Leaning A Little On The Side of the Reformed

Over the holidays, I have been getting good use of my iphone by listening to several good podcasts. One of my goals for this downtime was to listen and re-listen to the Building Bridges Conference Podcasts.

I was able to do this and to make some poignant observations:

1. Reformed theology and liberalism are totally incompatible.

2. The SBC, historically, has been its healthiest when our theological leadership was thoroughly Reformed

3. Some of the greatest SBC missionaries were decidedly Reformed and some of the greatest times of missionary endeavor in our convention came under their leadership.

4. We have reached an all time low in concern for the Gospel and missions by the average SBC church member.

5. The average SBC church member today has very little understanding of or appreciation for Reformed theology.

Now while these observations may betray a great coincidence in our denomination, I am skeptical. It is ironic that the theological bent that some decry as anti-missional and evangelistic may be the only hope for recovering the Gospel-centered, missional spirit that has been the lifeblood of this convention. If Ed Stetzer's research is right and young seminarians and pastors are breaking decidedly in the direction of the Reformed, then we may yet see revival.

Reformed Theology : The New Fad?

A conference was held this week in a quiet little retreat center nestled among the Blue Ridge mountains. The topic of discussion was Reformed Theology. Specifically, what role Calvinism has played in the history of the Southern Baptist Convention and what role should it play in years to come. The conference was called, "Building Bridges" and was led by many well known pastors and convention leaders including, Dr Danny Akin, Dr. Al Mohler, Dr. Tom Ascol, Dr. Tom Nettles, Dr. David Nelson, Thom Ranier, David Dockery, Ed Stetzer, J.D. Greear, and others. Now that the dust has settled there are some specific things, according to reports, that we can definitely take away from this "meeting of the minds".


1. The Doctrines of Grace (Calvinism) have played a prominent role in the development of Southern Baptist Convention.

2. That the convention contains members who vary greatly on their views of the Doctrines of Grace. And that is okay!

3. That the trend for younger theologians and pastors in the convention is in support of the Doctrines of Grace.

4. That holding firmly to the Doctrines of Grace does not kill evangelistic fervor but in many cases has the opposite effect.

5. That the Doctrines of Grace are not a cause for concern or will be the death knell for the SBC.

6. Regardless of your position on the Doctrines of Grace that SBC churches need to do a better job of confronting the culture and evangelizing its communities.

To get more in-depth coverage of the conference click on the following links:

Calvinism On The Rise In Southern Baptist Life - Christian Post

Calvinism Examined In Its Baptist Context - Baptist Press