Irony

I've had a strange, ironic relationship with the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) over the past fifteen years.

When we first moved to Georgia from New York state in 1996, we desired to find a church home that proclaimed the gospel.  We ended up attending a Southern Baptist Church for the first time.  I appreciate the fact that that particular local body of believers never once wavered on the truth of the bible or the absolute need of all people for the gospel.

After six years of SBC life in two different SBC churches, we felt led to seminary.  I had no idea where to attend; my pastor at the time suggested that I look at a few different SBC seminaries.  After a few months of decision making and resulting transition, we ended up at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS).

During my four years at SEBTS I was exposed to excellent bible teaching.  I greatly appreciate both the instruction and the example that I was given from many godly professors.  Without exception, they all loved the Lord Jesus, believed in the truth of the truth of the gospel, and looked to the bible as their source of direction and truth.

A good seminary education is not cheap.  However, I was blessed to graduate debt free.  Why?  For one thing, one of the SBC churches we had attended in Georgia provided us with $300 per month for four years. Second, the SBC's Cooperative Program covered about 50% of my tuition.  Other seminary scholarships (plus some help from UPS) made for a basically free M.Div.  I'm very thankful for this.

While at SEBTS, regardless of academic subject, we were taught to first search the scriptures for truth.  The bible was repeatedly described as inerrant, infallible, inspired, and authoritative.  It was the final arbiter of what was true.  No questions asked.

After graduation, the SBC's International Mission Board sent us overseas to serve.  What a challenging and life changing experience it was!  In God's sovereign providence, it was to be short-lived.  After four months in Asia, we had to return home quickly when our son Bobby was diagnosed with Lymphoma.  In the year after his diagnosis, in which the Lord healed him, the IMB paid for our living expenses.  Also, an SBC church here in the Savannah area allowed us to reside in its mission-house basically for free. Throughout this time many Southern Baptists prayed for us.

As you know by now, after Bobby was healed, I began to look for employment.  I ended up serving as pastor of an SBC church here in Savannah for about 2.5 years.  The people of Chevis Oaks Baptist Church were kind and supportive to us during our time there.

I reviewed all of the above information so that I could point to something kind of ironic.  We have received much financial and emotional support through the years from Southern Baptists.  We have always been told that the bible is truth.  We've been encouraged to study the scriptures to see what they say.  Well, after searching the scriptures for quite a while about what God says about His church, I came to some unsettling conclusions.  I did not see in the bible many of the aspects of church that I saw in SBC life.  On the flip side, I saw in the bible certain things about the church that are usually absent from SBC church life.  I've written about these things many times before.  On top of all this, I certainly didn't see any denominations in the bible.  I only read commands for the church to be united in Christ.

The irony is that the SBC's influence upon me to search for scriptural truth ultimately led me to leave the SBC itself.

I will always be grateful to the SBC for its support through the past fifteen years.  I owe a debt that I can never repay.  I hope to continue to have great relationships with Southern Baptists and to work with Southern Baptists for the spread of the gospel.

However, I can no longer consider myself to be a Southern Baptist because, ironically, of what I read about unity in scripture.