Comments on: Baptist Press, Broadway Baptist & Jihad

By: Dan

Dan — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 07:01:59 +0000

I was a music student at SWBTS a few years ago, and although there are still a few music profs that attend Broadway, the number is getting smaller nearly every year through retirements, resignations, and transfers to other church. I think in no more than 10 years Broadway will pull totally away from the SBC. By then they will be able to gain musicians from TCU, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, and other pagan music societies.

By: Chuck

Chuck — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 06:46:27 +0000

Michael,

I think your sadness says it all regarding your position. Welcoming all sinners is one thing, affirming sin is quite another.

Homosexual acts are clearly sinful. Why do you want a church to affirm them?

By: Michael Westmoreland-White

Michael Westmoreland-White — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 16:04:01 +0000

I find it sad that Broadway is more concerned about its relation with the SBC than in really standing up for its gay members and boldly saying, “YES, we welcome and affirm them!”

By: Chuck

Chuck — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 15:33:28 +0000

To me, that’s the surprise of this story–that SWBTS still has profs who are Broadway members.

I thought Paige Patterson and the administration were dictatorial, brutish fundamentalists, slicing and dicing all those not toeing their narrow line.

Maybe tenure has these music profs tethered on?

By: BNeill

BNeill — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 01:52:05 +0000

If Broadway does not remain in “friendly cooperation” with the SBC it will loose its professional music staff because they all teach at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. And they need that staff to draw the large choir and maintain the professional music program with the magnificant organ donated by Van Cliburn, the most famous of their 20 or so gay members. To balance that combo is “a difficult balancing act.”

By: Big Daddy Weave

Big Daddy Weave — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 23:31:59 +0000

From all appearances, Johnson did a fine job of representing Broadway Baptist Church and their desire to remain in friendly cooperation with the SBC. Additionally, in light of the language used (the repeated use of “we” and “us”), Johnson portrayed himself as something more than a mere representative who was present to represent the best interests of his “client” so to speak. He included himself personally alongside the desires of Broadway for a friendly, cooperative relationship with the Southern Baptist Convention. That language and desire really does stand in stark contrast to the extremely harsh anti-fundamentalist rhetoric from a handful of years back.

I’ve not been one to shy away from the word fundamentalist. But I’ve never found it appropriate (nor accurate nor fair) to draw such close comparisons between Christian fundamentalism and Islamic fundamentalism.

As a young historian who enjoys analyzing Baptist life, needless to say, all this is interesting. Sandy’s observation on BaptistLife.com is also extremely interesting

I too hope that the Southern Baptist Convention will one day become a place of inclusion and not exclusion. And I hope that Broadway will find a friendly environment among their denominational family. Being informed by history, I won’t hold my breath though.

Nowadays though, former Southern Baptists such as myself now have a new “denominational family” to which we belong in this post-denominational world. There may be bridge building that can be done at the state level such as here in Texas. But nationally, many moderate and progressive Baptists have found a new home and are establishing a new identity distinct from the SBC. I see all that as positive.

By: Texas in Africa

Texas in Africa — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 23:05:22 +0000

Well said, David. BDW, clearly Johnson can’t just represent his personal views in this case; he’s got to stand up for all of the congregation in a difficult balancing act.

Also, the SBC might not have changed between 2004-09, but perhaps the Johnson family has experienced many changes in that period, ones that might point a person of goodwill who’s able to forgive others towards a more conciliatory tone.

By: David Lowrie

David Lowrie — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 22:37:50 +0000

BDW,

History and press clippings can come back to haunt us at times. Concerning Dr. Johnson, since I was there with him I can speak to this a bit, but I would encourage you and others to speak to him personally.

Dr. Johnson was there on behalf of the people of Broadway. He is their interim and it was the church’s desire to stay in friendly fellowship with the SBC. He represented them well. The factors behind their desire may vary from member to member but the bottom line is Broadway wants to be in friendly fellowship and Dr. Johnson did his best to represent their cause before the Executive Committee.

On a personal note, it is my prayer that the stones that we have used to build walls between each other will now be used to build bridges over which we will work together to do Kingdom work. A new day may be dawning, and I pray we are seeing the first fruits of that new day.

David Lowrie