Dr. Albert Mohler
In less than 48 hours after the concluding gavel of the 167th meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention an entity President has thumbed his nose at a resolution. The messengers at the 2012 meeting in New Orleans, by an overwhelming majority, voted to “to continue in faithful cooperation as we deepen our commitment to equip the saints and reach the lost with the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ.” Dr. Al Mohler seems to have been absent when that resolution came to the floor as he has once again spoken negatively concerning “tribalism” although he heads up one of the biggest tribes in the SBC. Dr. Mohler has penned his thoughts at his blog Conventional Thinking concerning the New Orleans convention of Southern Baptist. I encourage you to read his opinion as it has some excellent insight into our past convention in New Orleans. However, he uses the excellent insights to couch language of disunity concerning a document that is within the parameters of the Baptist Faith and Message. Dr. Mohler, on one hand states, “We will stand within the “Baptist Faith & Message” but on the other hand he uses a statement that is within the parameters of the “Baptist Faith & Message” to issue a call for marginalizing those who agree and speak publicly in agreement with the statement. I have only one question as I lay the foundation of my thesis. Please Dr. Mohler, will you show me one place that anyone who has signed the statement levels a charge of heresy against someone else in the denomination?
Concerning Dr. Mohler’s Opinion Editorial, he is spot on about making history with the election of Dr. Fred Luter. Dr. Luter will make us a fine president, not because he is a black man but because he is a Christian that loves Jesus with all of his heart. I had the unique opportunity to meet Dr. Luter in the hallway on his way out of the convention center. He stopped and spoke with me and made me feel like I was the one in a hurry to leave. He was gracious and we had an enjoyable conversation. Dr. Luter, because of the color of his skin, has made world news being the first black man to be elected President of the Southern Baptist convention. We look forward to the doors that will open for Southern Baptists through Dr. Luter’s election. Dr. Luter’s election was the high-point of the convention and 2012 will forever be a year of prominence in Southern Baptist History.
With Dr. Mohler’s exceptional writing skills it amazes me that he couches between two excellent points the true mindset of Calvinism. In using Calvinistic language he references past theological debates as “nothing less than determinative”. Dr. Mohler is calling for the committee being appointed by Dr. Frank Page to do its work in such a way that people will be marginalized. I am amazed that such a scholar would think the best way to handle this, as he calls it “talking about talking about theology” is to “marginalize those whose influence should be marginalized.” Dr. Mohler, in this statement, reveals not only an arrogance concerning the theological debate, but also an elitist mindset. Notice what he says about the weeks leading up to the convention along with what he believes needs to happen to those that brought us to this point.
