Southern Baptist Convention seppuku

Adoption of the Baptist Faith & Message 2000 sent thousands out the Southern Baptist Convention door and pushed a still larger number back a step or two while institutions which could, continued to flee the conservatives.

Weighing the spoiling fruits of their labors, SBC fundamentalist power brokers adopted another self-destructive strategy, as Enid, Oklahoma, pastor Wade Burleson explains:

So conservative leadership decided to change, behind the scenes, the doctrinal statements that served as the standard for cooperation and service within individual SBC agencies. These changes in the doctrinal statements of SBC entities were approved and implemented without SBC convention-wide approval. Designated trustees began changing the doctrinal statements to reflect the core of organized Fundamentalism (anti-spiritual gifts, Landmark, pre-millenial, etc.). There is nothing necessarily morally wrong with Fundamentalism if the adherents to that particular ideology love those who disagree with them. The problem with Fundamentalism, especially in the Southern Baptist Convention, is when people of cooperation become more interested in doctrinal conformity than missional cooperation. When that happens, Baptist people, pastors and churches who used to identify with the cooperative efforts of Southern Baptists will CEASE cooperating.

With overarching demographic change running against them, their secrecy-blighted Great Commission Resurgence floundering as the chickens of their earlier secrecy come home to roost, the SBC power brokers seem incapable of adapting.