November 7, 2001

Over the years I have heard numerous preachers and evangelists make a joke about the serious and personal nature of what they are going to say with the old statement about preachers "He has stopped preaching and gone to meddling." Then they go on to meddle and no one walks out of the service.

I have been criticized lately about meddling with the SBC and of bad-mouthing us. I have no problem with the free expression of opinions since I fully hold to the Doctrine of the Priesthood of All Believers.

Yet I don't see a cry the firing of such people like R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, when he told the Baptist Witness. "The report is a striking indictment of the loss of doctrinal confidence and the erosion of biblical beliefs that marks American Christianity." This statement, stated as reported in the Baptist Witness (http://news.christiansunite.com/baptist/baptist01218.shtml) (Quote) by Tim Ellsworth August 14, 2001, JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (BP)--Only 43 percent of Baptists believe that works don't earn salvation and 66 percent believe Satan isn't a real being, according to a new study released by the Barna Research Group and reported by the Florida Baptist Witness. The study explored the religious beliefs of the nation's 12 largest denominations and determined that only 41 percent of adults in those denominations could be classified as "born again." (Unquote)

The Barna report goes on say: (Quote) The numbers were better for Baptists than for the whole sample, but not by much. Of the Baptists surveyed, 57 percent believed works play a part in salvation, and 45 percent believed Jesus was not sinless. Only 34 percent of Baptists thought Satan was a real being, while 51 percent believed Christians have the responsibility to witness to others. Sixty-six percent of Baptists considered the Bible to be totally accurate, 81 percent considered their religious faith to be important and 85 percent believed God is the all-powerful creator of the universe. The Barna study didn't break down the Baptist category into specific denominations like Southern Baptists or General Baptists, so the results may not be typical of Southern Baptists as a whole. (Unquote)

Even so, a Southern Baptist made this application to the SBC: (Quote) But even if the results would be even marginally better for Southern Baptists, they're still disappointing, said Phil Roberts, president of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. "This should not be too surprising," Roberts said. "We have 16 million members [in the Southern Baptist Convention] and I think it's a fair estimate that less than half actually attend church on Sunday. It's pretty hard to believe that Christ was not sinless and call yourself a Christian." (Unquote - my emphasis) Where is the call about him for making bad press statements about the SBC?

As I have noted in past lessons Dr. H.H. Hobbs was also very concerned about the state of doctrinal teaching and understanding within SBC churches.

I agree with all the above gentlemen and the statement about the SBC and its church members. My concern can be phased as in the Barna Baptist Witness article (Quote) "The Christian body in America is immersed in a crisis of biblical illiteracy," Barna said. "How else can you describe matters when most churchgoing adults reject the accuracy of the Bible, reject the existence of Satan, claim that Jesus sinned, see no need to evangelize, believe that good works are one of the keys to persuading God to forgive their sins and describe their commitment to Christianity as moderate or even less firm?"

The study determined that evangelicals are scarce. Barna defines "evangelicals" as a subset of "born again" believers -- those who say their faith is very important in their lives, believe they have a responsibility to witness to non- Christians, acknowledge the existence of Satan, contend that eternal salvation is possible only through God's grace and not good deeds, believe that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life on earth and describe God as the all-knowing, all- powerful, perfect deity who created the universe and still rules it today. Those who fit in such a category include only 8 percent of adults. (Unquote)

About these statements, Southern Baptist leaders have expressed concern about the SBC. (Quote) Roberts said one solution to such biblical illiteracy lies in pastors' diligence in preaching truth and in their willingness to go house to house, if necessary, to inquire about each person's spiritual condition. "The church needs to take seriously its shepherding role," he said. Mohler added that all Baptists should be alarmed at what the study reveals. "The Barna report is a warning of what is to come, if these trends are not reversed," Mohler said. (Unquote)

My reason for teaching true doctrine and pointing out wrong doctrine, as I feel the Holy Spirit leads me to do so, is no different than that of Roberts, Mohler, Hobbs, Edge. etc. We are doing so in the mode of Peter and Paul; to exhort to build up the churches. I use to accept Baptist material at face value when I first started teaching in 1960 in the Fulton Road Baptist Church in Mobile AL. I apologize to my students that I did so. It was not until I started to read Dr. Hobbs' early Life and Work lessons, read his and others solid books, and began to apply my secular engineering training approach to personal Bible study that the Holy Spirit was finally able to clarify and correct my theology. I made some major wrong teachings to my earl students and I am sorry for doing so. I was very late in finally applying (1 Th 5:21 RSV) "but test everything; hold fast what is good," but that is and will always be my method from now on.

I am sorry that some are offended with my statements that the SBC needs improvements. But as the preachers I first mentioned, I feel led to continue and to "go to meddling" because only when weaknesses and sin are made personal will (and can) there be repentance in the Greek sense of a change of the direct of one's real life. I work for the day when everyone is involved as we are supposed to be. (1 Cor 14:26 RSV) "What then, brethren? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification." Edification is my calling from the Father. We cannot win the world for Christ and stay as we are. Of that 50% who do attend, consider the number who regularly attend worship services, let alone Sunday School and even less Discipleship Training. We cannot be satisfied with a stagnant enrollment. Only strong teaching and understanding and application of correct doctrines will make a difference. And this is what is sorely lacking in so many churches across the world. Again consider Paul and what he said and did.

Please read my Open Letter.

In Christ and the Love of Christ,

Marvin Ganote