Published on June 23, 2024, 12:34 am

In the panorama of contemporary American Christianity, the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) faces mounting internal dissonances that lay bare the alarming incursion of liberal philosophies. A case in point involves certain SBC churches’ simultaneous affiliation to both the SBC and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF), an organization embodying a significant departure from biblical truth.

Hailing its roots from the early 1990s, the CBF emerged as a countering force against the Conservative Resurgence within the SBC, which intended to restore unwavering fidelity towards biblical inerrancy and conservative theology. Conversely, CBF has progressively adopted liberal theological stances since its formation.

In contravention of conventional Christian doctrine, upon inception, CBF voiced support for causes diametrically opposite to scriptural teachings. The organization supports women pastors’ ordination along with full inclusion of diverse sexual orientations while also endorsing abortion rights.

The aforementioned deviations from Christian orthodoxy are noticeably aligned with secular progressivism pervading today’s society; within this backdrop are several SBC churches that concurrently affiliate themselves with both CBF and SBC. One such instance involves Jonathan Howe’s church—Howe being a past president of SBC’s Executive Committee.

Marking an alarming shift in modern-day Christian practices, June 2024 saw a noteworthy merger between CBF’s Affirming Network and The Association of Welcoming & Affirming Baptists (AWAB), reinforcing CBF’s commitment towards normalizing LGBTQ+ lifestyles within Baptist life—an action suspiciously divergent from traditional scriptural teachings on sexuality and sanctity of life.

Under this context emerged Jonathan Howe’s role as acting CEO of the SBC; Howe maintained active involvement with both entities—a situation which raises eyebrows given his leadership position within an institution fundamentally opposing God according to scriptures. Continuing this behavior invites criticism akin to letting a predator guard its prey—a conspicuous lapse in judgment leading to question ethical principles that the institution pledges to uphold and protect.

Such liberality falls in line with warnings in Revelation 2:20-23, cautioning against tolerance towards apocryphal teachings that potentially lead followers astray. This indulgence not only undermines biblical fidelity but also uncovers a profound fragility within SBC’s framework—a porous veil permitting infiltration of ungodly ideologies.

Faithful adherence to Christian doctrines is under threat as liberal philosophies continue seeping into institutions like the SBC. This corrosion exposes a crevice for unholy forces to exploit, testing the integrity of institutions rooted in upholding biblical truth—utterly essential in delivering real news and trusted news from a Christian worldview perspective.