(from “Problems of the Christian Life” series, Baptist Standard, May 15, 1968)
Some of the state denominational papers recently carried an article of mine entitled “Denominational Politics.” They also published other articles, and a few editors themselves have spoken concerning politics in the denomination.
There evidently has not been any decrease in the political maneuvering, at least for the presidency of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Word has come to me that a certain individual has agreed “to run for the office.” It has been determined who will nominate him.
All this is being done with an expressed conviction of a divine mission. Also, it is claimed that “it is for the good of the Southern Baptist Convention.”
Is there any hope that we will ever get beyond this kind of politics in our convention? If not, let us frankly say so and bring it out into the open.
There has been considerable response to the previous article. Some have spoken of “denominational political machines” in certain states. Such is evidently considerably more prevalent in some states than in others.
A letter from an editor says that he might some day get the courage to list the candidates “along with a summary of their campaign material.” The latter is considerable in some cases.
A lawyer who has two preacher brothers included the following in a letter he wrote to me: “Laymen have been discussing this [denominational politics] for years and have been worried and alarmed at the situation. . . . It is time that the leaders take an interest in the matter if the denomination is to be preserved.”
Are we so impoverished as a denomination that we do not have men among us to whom we can and will naturally turn for leadership? Do we not have in all of our vast numbers a J. B. Gambrell, an E. Y. Mullins, a John R. Sampey, a Lee R. Scarborough, a George W. McDaniel, a George W. Truett, a Fred Brown, or men of similar character and caliber?
We have some wonderful young men, but there remains a question whether or not they will mature into the intellectual and spiritual stature of those who have provided leadership for Southern Baptists in the past.
An additional perplexing and disturbing question is: Even if they mature into real spiritual giants, will Southern Baptists permit them to provide the leadership they are capable of and the leadership Southern Baptists need?
I hope it is understood that this is not a blanket indictment of Southern Baptist leadership. Some are elected to places of leadership, even as president of the Southern Baptist Convention, who evidently have not sought the office.
Furthermore, there are some wonderful men and women in our midst. Many of the latter, however, are in places of executive leadership. Certainly we should be grateful to the Lord for the top-level elder statesmen that we have among us.
And then we have some excellent men who, because of their reticence about getting involved in “denominational politics” or because Baptists in general do not care for their type of leadership, are not in places of elected leadership among Southern Baptists.