The SBC has an illustrious past with about 48,000 churches, some significant colleges, universities, and seminaries, plus an impressive world mission’s outreach. However, it is fast becoming a haven for mixed-up blacks, mushy fundamentalists, mild evangelicals, and manly women.

And moronic pathetic, political pundits, à la Russell Moore, helping destroy a once viable organization.

The membership of the nation’s largest Protestant denomination plunged to under 15 million for the first time since 1989. Bible-believing churches are leaving to become what every church should be: independent. The pastors are leaving or closing their church checkbooks because of the group’s decades-long leftist drift.

After being encouraged by the conservative takeover in 1979, Bible preaching Baptist pastors are now pressed to explain why the convention is committing corporate suicide. Astute pastors are aware of the SBC’s controversial deadly issues—booze, sexual abuse charges, pro-Muslim advocacy, extreme Calvinism, emphasizing education at the expense of evangelism, social justice activism, women preachers, radical minority leadership, and radical progressivism led by Trump-hater Moore.

The denomination split in the 1860s when they broke away from national Baptists in the north over slavery. They are about to split again over severe issues just as definite, although not as serious as the slavery issue. One big problem is between militant Fundamentalists and mushy Fundamentalists with some very loud and pushy pastors with eyes on leadership positions in the various seminaries, cooperative mission program, etc.

It seems it is in the DNA of the SBC to make moves in the wrong direction. They did it in 1860, and they are doing it again.

While it must be acknowledged that denominations have no scriptural reason to exist, many denominational groups in their original formation and early days did an outstanding job of preaching the truth. Many SBC pastors have strongly asserted that the SBC is not a denomination, only a fellowship of cooperating churches united to be more effective in doing world missions.

Those same preachers also believe Pepsi will sell for a nickel, Bill Clinton has lived a virtuous life, Jeffrey Epstein was a misunderstood choirboy who killed himself, the coronavirus did not originate in China, and Stacey Abrams is the real governor of Georgia.

Every year the SBC grows greyer and grayer and balder and balder as the leadership is hipper and hipper, gushing over anything progressive like a teenager in his first crush.

People are dreaming if they think the old guys will vote for women preachers, reformed theology, and progressive black leadership. I see a major confrontation soon, resulting in another split.

President J. D. Greear promised to lead the convention in a different direction, and that direction was to the left. Greear teaches that Christians and Muslims worship the same God, yet Muslims do not believe in the Trinity, the sacrificial death of Christ, or His physical resurrection. Greear gives the old-timers constant heartburn. He compared homosexuality to “greed” and “boasting,” even stating that those sins are “more egregious in the eyes of God” than homosexuality.

I heard Greear say Christians should “stand up and be among the fiercest advocates for the preservation of the dignity and rights of LGBT people because we recognize that gay and lesbian people are essentially just like us.” Not like me, J.D.

He does not mention that God destroyed cities for their perversion.

Greear should be less concerned about “greed” and “boasting” and more concerned about heresy or even apostasy!

There was talk of adding many females to leadership positions at the Dallas national meeting in 2019 by the ERLC, the SBC’s political arm headed by Moore. Some even whispered of electing a woman as president of the SBC! Of course, diversity was discussed, and a black pastor led the conference, and six out of the 12 preachers were non-white.

I believe a minority CEO will run the SBC within two years, and he (or she) will run it even further to the left.

As more blacks and Hispanics achieve leadership positions, the theological and political directions will change 180 degrees. It will also be more political, rushing to the left, and it will be more charismatic. That will not be your father’s Southern Baptist Convention.

The SBC has played the Black Card for many years and has jumped into the deep end of the progressive pool. Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr., President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, declared, “Black lives do matter. We have to say that even more powerfully than #BlackLivesMatter does.” It is shocking that a highly educated and sophisticated man is so naïve.

Or uninformed.

The SBC president shocked many this summer when he urged church members to declare “black lives matter” and denounced the use of “all lives matter.” It is shocking and somewhat embarrassing that so many Baptist leaders could be so uninformed or so far left to make such a racist statement. That snapping noise you just heard was hundreds of church checkbooks being closed and pastors running from the convention into independence they left many years ago.

The convention apologized in 1995 for its past position on slavery and, in 2016, condemned the Confederate Flag and, in 2017, condemned the “alt-right,” whatever that is. The last two resolutions were the brainchild of Dwight McKissic, a popular black pastor from Texas who recently pulled out of the Southern Baptists of Texas and has threatened to leave the SBC. His church averages 1800 each Sunday, and it has a hefty bank balance, so he has maneuvered his way to be a significant voice in the SBC. He leans obviously to the left, speaks in tongues, and is a strong, even dictatorial leader, as are most black pastors—and many white pastors in independent Baptist groups.

McKissic was horrified that some SBC pastors identified with the alt-right, but he doesn’t seem to be horrified that so many black pastors are in bed with the far left. Oh, my, it is so difficult to be consistent.

McKissic was a supporter of Hillary Clinton in 2016 and said, “I’m thoroughly convinced, the quality of life for all persons will be better under Hillary Clinton than Donald Trump. I’m voting for the highest quality of life for all Americans.” Well, the one and a half million butchered babies each year would not agree with the reverend if they were permitted to live long enough to disagree.

Thabiti Anyabwile, a black Southern Baptist pastor in Washington, DC, tweeted that “any ‘church’ that cannot denounce white supremacy without hesitancy and equivocation is a dead, Jesus denying assembly. No 2 ways about it.” However, the race-baiting Baptist did not add, “Any Baptist pastor who cannot denounce Black Lives Matter movement is a Jesus-denying assembly.” Thabiti is a vicious racist who teaches that all white people are guilty of murdering Martin Luther King, Jr. and has demanded an apology from all Whites for that “murder.”

Could Thabiti be Al Sharpton’s twin brother separated at birth? Whatever, Thabiti doesn’t mispronounce simple two-syllable words, and he wears cheaper suits than Al. But then, Al has a radio show, a television show, and almost unlimited finances from a nonprofit organization. He also has a long history of not paying his taxes. At present, he still owes $700,000 in back taxes.

The SBC declares that since each member church is independent, they can put up with significant differences, even theological deviates. However, they have removed churches in the past. The once-great Highland Park Baptist Church in Chattanooga was removed because it started its own college and had its own mission’s program of Independent Baptist missionaries. A Georgia church was removed from the convention because of racism, but will the black racist churches be removed? Don’t bet the farm on it. You see, Blacks cannot be racists!

More than half of new SBC church plants in the past four years have been predominantly “non-Anglo.” That would be great if each church took a biblical stand.

Even without a formal split, the SBC is no longer dominated by white men with combed-over hair speaking with a distinctive southern drawl, preaching from a well-worn King James Bible.

The fading SBC and most Evangelical churches are dying because they are wallowing in diversity and are choking on heresy.

(Dr. Don Boys is a former member of the Indiana House of Representatives who ran a large Christian school in Indianapolis and wrote columns for USA Today for 8 years. Boys authored 18 books, the most recent being Muslim Invasion: The Fuse is Burning! The eBook is available here with the printed edition (and other titles) at www.cstnews.com. Follow him on Facebook at Don Boys, Ph.D.; and visit his blog. Send a request to DBoysphd@aol.com for a free subscription to his articles, and click here to support his work with a donation.)

Just preceding King’s statement above, he said, “Certain conditions continue to exist in our society, which must be condemned as vigorously as we condemn riots.” Oh, all right, but I haven’t noticed that happening. He seemed to be saying, “Hey, folks, honest people will look at the whole picture and be consistent in their analyses and condemnation.”

Liberal officials and civil rights leaders seldom are honest but constantly look for an opportunity to blame Whitey. They do their best to place blame rather than encourage minority communities to make tough decisions to rectify their problems. It is easier to blame others than begin the difficult journey back to strong families and communities.

Leftist politicians don’t want the minorities to solve their problems since they want to keep them dependent upon the government. It keeps generations voting for the obnoxious, the opportunists, and the oppressors.

As a result of the Minneapolis shooting, 140 American cities have had violence, the White House is dark as 50 Secret Service agents have been injured and the President of the USA is sitting in an underground bunker.

People have been killed because a black man died after resisting arrest. Assuming that George Floyd was totally innocent and the police officers were wrong, that is no reason for sane people to riot. It is time to use this incident to see that it doesn’t happen again. If there is guilt, then handle it as decent people should in the judicial system and if necessary, by peaceful protest.

Decent people don’t jump to conclusions. Decent people don’t want to see the guilty go free or innocent people suffer. Decent people don’t want to hurt anyone or destroy anything. Decent people will not use the death of a man to unfairly advance a left or right agenda.

Mostly black opportunists have taken control and are using a very bad incident in Minneapolis to their own advantage. Fires were set, stores were looted, and a police station was burned as cops fled the building. Rioting has spread to Louisville, Charlotte, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and other cities. Some have been killed.

Question: Would it not be wiser, fairer, and more reasonable if the police had shot the first looter in Minneapolis? That would be tragic, but after all, he or she was a thief and knew the risk of thievery. The message would be clear: burn and loot, and cops will shoot. That knowledge would tend to quell the most ardent fanatic in the Black Lives Matter rebellion.

It is obvious that the reason the bad guys take control is because of the weak-kneed, pussy-footing, cowardly, jelly-spine mayors, and governors.

Michael Moore, who thinks his purpose in life is to annoy people, added his two cents (overpriced), “Good citizens burning down the evil police precinct in Minneapolis after all police were out and safe. All police should go home.” Good citizens! That is astounding, but then Moore descended into what appears to be a marijuana-spawned dream of an old revolutionary decades ago.

He continued to display his dementia by declaring, “Police headquarters must be demolished by the city tomorrow as a show of contrition to black America. Rebuild Police Department with decent kind people, aka ppl of color.” Moore seems to be crazy as a loon. He desires to appear to be so pro-black, so progressive, that “decent kind people” is synonymous with people of color. Is he so stupid that he doesn’t know that there are good and bad people of every race?

Rap superstar Cardi B (he, she, it, they, etc.) says Minneapolis protesters had “no choice” but to loot. It is incredible that no one has held Cardi’s feet to the fire for making such a statement. The rioters did have a choice. They could have stood peacefully with their signs. They could have written letters to the media. They could elect leftwing progressive Democrats to all political offices. No, I believe they have already done that.

And how has that played out in the five biggest cities in America—all run by progressive Democrats and all experiencing protests and looting?

Tennis has-been Martina Navratilova opined, “Time to riot everywhere,” so the riots are spreading “everywhere.” One black jerk wearing a mask even said, “It’s real bogus, they gotta hit it right, otherwise this is what’s gonna happen, ain’t nothing left here so when we start coming to the suburbs, when we come to the government center, then what y’all gonna do?”

Well, if the mayors in these cities do what historically most mayors did when their city was under siege, such protesters would get a load of buckshot in their rear-ends.

If Blacks want to really protect innocent blacks and promote their leftist agenda, they could really do more than burn down black neighborhoods. They could start by pulling up their pants; staying in high school; then getting a job and learning how life works; getting married and staying married, producing three or four kids; training those children by helping them learn to read good books, even the Bible; taking them to a good church served by a pastor who has a high opinion of the Bible; getting involved in leftist politics and helping elect more people like Biden, Hillary, Pelosi, thereby producing a socialist nation where everything is “free”—except the people.

But that won’t happen. It is too slow and takes too much discipline. So, they will continue to riot.

Would I be accused of advancing my agenda if I ask if normal people have noticed that there are never any riots, fights, trash, beer cans, or cigarette butts on the grounds when conservatives have a right to life rally? Or pro-family, anti-LGBTQ rally? Or home school rally? Or pro-gun rally?

It seems too many minorities have a chip on the shoulder attitude and are continually looking for an excuse to protest, but others turn that into burn, loot, and kill.

Local authorities had better take control now; or thugs, tyrants, and totalitarians will be the catalyst of a revolution that will destroy America, where even the sincere protesters would not want to live.

All according to plan!

(Dr. Don Boys is a former member of the Indiana House of Representatives who ran a large Christian school in Indianapolis and wrote columns for USA Today for 8 years. Boys authored 18 books, the most recent Muslim Invasion: The Fuse is Burning! eBook is available here with the printed edition (and other titles) at www.cstnews.com. Follow him on Facebook at Don Boys, Ph.D., and visit his blog. Send a request to DBoysphd@aol.com for a free subscription to his articles, and click here to support his work with a donation.)

In the late 40s, pastors who rejected strict Bible teaching associated with other pastors of the same opinion and began to disavow the term, “Fundamentalist.” Some felt fundamentalism was a term of honor, but others decided it had become an embarrassment. These men, given the New Evangelical label, went their own way, started their own schools and journals, and moved to the top of Mount Olympus away from uncouth Fundamentalists. It started in 1947 with Carl F. Henry’s book, The Uneasy Conscience of Modern Fundamentalism which strongly criticized Fundamentalist separation from unbelievers, so Evangelicals separated from Fundamentalists!

Soft Fundamentalists, called “New Evangelicals,” got as uncomfortable as a dog in hot ashes when preachers or authors demanded separation from the world and from religious unbelief. Fundamentalists taught, “Come on out” while the New Evangelicals taught, “Stay in and fight.” Two problems with that: it is disobedience to the Word and they didn’t do any fighting. They talked but refused to fight. Compromising Evangelicals seldom barked and never bit anyone. Most Evangelical leaders are not toothless but they are spineless.

Dr. Harold Ockenga started the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) in 1947 as dissatisfaction was simmering throughout fundamental churches. Desiring to be known as “intellectuals,” New Evangelicals ended up with pseudo-intellectualism. They started Fuller Seminary taking the name and reputation of old time Fundamentalist Charles E. Fuller; however, the seminary was a poor imitation of historic Christianity. It is even more so today.

R.C. Sproul, Jr. (himself an Evangelical) said that an Evangelical is a Fundamentalist who wants the respect of Modernists, and sells his soul to get it. Some wags would say that Evangelicals are better at selling souls than saving souls. Sproul added, “We evangelicals are they who cut this deal with the Modernists, ‘We will call you brother, if you will call us scholar.’” Ah, yes, “scholar.” That is the driving desire of most Evangelicals–intellectual respectability.

Sometimes, the strict Fundamentalists were not very intellectual plus they sometimes wore shiny vinyl shoes and white socks with a blue suit and clip-on tie! Gasp! We were told that the alleged anti-intellectualism of Fundamentalists made it impossible to win Modernist preachers; however, the problem with the Modernist was not his self-professed intellectualism but his unspoken, unacknowledged, and unconfessed sin. This intellectualism argument is one of the main strings Evangelicals pluck ad nauseam and it smacks of arrogance and elitism.

Evangelical leader Billy Graham hit the big time in his Los Angeles Tent Crusade in 1949. In 1956, Graham, his father-in-law Nelson Bell, and Harold Ockenga started the magazine Christianity Today. Since that time, CT has been the obedient and reliable mouthpiece for loosey-goosey Evangelicalism.

Graham was the most successful promoter of “ecumenical evangelism” or “cooperative evangelism.” Few Fundamentalists would object to cooperative evangelism but see compromise, compliance, and corruption in ecumenical evangelism. Billy Graham, in order to reach the masses, decided that he would cooperate with unbelieving religious leaders, contrary to his former assurances to Bob Jones, John R. Rice, William B. Riley and others. He decided that he would preach anywhere under any sponsorship as long as there were no strings attached. At first blush that may sound noble and desirable but it is the anteroom to compromise.

After 1949, in Graham’s crusades the leading unbelieving pastors were in control, making decisions, leading in prayer, while the few Fundamentalists sat in the shadows. Often Billy sneered at Fundamentalists and refused to be called one, although it is a fact that Fundamentalists educated him and gave him his start in evangelism.

Thousands of times, Fundamentalist pastors in various cities served faithfully preaching the Word, and then Graham came to town insisting on cooperating with unbelieving religious leaders for his crusade. That compromise is the most visible difference in fundamentalism and evangelicalism. It is a fact that many Christians who defend Graham would never put up with their pastor calling lost pastors, even Catholic priests, their brothers and recommending their work.

One can discuss and debate whether ecumenical evangelism is scriptural or not but if II John 10-11 is right then such compromise is sinful. However, it is not debatable that Graham has colluded and compromised, but has never challenged unbelievers who supported his crusades. His cooperation with these pastors endorsed their false ministries. The fact that some people trusted Christ in the crusades is no justification for clear disobedience to Scripture.

I have often noticed the defensive, defiant, and distasteful attitude that many Evangelicals have toward Fundamentalists. Not sure, but I think they are guilt-ridden over their cowardice in facing the truth and making amends for a lifetime of compromise. I invite the guilt-stricken Evangelicals to “come home” to the roots of their fathers. All will be forgiven and I for one will personally kill, dress, and barbeque the fatted calf, wash off the stink of the pigpen, put a ring on their finger, shoes on their feet and may even dance a jig (solo, of course) upon their return.

The split should not have happened in midcentury and the breach can be healed. The last sixty plus years were summed up by R. C. Sproul, Jr. in “Our Fundamentalist Betters.” “The fundamentalists of the last century were laughed at and scorned. And for that they earned the praise of Jesus. May we find the courage not only to affirm the fundamentals, but may we be given a double portion of the spirit of the fundamentalists. They fought the good fight, while we collaborated. They kept the faith, while we merely kept our positions in our communities. May we learn to fear no man, and to fear God. For such is the beginning of wisdom.”

That says it all.

We have observed irresponsible actions of unruly, unlawful, and unrestrained mobs (often called “fans”) after the win or loss of a sporting event! That speaks volumes about the condition of people around the world. I mean such people really know what is important! Maybe one can stretch his morality and his mind to believe that the disappointment of a loss could trigger a riot, but how can a win-triggered riot be defended on any grounds? It is called a “celebrating riot” that too often occurs in America, England, and South American cities.

The U.S. has seen major rioting in Boston, Los Angeles, Columbus, and rioting is common following sporting events. A riot in Egypt resulted in 79 fans killed following a soccer match.

The political riots are far worse than sports’ riots as we saw following the murder of Martin Luther King, Jr. on April 4,1968. At least 110 cities for five days experienced a nightmare as rebellious Blacks took vengeance against what they perceived as the white establishment. Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Chicago were among the worst, primarily in black urban areas.

In Washington, things deteriorated quickly as the White House sent about 13,500 federal troops to assist the District police force. The city was a war zone as Marines set up machine guns on the steps of the Capitol while the Army guarded the White House. Newspapers reported that rioting took place within two blocks of the White House.

By Sunday, April 8, twelve people had been killed, about 1,097 injured, and over 6,100 arrested along with 1,200 buildings burned. Damages were estimated to be $27 million.

In Chicago, it was another nightmare of violence. The Chicago Tribune blared, “City Erupts.” The day following King’s death, huge mobs of men, women, and children lunged from store to store, breaking plate-glass windows and taking what was not screwed down. The Tribune reported, “Television sets, clothing, food and liquor were carted away from largely white-owned businesses.” Some black businesses escaped damage by writing “soul brother” on their windows.

About 210 buildings were burned to the ground, 11 people (all black) were killed with 500 injured. Mayor Richard Dailey ordered police “to shoot to kill any arsonist or anyone with a Molotov cocktail in his hand . . . and . . . to shoot to maim or cripple anyone looting any stores in our city.” An astounding 10,500 police were sent to protect the fire fighters, and were soon joined by 6,700 Illinois National Guard troops. That was followed by President Lyndon Johnson who ordered 5,000 federal troops into the city.

I believe the November 6 election will produce something similar whether Romney or Obama wins! And for sure, there will be multiple lawsuits by the losing side.

During the last four years Obama has presented himself as the savior who provides whatever is needed or wanted, be it cell phones, foot stamps, housing, etc. Added to that, the “entitlement” attitude that many Americans (white and black) have and you have a dangerous, explosive situation when such freebies are threatened.

If Obama wins on November 6, the jubilation may be as extreme as a loss might be. Look for fires to rage, stores to be looted, police and firemen to be killed during the celebrating riots. Thousands will be arrested; however, if the norm takes place, few violators will go to the slammer for arson, looting, and rioting.

I have discovered that you will usually be correct if you count on the worst in mankind. Sounds cynical but it is correct. Man has been on a slippery slide since the Garden of Eden. Riots will manifest that fact following the November 6 election because of the failure of the rioters’ homes, schools, and churches to inculcate them with Christian, or even civilized, values. Rioters have no respect for self and no respect for others so violence is a natural result. The rioters and looters have been trained to hate, kill, loot, and burn. The innocent will suffer for that failure.

I hope, I pray that I am wrong, but don’t count on it.