June 11, 2001

Merritt calls SBC to confront "cultural rebellion"
___By Mark A. Wyatt
___California Southern Baptist
___NEW ORLEANS--Sounding a "clarion call" for biblical morality and doctrinal purity, Southern Baptist Convention President James Merritt called on Baptists to confront America's "cultural rebellion" with fearless faith and a renewed commitment to personal evangelism.
___Merritt, pastor of First Baptist Church in Snellville, Ga., spoke in New Orleans June 12 during the opening session of the SBC annual meeting. Later the same day, he was re-elected without opposition for a second one-year term as the top elected officer of the convention.
___Using a military theme inspired by the legendary "Battle of New Orleans," Merritt noted that the historic 1815 battle was "not really worth fighting" because it took place two weeks after the Treaty of Ghent formally ended the War of 1812.
___In contrast, Merritt said, Southern Baptists "need to be on the front line" of five contemporary battles that are worth fighting.
___The first, he said, involves a "cultural rebellion" gripping the United States.
___ Drawing from the teachings of the Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 3 and 4, Merritt likened modern-day America to Paul's descriptions of "a society that is pushing the self-destruct button."
___"There is an assault on the family today that is unparalleled in the history of the nation, and much of the damage is self-inflicted," he asserted. "Dads ought to be the heads of the home, but increasingly we are seeing fathers abdicate the throne of authority by allowing children to execute a bloodless coup of the home.
___ "No wonder the inmates are running the asylum and the monkeys are running the zoo," he declared.
___ Merritt drew enthusiastic applause when he affirmed the focus Southern Baptists are placing on the family. "Our convention ought to be known as a family friendly convention and as a convention that unapologetically stands for marriage between a man and a woman, period, end of discussion," he said.
___He challenged Southern Baptist preachers to speak out against abortion and other evidence of America's declining morals. "In our country, … profanity, pornography (and) perversity are becoming commonplace," he said. "Forty-one thousand Southern Baptist pulpits must not be silent.
___ "One president commits sexual sin in the Oval Office, and the Christian right is told to shut up. Another president speaks openly of his faith in God and his trust in Christ, and he is told to shut up. Well, I believe 41,000 Southern Baptist pulpits should not be silent," Merritt repeated. "There is a cultural rebellion we must confront. That is a battle worth fighting."
___ Baptists also must condemn "doctrinal recklessness," Merritt said.
___"When we do speak those things which are proper for sound doctrine, we will go against the tide of personal opinion and political correctness," he warned. "Now, I don't believe we ought to be heresy hunters. But I do believe we ought to be heresy fighters. If truth is worth believing, then truth is worth defending."
___Merritt recalled a "media frenzy" in the Atlanta area earlier this year when a Southern Baptist association refused to expel two churches for "accepting openly-avowed homosexuals" as members and leaders.
___"I want to say this straight," Merritt told the SBC audience. "I believe in local church autonomy. I don't want any leader, agency, institution or convention giving orders to me or my congregation.
___ "But hear me, and hear me well. The ocean of church autonomy stops at the shore of biblical authority. Local autonomy without biblical authority becomes spiritual anarchy," Merritt declared to a chorus of amens and enthusiastic applause.
___Third, Merritt called Southern Baptists to fight to "commend scriptural revelation."
___ "There is no moral majority in America. We are the minority," Merritt said. "We may be out-manned, but we are not out-gunned."
___ Referring to the Bible, Merritt exhorted Baptists to preach, promote and "practice this book; and any time this word is diluted, denied or debased we ought to defend it with pride. That is a battle worth fighting."
___Merritt said Baptists also must complete their "personal responsibility" through a renewed commitment to evangelism.
___"I understand that not all ministry is evangelism, but evangelism should ultimately be in all ministry," he declared. And he warned of a new threat facing the denomination.
___"Twenty years ago, our battle was against live liberalism," Merritt explained. "But today I candidly tell you that my greatest fear for the Southern Baptist Convention is not live liberalism, it is dead orthodoxy. I fear becoming a denomination that is straight as a gun barrel theologically but as dry as a gun barrel spiritually.
___"Southern Baptist and soul-winner ought to be synonyms," he said, endorsing a plan by the denomination's North American Mission Board to promote personal evangelism through a "Saved to Share" emphasis the first Sunday in October. He challenged 16 million Southern Baptists to lead at least one person each to Christ before the 2002 SBC meeting in St. Louis, Mo.
___Merritt concluded by calling Southern Baptists to consider "an eternal reward" greater than the battles they must fight.
___"Southern Baptists, let us individually and collectively finish well," he urged. "I know the temptations are great and the enemy is strong, but finishing well is a battle worth fighting.
___"We will be victorious because the word of God says that the will of God is for us to be more than conquerors through him," he said.
___"We're going to win. So until he comes, let us go forth in his name, under his blood, in his power, for the battle is worth fighting!"



Get printer-friendly version of this story


Send this story to a friend

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.

---

Contents/ Masthead / Why We're Here / Links / Archive / E-mail us/ SUBSCRIBE!