As you may be aware, the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention will consider a recommendation, which will most likely be sent to the annual convention session, recommending that Southern Baptists pull out of the Baptist World Alliance.  Southern Baptists were instrumental in forming the BWA and have given strong financial support to the organization through the years.  The Alliance was formed to help Baptist groups around the world work together in ministry and missions.  The organization has proven its value and provided a strong testimony to Baptist freedom.  Baptist groups from all over the world have freely come together to further the cause of Christ in spite of differences.  And through the Alliance many struggling Baptists have been encouraged and strengthened.

The new “conservative resurgence” leadership of the Southern Baptist Convention was quite content to continue support and participation with the world body until that organization began considering the admission of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship into the Alliance.  The SBC leaders “fired a warning shot over the bow” of the Baptist World Alliance last year by withdrawing one fourth of the convention’s annual contribution.  When the Alliance moved forward to recognize the CBF, the Southern Baptist leaders decided to withdraw from the Baptist World Alliance, hence the recommendation before the Executive committee.  They will not participate with anyone they cannot control.

The message of their action is, “We will cooperate with any other Baptists in the world except those in the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.  And, furthermore, we will not cooperate with any other Baptist who has the audacity to relate to the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship in any way.”  The tragedy is that this is not the reason being given for disassociating from the world body.  Instead, the “conservative resurgence” leaders are using the same tactics employed against fellow Southern Baptists in their purge of those who did not vow absolute agreement with them.  News stories have documented false charges that the Baptists of the Alliance do not believe salvation is available only in Jesus and claim that Jesus did not give the Great Commission, charges that have been repeatedly refuted. 

The result is a fractured Baptist World.  Not only are the participating bodies besmirched by the false charges, but also fulfillment of the Great Commission by the worldwide Baptist family is hampered.  The “conservative resurgence” leaders say they will seek to form a new alliance or alternate group.  I wonder if they will be able to find many other Baptists whom they can control?