Changes

For most of the 20th century, the factions that became known as "conservatives" and "moderates" were at the fringe of the SBC. That changed when the Civil Rights issue and opposition to [[Jim Crow]] (racial segregation) energized the moderate in the 1950s and 1960s. By the 1970s the conservatives had coalesced. Conservatives believe that moderates were right to support desegregation but that they went too far by accepting changes in changing national social norms, especially regarding abortion, homosexuality and women's roles in society and the ministry.<ref>See Hankins (2002).</ref>  

For most of the 20th century, the factions that became known as "conservatives" and "moderates" were at the fringe of the SBC. That changed when the Civil Rights issue and opposition to [[Jim Crow]] (racial segregation) energized the moderate in the 1950s and 1960s. By the 1970s the conservatives had coalesced. Conservatives believe that moderates were right to support desegregation but that they went too far by accepting changes in changing national social norms, especially regarding abortion, homosexuality and women's roles in society and the ministry.<ref>See Hankins (2002).</ref>  

Beginning in the late 1960s, fundamentalists under the leadership of layman Paul Pressler and minister Paige Patterson claimed that the denomination's institutions had come under the influence of liberalism and that a redirection was necessary. Starting in 1979 they mobilized delegates to attend the annual convention and to elect conservative candidates. Usually winning by ratios of about 55%-45% they elected a series of militantly conservative presidents. In turn the presidents appointed militantly conservative committees and trustees, and systematically transformed the SBC's six seminaries, its publishing house, its mission boards, and its numerous agencies. Theologically the issue has focused on the inerrancy of Scripture. Some Baptist colleges and universities resisted the trend and broke their ties with the SBC. The moderates protested that the fundamentalists had downplayed the historic emphasis on evangelism to impose a particular reading of Scripture, thereby breaking with the denomination's historic unwillingness to impose creeds.

Beginning in the late 1960s, fundamentalists under the leadership of layman Paul Pressler and minister Paige Patterson claimed that the denomination's institutions had come under the influence of liberalism and that a redirection was necessary. Patterson and Pressler noted the structure of the SBC Presidency could be used to gain this redirection: the SBC President solely nominates the Committee on Committees, which in turn nominates the Committee on Nominations (previously known as the Committee on Boards), which in turn nominates the Executive Committee, heads of all SBC organizations, and other positions.  A conservative-minded President would fill vacancies on the Committee on Committees with similarly conservative-minded persons, and when that faction had control it would, in turn, fill nominees for the Committee on Nominations (again with similarly conservative-minded persons), and thereafter fill all other positions similarly.

 

Starting in 1979 they mobilized delegates to attend the annual convention and to elect strong conservative candidates. Usually winning by ratios of about 55%-45% they elected a series of strong conservative presidents. In turn the presidents appointed strong conservative committees and trustees, and systematically transformed the mindset of the SBC's six seminaries, its publishing house, its mission boards, and its numerous agencies to a conservative view. Theologically the issue has focused on the inerrancy of Scripture.

 

Some Baptist colleges and universities not officially owned by the SBC but historically tied to it resisted the trend and broke their ties with the SBC ([[Baylor University]] being one example). The moderates protested that the fundamentalists had downplayed the historic emphasis on evangelism to impose a particular reading of Scripture, thereby breaking with the denomination's historic unwillingness to impose creeds.  Ultimately, in 1994 the moderates formed a splinter group (the [[Cooperative Baptist Fellowship]], or CBF), convincing two state associations (the Baptist General Convention of Texas and the Baptist General Association of Virginia) to dually align with it and the SBC (this, in turn, resulted in two new conservative-minded state associations, solely aligned with the SBC, to form: the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention and Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia).

A revised collection of common principles held by Baptists was set forth by the Southern Baptist Convention in 2000.<ref>see [http://www.sbc.net/bfm/ text]</ref>

A revised collection of common principles held by Baptists was set forth by the Southern Baptist Convention in 2000.<ref>see [http://www.sbc.net/bfm/ text]</ref>