Changes

==Theological Controversies==

==Theological Controversies==

During its tenure the SBC was greatly impacted, and shaped, by three major theological controversies: the Landmark controversy of the 1850's and continuing in some form until around 1910, the Modernist controversy of the 1920's-1930's, and the "Conservative-Moderate" controversy beginning in 1979 and continuing for approximately two decades.

During its tenure the SBC was greatly impacted, and shaped, by three major theological controversies: the Landmark controversy of the 1850s and continuing in some form until around 1910, the Modernist controversy of the 1920s-1930's, and the "Conservative-Moderate" controversy beginning in 1979 and continuing for approximately two decades.

===Landmark Controversy===

===Landmark Controversy===

Patterson (1975) identifies specific historical situations in which the Landmark movement influences the Baptist church. The greatest influence was and is among Baptists of the Old Southwest, largely due to the 50 year editorial ministry of Graves in Nashville and Memphis. Seaboard Baptists were more settled, and thus less susceptible to the controversies which raged along the frontier and the newly settled lands. Landmarkism was responsible for the idea that the local church, not boards, should be responsible for the conduct and administration of missionary activity, which spawned the gospel missions concept. The Landmark theory of Baptist succession was challenged at the end of the last century, creating the Whitsitt Controversy.

Patterson (1975) identifies specific historical situations in which the Landmark movement influences the Baptist church. The greatest influence was and is among Baptists of the Old Southwest, largely due to the 50 year editorial ministry of Graves in Nashville and Memphis. Seaboard Baptists were more settled, and thus less susceptible to the controversies which raged along the frontier and the newly settled lands. Landmarkism was responsible for the idea that the local church, not boards, should be responsible for the conduct and administration of missionary activity, which spawned the gospel missions concept. The Landmark theory of Baptist succession was challenged at the end of the last century, creating the Whitsitt Controversy.

In the late 1890's, William H. Whitsitt (a professor at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, one of six SBC-operated seminaries) contended that (contrary to Landmarkism), English Baptists (then called Anabaptists) did not begin to practice baptism by immersion until 1641, as opposed to the Landmark view that this practice could be traced to the earliest Baptists.

In the late 1890s, William H. Whitsitt (a professor at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, one of six SBC-operated seminaries) contended that (contrary to Landmarkism), English Baptists (then called Anabaptists) did not begin to practice baptism by immersion until 1641, as opposed to the Landmark view that this practice could be traced to the earliest Baptists.

Landmarkism peaked by 1910, and has nearly faded away (to the extent it still exists it does so within the [[Independent Baptist]] ranks, which formed around the 1930's), but its long-term impact is still seen in a resistance to outside influences.<ref>W. Morgan Patterson, "The Influence of Landmarkism among Baptists." ''Baptist History and Heritage'' 1975 10(1): 44-55.</ref>

Landmarkism peaked by 1910, and has nearly faded away (to the extent it still exists it does so within the [[Independent Baptist]] ranks, which formed around the 1930s), but its long-term impact is still seen in a resistance to outside influences.<ref>W. Morgan Patterson, "The Influence of Landmarkism among Baptists." ''Baptist History and Heritage'' 1975 10(1): 44-55.</ref>

===Modernist Controversy===

===Modernist Controversy===