With many key players in the Southern Baptist Convention making the expensive trip to Anaheim, California, a faceoff will ensue between the liberals in the SBC and their conservative counterparts. In the 2021 Annual Southern Baptist Convention, the conservatives helmed by the Conservative Baptist Network were outmaneuvered on the floor and outnumbered in the vote. The liberals dominated 2021. Has the Conservative Baptist Network learned anything in the last year or are they doomed to make the same strategic errors again? Time for me to weigh in on what I think will happen.
Voddie Baucham Will Be Voted President of the Pastors Conference
Voddie Baucham went out of his way to preemptively decline the nomination for SBC president only to accept the nomination for the even more symbolic Pastors Conference instead. Given that I am unfamiliar with who else is in the running, the high profile name ID of Baucham and a likely split or disorganized opposition, I believe that Baucham will cruise to victory, generating much fanfare for the CBN prior to the convention actually kicking off.
Bart Barber Will Win The SBC Presidency
Though I want Tom Ascol to win the presidency, I highly doubt that the numbers are in his favor. Given how 60% of messengers in 2021 voted for a liberal candidate, and that the CBN did not anticipate the Mohler vote breaking for Litton, there is little evidence to suggest that their is a major strategy adjustment to recuperate the 20 point deficit they are starting out with. Robin Hadaway will likely get 4% of the vote.
If the Mohler camp was so easily dissuaded by the smear campaign against Mike Stone, then why has the CBN not brought up Bart Barber’s abysmal record? When the people fighting for theological orthodoxy can hardly be described as fighting, it’s unlikely the #changethedirection hashtag is a winning message.
Southern Baptist Will Fund Liability Using Cooperative Program Dollars
The Guidepost Solutions report recommended that the Southern Baptist Convnetion fund a victim payout program using the Cooperative Program. Since the report, we have seen multiple Big Eva types, like Griffin Gulledge, run with this and employ guilt manipulation tactics to achieve this outcome. I believe this could happen one of two ways.
Either the Southern Baptist Convention votes to summarily adopt the recommendations of the sex abuse Task Force Report or they explicitly vote for the program. I see the former being more likely because the liberals will coordinate on the microphones and reject hostile amendments. With little debate the Guidepost will have dealt a major blow to Baptist polity.
Otherwise the specific program will be debated, and I have little reason to suggest the messengers there will not be emotionally manipulated.
An Extremely Liberal Resolution Will Be Tabled
I believe that an extremely liberal resolution will have been passed by the Resolutions Committee, but will not be brought before the messengers for a vote. Last year it was an Anti-J6 resolution. This year, it could be anything.
A Resolution Condemning Vaccine Mandates Will Have Been Rejected
A more cynical prediction, but not unfounded given who is on the Resolutions Committee. Given how the International Mission Board has a vaccine mandate, it is highly unlikely a resolution condemning this practice will be allowed. And I would be colored shock if one were not submitted.
Messengers Will Adopt Ukrainian Great Reset Propaganda Resolution
After saying what will be tabled and what will not be voted on, I believe that a resolution supporting Ukraine’s fight for the Great Reset will be voted on and approved by the messengers at the SBC. It was the current thing for a few months. This is despite the SBC condoning the Iraq War which killed far more civilians.Â