A Call to Action for the Pastors & Professors in the SBC
In I Corinthians 16:13, Paul commands pastors to “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.”
Unfortunately, a quick review of the last decade-plus of downgrade in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) has me wondering if our leaders pulled a Thomas Jefferson and removed this verse from their Bibles.
We’ve all heard the saying, “Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And, weak men create hard times,” penned by G. Michael Hopf in his 2016 novel Those Who Remain
This quote describes the cyclical pattern of society and organizations in general, but the church and denominations are not exempt. Entropy comes for us all. Anyone who has been a member at more than one church or worked more than one job can attest that not every organization or entity is run the same way.
The stronger a foundation, the longer a structure will last. If you see something built to last, rest assured that it did not spring to life overnight. The stronger a foundation, the longer something can endure decline and decay. But that timeline is not indefinite. At some point, if the foundations are crumbling and go unrepaired, it will collapse.
Enter the SBC. The benefits and gospel mission of the SBC that we currently enjoy and participate in were built on the blood, sweat, and tears of strong men who came before us. Again, a brief history of the Convention reveals the truth behind this pattern. A strong foundation led to prosperity, which produced complacency, which led to the rise of liberalism and eventually to the fall of biblical principles.
Fortunately, through these hard times of a previous generation, strong men stood up. They fought for inerrancy and biblical truth, were unwavering in their convictions, and, despite the odds, won the battle. We call this the Conservative Resurgence, and it is truly unique in American denominational history.
But the modern era of the “good times” after the Conservative Resurgence produced many weak leaders. Many pastors, churches, and seminary professors have become content with the status quo and have failed to keep fighting to defend the faith once for all delivered to the saints in the face of new threats to both orthodoxy and orthopraxy.
In short, the hard times in Baptist life are back. Brought to us, once again, by weak men.
So, how do we stop the cycle? How do we raise the next generation of strong men? How do we plant seeds and plod a path for the future of our churches, our nation, and our Convention?
All it takes for evil to thrive is for good men to do nothing. This is why we need men who are willing and able to stand up for what is right—men with sharp minds and steel spines who are committed to biblical principles and willing to fight for the future of our convention.
In the following sections, I will attempt to outline a framework to assist in training the next generation of strong men. Additionally, the framework laid out will serve as a self-examination for the men who currently serve, work, and support the SBC.
Kingly Sovereignty
Sphere sovereignty is a concept popularized by theologian Abraham Kuyper and serves Christians as a framework for understanding authority. Specifically, the concept explains how authority works in three spheres: the state, the church, and the family. The purpose of sphere sovereignty is to teach Christians how to operate in each sphere and to ensure that realms of authority do not cross. For instance, those who have authority in the state do not have authority over the church.
While this framework is typically used for political and public theology, it can also help Christian men understand authority. No matter your vocation or ministerial status, every man has authority over a sphere. Whether that sphere is the home, the church, the family, or oneself, every man has authority over someone. The business owner is in charge of his employees, the president of a college is in charge of his students, a pastor runs his staff, and an individual ultimately runs himself. Men cannot get away from the responsibility of authority.
In their spheres, every man is a king. Like kings, they are called upon to make the tough decisions and to do the hard things that no one else wants to do. Men must understand how to be strong, for only strong men can be good kings. Everything rises and falls on its leadership, and any entity, organization, or church that is led by bad kings will ultimately fail.
Ultimately, every king should display two characteristics: the first is that of a warrior, and the second is that of a poet.
Warrior Courage
As warriors, men are to stand firm and be strong. They are to fight for what is right, and to do so, they need to have steel spines and to be unmovable in times of trouble. Warriors are men who face certain death head-on and never surrender. Instead, they plant their feet firmly on their convictions and perform their duty. It is okay to be afraid, but it is never okay to give in to fear. The greatest warriors in history have proven this fact over and over again. Every society, in one way or another, is built on the backs of men who were called upon to take up their swords and fight.
Like society, the church was built on the backs of men who stood up for what they believed in. From Luther’s “Here I stand, I can do no other” to Tyndale’s “Lord! Open the King of England’s eyes!” the church has a long history of spiritual warriors grabbing their swords and fighting off the forces of Satan. These strong men stood out in hard times and established the foundation of our churches. They were unwavering and uncompromising in their convictions. They were unswayed by emotional speeches or manipulative tactics and served as reminders of what can happen when men who have steel spines stand up for the biblical truth.
Unfortunately, the actions of these men are forgotten. Today, pastors refuse to publicly defend biblical truth. In recent years, we have seen the SBC leadership class, moved by the tears of “survivors,” spend millions of dollars on wild goose chases. Similarly, several men were manipulated to support the use of wicked ideologies under the guise of “analytical tools.” And when good men stood against such corruption, they were abandoned.
Men who knew better failed to act, and instead of being warriors, they abdicated their thrones. These weak men’s actions ushered in hard times.
Fortunately, as the hard times continued, strong men rose. They reinforced their spines, grabbed their swords, and stood arm to arm against those determined to destroy what other strong men had built. While some men have stood up, more remain in the shadows, unwilling or unsure about what to do next. Such opacity has led to a convention with no identity, no influence, and no direction. To change how things are going, these men must stand up and demonstrate what it means to be a warrior. They must stand for their convictions and fight for Biblical truth.
Poetic Proclamation
Poets are known for their mastery of the pen. They move people with their words; they are wise and gentle. They know what is true and what is not; they are great thinkers, writers, and speakers. They study and teach, and without them, the church would be lost. Men must stand against false teaching, and to accomplish such a task, poets are needed to teach and train men to think rightly about the word of God.
Although poets are needed in order for a society to grow and strengthen, they are often useless in a time of war. In our modern setting, these would be the ivory tower professors and academics of the SBC who are unwilling to defend, in real life and practice, the very same theological convictions they teach in the classroom.
These men know what to say and how to say it; however, they rarely stand up when called upon. These are the men who believe a woman cannot stand behind a pulpit on Sundays but refuse to address the issue publicly. These are the men who were aware of the dangers of critical race theory and failed to speak when called upon.
The actions of weak men do not go unnoticed, leading to a rise of young warriors who are not afraid to call out failed leadership. Sadly, in many ways, these men are an overcorrection of the problem.
To stand against the growing numbers of weak men, they grabbed their swords and ran into battle, leaving their pens behind. While their spines are made of steel, their minds are dull. They have failed to act as poets, and as a result, wisdom and eloquence have taken a back seat to provocation. While the sword is mighty, there are times when the strongest weapon a man possesses is the pen. It is one thing to stand up for a fight and another to know when to sit down.
It’s crucial for the health of the church that the next generation of leaders are men who have both sharp swords and sharp minds. Men who understand the deep roots of our Baptist theology and have the spine to defend it in public. Don’t let the failures of our current class of poets cause you to reject the importance of deep and serious theological training and working to cultivate an ability to communicate effectively and powerfully.
Good Men, Good Kings
I argued earlier that all men have authority and, in one way or another, are like kings. Ultimately, the success of our churches, institutions, conventions, and society rests on the ability of these men to be good kings. As we have seen, a good king must be more than just a warrior or a poet. Instead, they must be a blend of both.
To break the cycle of weak men and hard times, today’s leaders must strive to raise men who embody what it means to be warriors, poets, and kings. Men who are as wise as serpents and as gentle as doves. Men who speak softly and carry a big stick. These are the men who know how to wield authority well. They are wise and eloquent, and at the same time, they are deadly with swords. They have the fortitude to stand for truth and the wisdom to answer the fool.
A king who is nothing but a warrior can only conquer and destroy. While a king who is only a poet will fail to act and is nowhere to be found when the enemy begins marching on the city.
A convention, church, or entity will never succeed as long as the only men fighting for power are brilliant cowards or valiant morons. This is why we need good men who can be good kings, simultaneously embodying the virtues of both a warrior and a poet.
David’s Example
We see a great example of this in David, a man who defended his flock by killing lions and bears. He wrote the majority of the Psalms, danced for the Lord, and played beautiful music. Yet, the same hands that strummed the harp are the same hands that killed thousands. David was never afraid to lead his nation into battle or to train his sons in wisdom.
Though he failed at times, he got back up. He was a great king who led his people as both a warrior and a poet. In line with David’s example, today’s pastors, professors, and church leaders must demonstrate what it means to be a good king. They must teach men to be wise and show them how to be warriors.
Conclusion
If you’re a church leader and you struggle with either of these characteristics, then examine yourself. If you are a warrior, strive for wisdom and seek out men who can teach you what it means to be a poet. On the other hand, if you are a poet, I exhort you to look for older men who can show you their scars and help you reinforce your spine.
Spineless poets and mindless warriors are useless. So grab your pen, unsheath your sword, and prepare for battle. The hard times are here, the weak men are still in charge, and the need for strong men is now. You must cling to the cross, swallow deeply, prepare for pain, and push forward so that the next generation can build upon a strong foundation.
The only way to break the cycle and save our churches, institutions, and beloved convention is for the strong men to rise up.
