritual darkness with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

That does not mean we ignore real problems. It does not mean we sweep concerns under the rug. It does not mean we dismiss questions of accountability, transparency, or integrity in the name of “keeping peace.” Biblical peace is never built on denial. Biblical peace is built on truth, repentance, righteousness, and reconciliation.

We Must Face the Issues Honestly and there are real concerns in the SBC.

Questions about trustee effectiveness are legitimate. Concerns about financial transparency in entities deserve honest answers. Abuse prevention and survivor care cannot be treated as secondary matters. Theological convictions must be handled seriously. Cultural engagement must be guided by biblical wisdom rather than political tribalism.

And yes, many Southern Baptists are asking whether executive leadership across various entities is giving trustees full and accurate information to exercise their God-given stewardship responsibilities.

These are not trivial concerns, ignoring them will not solve them, nor will suppressing heal them. Pretending everything is fine when trust is broken only deepens the fracture. The answer is not silence. But neither is the answer civil war.

We Must Refuse the Spirit of Internal Warfare

In times like this, there is a dangerous temptation to begin seeing fellow Southern Baptists not as brothers and sisters with whom we disagree, but as enemies to be defeated. That spirit is destructive and I suggest (actually 'submit') it produces factions instead of fellowship, suspicion instead of charity, power struggles instead of servant leadership, and public humiliation instead of biblical restoration. The New Testament repeatedly warns against this kind of internal cannibalization.

Paul warned the Galatians: “If you bite and devour one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.” (Galatians 5:15)

That is not merely an ancient warning—it feels painfully relevant today. The SBC cannot "Gospel the nations while gobbling up itself."

The Way Forward Requires Both Truth and Peace

Every pastor, leader, and perhaps Christ follower knows that "Peace (real peace) is not simply the absence of conflict" rather, "Peace is conflict handled in a Christlike way." Southern Baptists do not need less truth. We need truth delivered with humility. We do not need less accountability. We need accountability exercised with integrity rather than vengeance. We do not need less conviction. We need conviction governed by Christian charity.

Scripture says: “Speak the truth in love…” (Ephesians 4:15)

That means:

• If there are transparency issues, address them honestly.
• If trustees are not receiving full information, fix the process.
• If abuse reforms are incomplete, strengthen them.
• If leadership has erred, hold leadership accountable.
• If accusations are false or exaggerated, correct them truthfully.

But do it in a way that seeks righteousness—not revenge.

Remember Why We Exist

The SBC was never created merely to manage controversy, It exists to cooperate for the sake of the Great Commission.

To send missionaries, to plant churches, to train pastors, to preach Christ, to reach the lost, to make disciples, and to bring honor to the name of our High and Holy God.

Every internal fight that overshadows that mission weakens the witness of the churches that support it. However, this does not mean mission should be used as an excuse to avoid reform. But it does mean reform must serve mission—not destroy it.

Southern Baptists cannot afford to spend all their emotional, spiritual, and financial capital fighting each other while a lost world waits to hear the Gospel.

I am a 'nobody' in this massive collection churches and leaders called the "Southern Baptist Convention", but I still offer this Word to Leaders, Trustees, and Messengers:

To leaders: lead transparently.

To trustees: oversee courageously.

To messengers: engage responsibly.

To pastors: speak carefully.

To critics: pursue truth without becoming destructive.

To all Southern Baptists: remember that brothers and sisters in Christ are not the enemy.

We need less rhetoric designed to inflame, less suspicion that assumes the worst, less public posturing, less tribal score-settling, and more prayer.

We need more repentance, more honest conversation, more biblical courage, more gospel engagement, and more Gospel-centered unity.

We need the wisdom and courage to fight the Right Battle

The enemy is not the Southern Baptist sitting across the aisle in Orlando. The enemy is lostness. The enemy is deception. The enemy is evil. The enemy is anything that diminishes the glory of Christ and hinders the advance of His Gospel.

This moment for the SBC requires courage—but not merely the courage to confront problems. It requires the courage to confront problems without losing our Christian spirit in the process, conviction without cruelty, Truth without tribalism, Accountability without hatred and Peace without compromise.

And faith that Jesus Christ is still Lord of His church.

Yes, Southern Baptists must deal with the issues and the issues are many. But as we do, let us remember: We are not called to destroy one another. We are called to strengthen the church, protect the vulnerable, uphold truth, and carry the Gospel to the nations.

That is the battle worth fighting.