October 13, 2022
The Apostle Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 1:18, “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” When it came to evangelizing the world, Paul determined to preach the simple gospel message: That a sinless Jesus died in the place of sinful mankind so that we might have peace with God through faith in Christ alone. This is the gospel message Southern Baptists have shared for decades.
This week, Southern Baptists were invited to join Kevin Ezell, president of the North American Mission Board, along with Ed Stetzer, Executive Director of the Wheaton College Billy Graham Center and Dean of the School of Mission, Ministry, and Leadership, to discover how to partner with this “evangelistic” movement.
A simple perusal of material on the “He Gets Us” website, however, reveals disturbing resources such as “Did Jesus Struggle to be a Good Role Model?” —an article that undermines the sinlessness of the Lord Jesus Christ in questioning whether He actually lived a perfect life. Evidence has also emerged indicating that “He Gets Us” promotes LGBTQ-affirming ministries, churches, and ideologies. How can Southern Baptists affirm an organization that is espousing doctrines that are unbiblical and egregiously distort the gospel message?
While a formal partnership has not yet been announced, even encouraging cooperation with and platforming an organization that casts doubt on the sinlessness of Christ, teaches that Jesus suffered worry and anxiety about the cross, and embraces LGBTQ ideology should deeply concern every Bible-believing Southern Baptist.
Southern Baptists cooperate through what has been called a rope of sand. Our voluntary affiliation requires that we trust and affirm our leadership and the direction of our institutions. This trust is made more difficult when these are the “evangelism” strategies it seems our leaders believe Southern Baptists should embrace.
The Conservative Baptist Network calls on the North American Mission Board to respond to the founded concerns of Southern Baptists and to refrain from encouraging cooperation with organizations that call into question the very nature of the biblical gospel.
