A Call for 'Unity' Among Southern Baptists.....Is This Really Possible?

For many years the call for 'Unity' among us Southern Baptists has been made and this is going on today, at this moment as I am writing. Please do not get me wrong, I am for unity, but not for unity at all costs. There are far too many problems and 'gives and takes' to make this happen. In the not too far distant past there was a statement made among the SBC faithful that went something like this, "Ropes of sand with the strength of steel." And we SBCers were very proud of this because while there was no sense to the idea, there was much truth to it.

During the years from 1960 until now, our SBC has taken on a very new and different brand in many, many ways....as has our Nation. In 1960 as students we celbrated morning worship before classes began...in the school auditorium and classes were began with the reading of Scripture, Pledge to the Flag and prayer as well...over the loud speaker.

Spring and Fall Revivals, Sunday School Evangelism, Training Union Parts and Wednesday Night Prayer Meetings all fell by the way side as the Conservative Resurgence gained strenght. The CBF and a large host of other Alphabets sprang up as a result. The FMB became the IMB, the HMB became the NAMB as the SBC began a series of new ideas in an effort to give birth to a new identity in a New Age. Our Assemblies....Glorieta and Ridgecrest have changed along the way as well, and Baptist Bookstores became LifeWay....and the list goes on and on and on.

Today is now. Among us in the SBC the call for unity struggles for a hearing as so-called SBC Traditionalists are meeting with Southern Baptist Reformers (Calvinists). However, my question is simple enough, "How can there be unity in a larger group when there is so much diversity over the Word of God?" One group, the Traditionalists know that one is saved by faith in Jesus Christ, and the other group, the Reformers believe that regeneration comes by grace and faith comes later. There are other rifts, but this seems to be the major crisis. Everything else results, ie, control of SBC Agencies, etc.

In this mix, evangelism and missions....the hallmarks of the Southern Baptist Convention.....suffer because of the differences of biblical interpretation. The struggle for unity is just that...a huge struggle over principles of faith and practice. This is sort of like attempting to mix oil and water.....
"This AIN'T gonna happen." Just as lost people will not be found in Heaven......

Would I like to unity amongst us? You bet I would. But can someone such as myself teach from the Word of God and say, without interruption, that "Whosoever will may come to the Cross...." means every human being God has ever created can do so? NOT if a Reformer is in the room. This statement alone dictates that unity is not possible.

There is no harmony in any of this. Somehow, we must get over this and move on. There are too many lost souls who are dying and losing opportunity to hear the Message of the Gospel as we struggle for unity with the person who says, unless that person has been elected to go to Heaven, the Gospel Message is meaningless.

Just as Paul wrote, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is God's power for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek." Romans 1:16, HCSB. (NOTE: Paul was inspired to write, 'to everyone who believes' and not, 'to everyone who is of the elect'.)

Jesus is Lord
Bob Williford