Changes in politics and Religion from Conservatives | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Here is an important change taking place nationally with Politics and Religion:

    Realities of the Conservative Takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention and NC Baptist State Convention now continued---it is not reserved for churches only as cited above:

    Change from "Servant Pastor" concept to "King Pastor"

    My tree work has carried me all around from my Rocky Mount base. The topic of discussion often turned to what was going on at the little country church my customer attended. Most of the churches all around Wake Forest were pastored by SEBTS students. It is a perfect way to afford a better kind of Pastor the church could not otherwise obtain. In return it is some of the best training theologues ever get.

    I started hearing horror stories of pastor/church conflict. A young and attractive man came and started to charm them. In about 6 months he was proposing they adopt a new Constitution and Bylaws to be "more efficient." The heart of the matter was "Do whatever the Pastor says." These new Pastors obviously had no clue as to how normal Southern Baptist Churches are operated---democratic votes / Deacon Leadership / all things done in public.

    When my crowd came to SEBTS in the 60-70's we knew firsthand how good churches worked together in mission support. Now the new model is from the ego-soaked mega church pastors holding their "Schools of the Prophets" and other stuff to focus only on church growth and pastoral power vs. mission sending and ministry.

    NC Baptist Colleges and Duke opening graduate schools for ministers

    A quick response came from NC Baptist Colleges like Campbell, Mars Hill, Wake Forest University and even Duke. Many of the fired professors at SEBTS were available and went to alternate places to teach good Baptist ministers how to be such. After 1 or 2 bad experiences with the "New SEBTS" churches were looking for less arrogant and more informed Pastors. Much of this work in alternate ways had the good backing of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship all over the south in each state having to make the same changes.

    Students from only Conservative schools with questions about their Church giving

    I was still making my rounds to Wake Forest and SEBTS to talk with students about their insurance. At the same time, they were telling me where they came from. Almost to a person they spoke of being graduates of Bob Jones, Liberty University, and Heritage University---all from the "scared of new learning" places. Their only goal was to be in a "safe place" where no one will challenge old views.

    I asked the new SEBTS Registrar if I could see the student folders for the statement backing students from a Southern Baptist giving church and recommending them to SEBTS. I was told those records were "confidential." I was not asking for anything more than assurance the student coming to SEBTS --- at a bargain price --- did so from a mission-giving Baptist church. What was the problem?

    Faculty changes to a narrow base and background only

    When I was a SEBTS student --- and those coming after me until the takeover, its faculty was diverse---all the way from most conservative to middle-of -the-road in theology. The Faculty was of PhD degrees or shortly to get such. I NEVER MET a "Liberal" on the faculty of my day nor in calling by in my early Ministers Life career. I was meeting and talking with all new faculty members. That spans a period of 1967-1988.

    I could have wished that after the course was finished, all of them would have loosened their tie and sat on the desk to plainly state "Why I know and challenge you with all this material, but still believe Jesus is The Christ and Son of the Living God." That is just the traditional way of stating basic beliefs. Since I was there to learn and challenge my mind, it was not even a thought until the fundies were trying to destroy SEBTS with criticism.

    The nature of scared and uneducated people is to mistake a Prophet for the enemy and kill rather than listen. In Matthew 23 Jesus said it plainly--- You killed the prophets rather than listen to them trying to tell clearly what God is wanting from you selfish Pharisees!

    The Barbarians destroyed the seat of man's wisdom contained in the Great Library of Alexandria in their wrath and destruction --- following leaders who used that HATE BUTTON all humans have.

    Like Conservative Commentators I monitor --- the first 5 minutes are spent making you mad. The balance speaks of things making no sense to me upon analysis. THEN they invite you to send money so you can hear it again tomorrow! They are merely using your thoughtless and hate-filled mind for personal profit.

    Do you like being USED? The average Southern Baptist today tolerates destruction and a return to the rural stupid from whence they came, it seems to me.

    To be continued . . .

          •  Redaction of the history of SEBTS and the SBC

          •  Formation of a new group of Baptists honoring local church freedom

          •  Reduction in numbers of churches participating in NC SBC