The Baptist Center for Theology and Ministry (a research institute of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary) recently interview Tom Ascol, executive director of Founders Ministries. I encourage you to read the entire interview, but for now I would like to provide his answer to the last question, “What would you say is the most significant theological issue confronting Southern Baptists in this generation?”
Ascol’s response:
Well, as I have already said, I believe that in many respects we have lost the Gospel. Nothing is more important than that. Perhaps the most significant, observable manifestation of that for us is the large number of unregenerate church members that we have. In that sense, ecclesiology will be a vitally important issue for Southern Baptists to confront honestly in the next few years. We must be willing to define simply what constitutes a church on the authority of the New Testament. Then we must apply that definition to forty-two thousand assemblies that we call churches within the SBC.
John Dagg, the first writing Southern Baptist systematic theologian said that when discipline leaves a church, Christ goes with it. If he is correct, then many of our churches are in far worse shape than most of us want to admit. Jesus’ words to the churches in Asia from Revelation 2-3 give me reason to remain hopeful, however. He is a patient High Priest and, as Lord and Head of the church, has promised to build His church throughout history until the new heavens and new earth appear.
Thanks for this link. Timely for me as I have just had to explain why controversy concerning these matters is necessary. Tom is to be commended for his candid responses, warnings to all sides, and for enunciating that though there are several issues at hand that touch upon one another, they are separate issues that need to be addressed in their own sphere.