What Is Wrong With Southern Baptist Colleges?
This has been a great week for news. I could be writing about elections across the country. I could be writing about rioting in France. I could be writing about ethic issues in Washington, However, I have chosen to write about Southern Baptist colleges. Why? Because I have more passion about this topic than all the others.
This week, Baylor University named John Lilly as their new President. John Lilly is a distinguished alumni of Baylor. His father was a Baptist Preacher. He has been successful every place he has ever served. He is replacing an embattled former President that lived through theological and ethical wars. Lilly is considered a man of harmony and respect. It sounds like the perfect man for the job. It is too bad that this Baptist institution elected a Presbyterian Elder as their new President. This would not have been possible 100 years ago.
This really shouldn't surprise anyone who pays attention to Baptist education. Most Southern Baptist colleges do all they can to run from their heritage and doctrines. They do not want to be held accountable to any church, and they often teach what is contrary to their associated beliefs.
John Lilly was an Elder at a Presbyterian USA church. This is the mainline denomination of the Presbyterian church. This is the Presbyterian church that supports most every left thinking social issue one can dream up. He says he is going to join First Baptist Church of Waco, Texas. FBC of Waco is no longer associated with the Southern Baptist Convention. On their website it states that since the "fundamentalist" take over of the national convention they will give all their cooperative funds to the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. The CBF is the old liberal leadership that once ruled the Southern Baptist Convention in the 70's and early 80's. He basically is leaving one liberal church for another.
The difference between Southern Baptist colleges and Seminaries are vast. The Seminaries are run by the national convention. The colleges are ran by the state conventions. After the Scopes Monkey Trial, most educators looked down on those who believed in strict Biblical interpretation. Most schools began to drift away from Biblical principles. Both the Seminaries and the colleges all moved to the left. However, when conservative evangelicals took over the national convention they demanded reform in the seminaries. All six Southern Baptist Seminaries have returned to their Biblical roots. However, the state conventions have not moved as fast on Baptist Colleges, and when the do, the colleges often break away from the state convention.
Texas is a beast all in itself. The state convention split a few years ago over the issue of Biblical authority. The General Convention of Baptist in Texas is the old convention. This is the more liberal convention. Most Southern Baptist Churches are associated with this convention because they have always been. The Southern Baptist Convention of Texas is the conservative convention. It is new and growing fast. Baylor University is associated with the General Convention, and thus they will never be asked to be accountable for what they teach or believe.
Once great Baptist colleges all over the country have lost their Biblical roots. Most of these schools try their best to convince local churches that they can trust their children to them. Parents need to ask a lot of Biblical questions before they give their kids over to a Baptist college. They may not get what they are desiring.
So is there any Baptist colleges I would recommend to youth? Sure there is. I would like to recommend two Baptist Schools to you. If you are looking for a Southern Baptist school, let me recommend Union University. Union University has went through a wonderful transformation over the last few year. Under the leadership of Dr. David Dockery, Union has reclaimed its Biblical roots. Another school I would recommend is Cedarville University. This one isn't officially a Southern Baptist college, but the State Convention of Baptist in Ohio recognizes them as a school of choice. It is a wonderful institution that teaches from a Biblical perspective.
Of course there are other Biblical Baptist colleges, but the purpose of this post was not to tell you about them. The purpose this post was to tell you where most other Baptist colleges are theologically. State Conventions affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention should demand accountability from their colleges. I have never understood taking tithe money from a local church and giving it to a school that teaches contrary to that local church. Yet this is exactly what most state conventions do. It is time to demand accountability in Baptist education, or it is time that we pull funding from those institutions that refuse to be held accountable.
This week, Baylor University named John Lilly as their new President. John Lilly is a distinguished alumni of Baylor. His father was a Baptist Preacher. He has been successful every place he has ever served. He is replacing an embattled former President that lived through theological and ethical wars. Lilly is considered a man of harmony and respect. It sounds like the perfect man for the job. It is too bad that this Baptist institution elected a Presbyterian Elder as their new President. This would not have been possible 100 years ago.
This really shouldn't surprise anyone who pays attention to Baptist education. Most Southern Baptist colleges do all they can to run from their heritage and doctrines. They do not want to be held accountable to any church, and they often teach what is contrary to their associated beliefs.
John Lilly was an Elder at a Presbyterian USA church. This is the mainline denomination of the Presbyterian church. This is the Presbyterian church that supports most every left thinking social issue one can dream up. He says he is going to join First Baptist Church of Waco, Texas. FBC of Waco is no longer associated with the Southern Baptist Convention. On their website it states that since the "fundamentalist" take over of the national convention they will give all their cooperative funds to the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. The CBF is the old liberal leadership that once ruled the Southern Baptist Convention in the 70's and early 80's. He basically is leaving one liberal church for another.
The difference between Southern Baptist colleges and Seminaries are vast. The Seminaries are run by the national convention. The colleges are ran by the state conventions. After the Scopes Monkey Trial, most educators looked down on those who believed in strict Biblical interpretation. Most schools began to drift away from Biblical principles. Both the Seminaries and the colleges all moved to the left. However, when conservative evangelicals took over the national convention they demanded reform in the seminaries. All six Southern Baptist Seminaries have returned to their Biblical roots. However, the state conventions have not moved as fast on Baptist Colleges, and when the do, the colleges often break away from the state convention.
Texas is a beast all in itself. The state convention split a few years ago over the issue of Biblical authority. The General Convention of Baptist in Texas is the old convention. This is the more liberal convention. Most Southern Baptist Churches are associated with this convention because they have always been. The Southern Baptist Convention of Texas is the conservative convention. It is new and growing fast. Baylor University is associated with the General Convention, and thus they will never be asked to be accountable for what they teach or believe.
Once great Baptist colleges all over the country have lost their Biblical roots. Most of these schools try their best to convince local churches that they can trust their children to them. Parents need to ask a lot of Biblical questions before they give their kids over to a Baptist college. They may not get what they are desiring.
So is there any Baptist colleges I would recommend to youth? Sure there is. I would like to recommend two Baptist Schools to you. If you are looking for a Southern Baptist school, let me recommend Union University. Union University has went through a wonderful transformation over the last few year. Under the leadership of Dr. David Dockery, Union has reclaimed its Biblical roots. Another school I would recommend is Cedarville University. This one isn't officially a Southern Baptist college, but the State Convention of Baptist in Ohio recognizes them as a school of choice. It is a wonderful institution that teaches from a Biblical perspective.
Of course there are other Biblical Baptist colleges, but the purpose of this post was not to tell you about them. The purpose this post was to tell you where most other Baptist colleges are theologically. State Conventions affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention should demand accountability from their colleges. I have never understood taking tithe money from a local church and giving it to a school that teaches contrary to that local church. Yet this is exactly what most state conventions do. It is time to demand accountability in Baptist education, or it is time that we pull funding from those institutions that refuse to be held accountable.
posted by Foundes Community Church @ 7:31 PM
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