Good post at Wade Burleson’s blog about trouble at the SBC Southwestern Seminary. (not that they aren’t famous for getting themselves into it)
I miss a guy very sharp guy named Ben who wrote for the now defunct SBC Outpost who saw this coming. Ben had to walk away, and given the hate and anger hurled at him for telling the truth, he merely joined many over the years driven from the denomination.
Burleson has made news because he has taken serious flack for standing up to extra-biblical edicts (and has remained an insider die hard SBC loyalist) who is coming out with a book which will detail what’s continued to gone wrong; particularly in his area of expertise – SBC mission management. He has shown grace and honesty in face of hatred from his own, and that is a rare trait.
I’ve never commented on his blog. It’s a very inside place, but I have have found myself admiring his love for missionaries while I’ve prayed these missionaries won’t be called to Canada.
Canada don’t need the grief, cultural legalism and fundamentalist baggage which continues in the ongoing conservative purge, or stressed out missionaries who are subject to the whim of mind changing trustees.
Canada has enough problems of our own.

I’ve posted before on the lax attitude of SBC leaders who think it’s okay to pad resumes with diploma mill hand outs. I’ve posted on the unwillingnessand inability of the SBC to address clergy abuse and their on-going campaign to vilify victims.
Burleson is a reminder that while the SBC is narrowing itself into oblivion, there remain good pastors and congregants in the denomination.
However I don’t believe the fallout and damage from those who have hi-jacked the SBC is over, that is not the message I hear from those who are denominational watchers and Baptist experts.

If Southwestern (one of 6 accredited SBC institutions) drives itself into the ground financially, I don’t know how much it will be missed by those fed up with and battered by fundamentalism. It will be just one more of what will probably be hundreds of US religious institutions facing on-going economic changes and failure in North America.

About SWBTS
Another accredited SBC seminary Southern; headed by Al Mohler is facing a 3 million dollar shortfall and announced cutback in December.

Rick Warren, a grad of SWBTS who likes being called ‘America’s pastor’ and who is giving the invocation at the presidental inaugeration, recently said his critics who objected to his involvement in political issues, engaged in hate speech and suffered from ‘Christophopia.’