Third Generation Conservatives in the Southern Baptist Convention, Part 2
Guest Blog by Steven A. McKinion
You can read the first part of this post here
In the previous article I attempted to identify distinctives of a segment of third generation SBC conservatives. In this article I will explain some ways in which those distinctives are the result of the influences of first and second generation conservatives.
The first generation of Southern Baptist conservatives includes theologians and pastors such as Paige Patterson, Adrian Rogers, Bailey Smith, Jerry Vines, and Charles Stanley, among many others. Churches such as First Baptist, Dallas; Bellevue Baptist in Memphis; and First Baptist, Atlanta, are examples of first generation influencers. Thousands of first generation churches preached the gospel faithfully, and held tenaciously to the inerrancy and sufficiency of Scripture. This generation of SB conservative faithfully passed on to the next generation the distinctives of Southern Baptist faith and practice. They are more than influences, they are heroes, rightly, to many of us, and should not be forgotten.
Second generation conservatives such as Danny Akin, Ken Whitten, Ken Hemphill, James Merritt, and current SBC president Johnny Hunt among others, received the mantel from first gens and ran with it. They continued to embrace Baptist distinctives and to practice gospel-centered ministry guided by a firm commitment to inerrancy and the Great Commission. Through their churches, their conferences, and their personal influence, they have helped shape the third generation of conservatives identified in the first part of this series.
Together, first and second gens paved the way for the current generation of conservatives. Upon reflection, I believe there are five ways in which first and second generation conservatives influenced the current, third generation of Southern Baptist conservatives:
- They cooperated with non-Baptists for the progress of the Gospel. The most obvious manner of this cooperation was in Billy Graham crusades. Though a long-time Southern Baptist, Graham’s crusades were never Baptist events. His strategy was to be broadly ecumenical for the good of the Gospel. The “counselors” who handled follow-up at the crusades and afterwards were from nearly every Christian denomination represented in a particular city. By being active participants in, and supporters of, the ministry of Billy Graham, first and second gens taught the next generation the importance of partnering for the sake of the Gospel, and not simply for denominational gain. Proponents of a strict separationism, such as John R. Rice and the Sword of the Lord fundamentalists warned against cooperating with ministries like Billy Graham crusades, believing such participation was ecumenism. First and second gens considered that level of ecumenism to be acceptable, as it was for the good of the Gospel. In their churches they participated in Evangelism Explosion, the evangelism tool created by James Kennedy, a Presbyterian. Third gens who now participate in movements such as Together for the Gospel, the Gospel Coalition, and Acts 29, consider themselves to be following in the footsteps of those who bussed them to Billy Graham crusades and Christian music concerts so they and their friends could hear the Gospel and become Christians.
- They cooperated with non-Baptists for social concerns. First and second gens were serious about pro-life matters. An example they regularly, and rightly, gave to SB churches illustrating the need for a Conservative Resurgence was the more liberal positions taken by the Christian Life Commission during the 1970s (see Barry Hankins, Uneasy in Babylon and Jerry Sutton, Baptist Reformation for a more expansive survey of the pro-life cause within the CR). Conservatives cooperated with other groups, including pro-life Roman Catholics, in support of pro-life causes. James Dobson, himself a Nazarene, and his Focus on the Family published literature used in countless conservative SB churches. The primary sources of information in support of these social concerns, in fact, were not Southern Baptists, or even Baptists at all. First gen conservatives saw a difference between partnering in social and political causes and partnering for the Gospel. The even broader ecumenism of first and second gens when it came to social issues, particularly that of protecting the lives of unborn children, trumped denominationalism. Third gens continue to see friends outside of Baptist life with whom they can partner for social causes.
- They placed diminishing emphasis on the moniker “Baptist.” First generation Baptist churches wore the label “Baptist” proudly. Many of these churches had tag lines that said, “A Southern Baptist Church,” highlighting the particular brand of Baptist they were. With second gens this began to change, and change quickly. One example was the “exciting” church movement of the late 1980s. Morrison Heights Baptist Church in Clinton, MS (where, incidentally, I was baptized), became simply, “Exciting Morrison Heights.” Ditto for “Exciting North Mobile,” and “Exciting Idlewild.” Though not dropping Baptist entirely from their official name, their signage emphasized the exciting, and all but erased the “Baptist.” Many second gen churches did erase the name Baptist from their church signs. A second gen president of the Southern Baptist Convention, James Merritt, pastors Cross Pointe Church after a long tenure at First Snellville. In 1998, first and second gens changed the name of the Baptist Sunday School Board to LifeWay Christian Resources. Baptist Book Stores all became LifeWay Stores. This pattern can be seen in third gen pastors such as Matt Chandler and J.D. Greear, who led Southern Baptist churches to rebrand themselves without a “Baptist” moniker. Third gen SBs value the distinctives that make them Baptist, but have little regard for the name, “Baptist”; a practice they see in the second generation conservatives as well.
- They read and promoted non-Southern Baptist thinkers. Real Evangelism Conferences in the 1980s and 1990s featured, among others, John MacArthur. MacArthur’s expositional preaching, Calvinist theology, and elder-led ecclesiology all influenced second and third generation Southern Baptists. By promoting preachers like MacArthur, Chuck Swindoll, and James Montgomery Boice, first gens pointed those who followed to men outside Baptist life who exemplified faithful Gospel ministry. These men were gospel-centered inerrantists who model fidelity to the Bible and Jesus Christ. Even eventual Southern Baptists such as David Jeremiah and Jerry Falwell were featured preachers before joining the fold. First gens also read and promoted Carl F. H. Henry and Francis Schaeffer, non-Southern Baptists. They encouraged their students to read F.F. Bruce, Don Carson, and other conservative Bible scholars who were not Southern Baptist, exposing the minds of young pastors to these influences. Third gens continue to read these men, along with others such as Richard Wells, Len Sweet, John Piper, and, now, Mark Driscoll, and desire to learn from them what may aid them in their own ministerial contexts.
- They did youth ministry separate from Baptist life. First generation churches perfected the art of non-denominational youth ministry. Whether that meant going to a Power Team crusade, having non-Baptists speak at State evangelism conferences, featuring a celebrity athlete at a revival, or inviting non-Baptist Contemporary Christian musical groups to give concerts, second gens, like me, grew up never hearing that being “Baptist” was of great importance. Instead, speakers exhorted second and third gens to be Christians, not to be Baptists. Teenagers in conservative Southern Baptist churches were not taught what it meant to be a Baptist, they were taught what it meant to be a Christian. Discipleship Training classes for teens covered topics like drinking, drugs, sex, and dating, not denominational concerns. The music in youth services of first generation churches was exciting and culturally appropriate. Youth ministries in first gen churches did not sing from hymnbooks accompanied by the organ. Instead, there were drums, electric guitars, and guys with long hair leading the latest Al Denson or Vineyard praise song. When these teenagers grew up, they expected more of the same. And they got it; just not in the churches that had produced them. Pastors like John Dees and Ron Sylvia have gone on to leave their first gen churches where they did youth ministry in order to plant third gen churches in the same city. The churches current third gen pastors plant or serve have the same values as their youth ministries that produced them: theological integrity, biblical fidelity, cultural relevance, and intellectual honesty.
Third generation conservative Southern Baptist pastors, missionaries, and other leaders, are the products of the two generations of conservatives who preceded them. They saw the leaders of the Conservative Resurgence partner with non-Baptists for the progress of the Gospel and for social concerns, and they emulate them in their own networks and associations. Third gens learned to read great theologians and scholars, and to listen to non-Baptist expositors by observing their two generations ahead of them. They saw their pastors remove “Baptist” from the name of their church and the entire SBC overwhelmingly support removing Baptist from the name of its publishing house, and they did the same in their own churches. First generation youth ministries were gospel-centered and authentic. They used technology and new music. Second gen pastors and youth ministers followed this same path. Now, third generation conservatives continue this model of gospel-centered, authentic ministry. Ironically, third gens are Baptist in their faith and practice because they believe and do what they have learned from their influences. They do not believe and act because they are Baptist, they are Baptist because of what they believe and do. This may be what is at the heart of some ongoing conflicts among various third generation groups. Some may see Baptist identity as the means to faithful biblical faith and practice, while others may see faithful Christian life and practice resulting in a Baptist identity. Perhaps the question is really of the chicken-and-egg variety. But that discussion must wait.
Great article. I was saved in a 2nd Generation church…under Johnny Hunt. Now 15 years into ministry I find myself in the midst of the 3rd generation….and often struggling to see myself in the SBC. I think far too often that we’re focused (all three generations) on the differences of each others practices instead of the commonality of our passion. This article does a great job of showing the common thread that runs through each generation.
My question is….how do we create space within the various aspects of the SBC….the convention itself and aspects of it such as the IMB for 3rd generations to minister and make it their own. Right now it appears as if the 1st and 2nd generation see the 3rd as the enemy and the things they bring with them as evil (Acts 29, “Emerging”, Calvinism). How do we reform the convention not just to allow us to thrive but also embrace us as viable and vital to the future of the SBC?
Good articles, Steven.
Any ideas on why discipleship in the 1st generation churches shifted from being “Baptist” to being “Christian”?
Your friend, JKL
[...] has now posted Third Generation Conservatives in the Southern Baptist, Part 2 by Steven [...]
Steve:
This quote nails it: “Ironically, third gens are Baptist in their faith and practice because they believe and do what they have learned from their influences. They do not believe and act because they are Baptist, they are Baptist because of what they believe and do. This may be what is at the heart of some ongoing conflicts among various third generation groups. Some may see Baptist identity as the means to faithful biblical faith and practice, while others may see faithful Christian life and practice resulting in a Baptist identity.”
Grady, your question is the one we must answer. It is the question I have heard more than any other, by FAR more than any other, over the past three years, whether by church planter or megachurch pastor, staff member or youth evangelist, seminarian or seasoned minister, and yes, both by more conventional 3rd gens as well as by those with a more progressive approach. Some Lord, same inerrant Bible, same gospel conviction, same Baptist perspective. But different in how they are perceived.
Since reading the first part of this series, I have been waiting for part 2. Very good. Now, I’ll wait for part 3!
Grady, I am with you. I had this discussion with some of my friends just last night. Ironically, Steve sort of quoted me, or me him, without knowing it. They were trying to convince me it is time to leave the SBC and be done with “baptist” altogether. I told them I don’t believe what I do because I am Southern Baptist, I am Southern Baptist because of what I believe.
sorry, should have wrote Dr. McKinion.
Dr. McKinion, Great Post! I am, as you are, a product of the CR and am grateful to these men who have gone before us.
Grady, I think your question, as Dr. Reid added, is a crucial one. I’d like to ask you and Dr. Reid what you think the answer to that question is? In my mind all I can come up with is that guys have to stick it out because change takes time. Is there another answer or is this how it has always been?
Eric, I am curious as to why your friends said it is time to leave the SBC? Is the argument that you can be more effective in ministry disconnected from the SBC/attached with another network? I would really like to know b/c those are the kinds of questions we are trying to address at b21.
Great discussion going on here!
Great article Dr. McKinion.
As a 3rd Gen. Baptist, I echo Dr. Reid’s observation, that I am a Baptist because I believe the traditional Baptist Distinctives (many of which our churches have forgotten) to be Biblical. I am not a Baptist simply because I grew up there, or because it is my background. Rather it is because I think the SBC is the best and most Biblical option there is at the moment.
-K. Simmons
Great post! Very helpful to me personally and will be useful to others I am sure.
I am particularly interested in the second point on working with non-bapitsts on social concerns. I recently posted an article on this particular topic. I beleive we must recover a healthy concern for social engagement. Postmodern’s are concerned (at least vocally) about these issues.
My question is where do we draw the line in working with those outide the baptist world? I think T4G has something going. I also like what Dr. Akin and SEBTS havine going in the GCR work. However, there are those in the “Baptist Identity” (BI) movement that are wanting the breaks put on.
So, can we get down to some specifics? What does this look like in the average SBC church? What are the principles that must guide a pastor in working with others?
If you want to post on my article (an unashamed plug for my site) go to http://www.wagingwardaily.wordpress.com.
Breaks = brakes!!!
Jonathan,
These particular guys were close to me in college. After college, they left and went to a more “liberal” school. They have some friends there that are talking to them and convincing them of the evils of the SBC. So the discussion began by them saying that they cannot stand the bickering and fighting, and that it’s a good ole boy system that young guys don’t fit into and then shifted to more on beliefs, which led to me making the statement about why I am Southern Baptist. Honestly, I don’t know that their arguments are geared to try and help fix the problem as much as to give a good reason to leave or just point out what is wrong. Make sense?
man, I am just messing up on names! My last post was meant for Jon Akin.
Eric, good to see some fellow Northeastern North Carolina presence around here!
As a 3rd gen. So. Baptist, I think this is an eerily accurate description of my history and influences growing up in a Southern Baptist church. I think that’s one of the reasons I enjoyed the first post, and now this one as well.
I’m not sure I would say, along with many of the commenters here, that I’m So. Baptist because its the most biblical option. I think there may be other denominations that better reflect biblical principles than the Southern Baptist Convention. I hope there are – because I fear we don’t, on average, do a very good job sometimes.
I am and plan on staying Southern Baptist because of the IMB. Take that out of the equation, and I could flip a coin as to which denomination I’ll align with.
Also the autonomy of the local church is essential to me staying around. If I or my church were forced to fit into the ‘typical’ SB mold, I would have pulled my hair out and ran out the door. But the hope that we can and will do better leaves me knowing that I can be in this for the long haul.
My background has always been baptist but I recently became a member of the SB family. My thirst and hunger for the gospel cannot be satisfied. I love the (1st) gen, grateful for the (2nd) gen and my message to the (3rd)is to stay true to the gospel as our (1st) and (2nd) gen did. I have attended the assemblies of god, first baptist, and now north brook baptist in cedar rapids,Ia. I believe that christian life interpretation has been the biggest separator of all the denominations. I am an African American male Bible College student who in time past was not even allowed to attend an SBC. The Movement of the Southern Baptist has come a long way. I am glad to be apart of a movement that has purposed and is preparing (3rd) gen messengers like my self in effort to restore the glory of God in all of its splendor to the bride in preparation for our King Jesus of Nazareth.
I can concur with the experience of “faithful Christian life and practice resulting in a Baptist identity” in my life. I was brought up in a Pentecostal church, then spent 10 years in the non-denom Christian church, and finally at 17 I wound up following a girl (!) to a Southern Baptist church. For years I fought against labeling myself as a “Southern Baptist,” even as I got more and more involved with the Baptist church. However, over the last year-and-a-half as God has been preparing me for his call into vocational planting and pastoring, I have become more and more convicted of the accuracy of the Baptist distinctives. My wife even makes fun of me about it. As someone who was so adamantly against the denominational labeling, I have now become deeply involved in SBC life and fighting for a future within our convention, hoping to follow in the footsteps of guys like Chandler and Greear who are both ferociously Baptist and ferociously committed to the gospel over all else.
For me, Grady has posed the most important question, “How do we create space for the 3rd gens without having the label from the 1st and 2nd’s that we are the enemy?” This article goes far in attempting to mend that issue, because it points out that 3rd gens are the fruit of ministries and leaders that were Christ-centered and Biblical.
What I desperately want the early generation leaders to see is that, to some degree, God has answered their prayers for the generation behind them, and has blessed the fruits of their labors. Fruitfulness, in ministry doesn’t mean that those who come after will look and sound like you.
My passion, as a 3rd gen minister, is for the accuracy of the gospel, and the soundness of the Christian life. But, I hear the call of my predecessors and concede that I must not allow my caution over right doctrine to squelch my evangelistic zeal.
[...] Jump to Comments After posting about the first article by Steven A. McKinion I found the second article. I commend it to you as it provides some interesting observations about the three generations of [...]
[...] Also, part two of the series on Third Generation Baptists, which I Linked to last week can be found here. [...]
I want to try and help a little with the question that keeps surfacing from my discussions with 3rd gens, phrased above as: “How do we create space for the 3rd gens without having the label from the 1st and 2nd’s that we are the enemy?”
In his book Shaping of Things to Come (good book, provocative, though I do not concur with it all) author Alan Hirsch speaks of the changing times in which we find ourselves. He argues that those currently in leadership must use our influence to help do just what the question above asks. I think at that point he is right.
There must be a conscious effort by the gatekeepers and other leaders to do at least two things: one, affirm your ministries even though you approach them very differently in our increasingly flattened world (I just wrote about that at alvinreid.com). Two, involve you in areas where you can contribute.
In the early days of the CR we did not do that well at all. Thus, we have two sons of men who were actually presidents of the SBC in the CR plant churches that have become huge and influential. But one is not SBC at all, and the other is not greatly connected. I am referring to Andy Stanley and Ed Young. These are 2nd gen pastors whose churches and ministries have had arguably more influence on 3rd gens than the vast majority of SBC agencies and leaders combined. My point here is not to make a value judgment about their ministries pro and con, but to simply argue that these 2nd gen leaders were hardly embraced by the establishment, if they even wanted to be. One could put Rick Warren in that mix as Rick’s dad was a SBC minister if not a key leader. It is almost remarkable to me how many biological children of 1st gen CR leaders have not become significant leaders in the infrastructure of the SBC.
But now I see a bit of a shift among at least some. Those in the 2nd gen who have remained integrally involved in the SBC seem to be more diligent in helping their sons value the SBC. I am thinking of James Merritt and his son Jonathan, Danny Akin and his sons, among others. It will take more than a biological link to open the door for 3rd gens, but that is important given the brief history of the CR to see men of influence in the 2nd gen being more effective at helping their sons’ activity in the SBC. Ironic, actually.
I think that is representative of a larger recognition by many in the 2nd gen that we will not see 3rd gens, particularly the more capable men and women, remain active in the SBC if we continually disrespect them for reasons not lashed to biblical fidelity, but because they do some things differently while affirming the same BFM2000 confession. Dr. McKinion’s posts are most helpful here. I have personally found that there is a legion of 3rd gens who will be involved in the SBC if leaders in my gen actually involve them. You can see that at SEBTS, where Bruce Ashford at 34 is dean of our college, and where J.D. Greear, who was in my first class at SEBTS, has quickly become a key voice in such discussions as these. I can tell you I, though my influence is not that great, have been very proactive in encouraging leaders of my generation to utilize men like these and others. It is not accidental that J.D. and I are doing events together involving young leaders. The difference is that these, unlike some in the 1st gen which had to be of necessity, are not political events to rally troops to vote at the annual SBC. These are events to help ministers learn to be more effective gospel-bearers in the 21st century.
By the way, I doubt I personally would have much influence as a 2nd gen except that the changes the CR brought led to a vacuum in a sense of professors. So earning a PhD and moving into a faculty position has afforded me influence through that channel. I cannot tell you how grateful I am for the theological renewal made possible by the CR. In all these discussions let us be very careful to remember the great price paid by the Paige Pattersons, Judge Presslers, Jerry Vines, Adrian Rogers, Bailey Smiths, Jimmy Drapers, and many others. I am a debtor to these men. They in fact made a way for me to be a leader. And I am following their footsteps in trying to use my influence to help the coming generation. And that is why I am giving my life to younger leaders who come after me.
So these are a few of my ramblings. Sorry so long. But let me add a final word to 3rd gens: I hope you will be active in the SBC. But you will not earn that right by beating your chest or whining (most of you do not). You must be teachable, eager to learn, willing to understand before you are understood. Good news: most of you I speak to are like that. I am only 49, but sometimes I feel like Moses. I can see the Promised Land of Great Commission effectiveness, of a return to gospel effectiveness in our time. But you are the young Joshuas who have to take the people there. I hope you will.
Alvin Reid,
Thanks for the great response. Honestly I’m kind of just getting back into this conversation. For the last 10+ years I’ve been heavily involved in US ministries. And although they’ve all been SBC churches (not in name) I’ve had very little if any exposure to SBC politics…honestly I didn’t care too much because it had almost nothing to do with the work I was doing or the people I was reaching. But all of this changed 3 years ago when I went on with the IMB.
I am so grateful for the CP and LM offerings…and the fact that they allow me to do ministry overseas without the stress of raising support. But through this I’ve seen things about our convention and it’s organizations that I didn’t expect (ok actually I wasn’t shocked by what I saw…just disappointed).
So do you think that the leaders will allow this space to be created?
Grady
Steven,
Another great post in this series that has generated some impressive comments. I like the recurring question and I think the answer is found in your last bullet point (which, in my opinion should have been the first as it is probably the most influential in the developing spirituality of both 2nd and 3rd gens). You said, “The churches current third gen pastors plant or serve have the same values as their youth ministries that produced them: theological integrity, biblical fidelity, cultural relevance, and intellectual honesty.”
I want to emphasize the importance of Youth Ministry and the consequences of it. I’ve not seen any research on the topic, but my gut feeling is that Youth Ministry did more to shape the current cultural configuration of contemporary Christianity than any other single influence. The four points you emphasize: theological integrity, biblical fidelity, cultural relevance, and intellectual honesty, represent the heart of what I grew up hearing ever since my teen years in the 1970s. I think Youth Ministry gave birth to what we know as the Emergents who seem to have abandoned the theological integrity and biblical fidelity for only cultural relevance and intellectual honesty. But the emphasis on praxis that they feel so deeply reverberates within the hearts of Baptist youth as well. I think the questions the Emergents ask are valid and important. I don’t particularly care for all their answers, but they have questions we need to grapple with. More importantly, 3rd gens represent just the folks who have the energy and enthusiasm to charge into that particular fray.
Taking a page from Dr. Reid’s book, I say let ‘em. I will confess that I may not always like the conclusions they draw, but you know what? That’s a learning experience too. There are a lot of things I said in my 20’s and early 30’s that I’ve had to swallow in my 40’s so I think it’s only fair to let someone else learn in the same school. This would solve a couple problems. 2nd gens wouldn’t have to worry about answering questions they don’t like and 3rd gens would get an opportunity to swim in the deep end of the pool. And if Acts29 is one of the answers then so be it. We aren’t in a competition, we’re in a cooperation, so we might want to follow the apostle Paul in his advice to the Philippians:
“Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of rivalry, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.”
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