The Conservative Baptist Network is a faction in the Southern Baptist Convention that was founded to keep the Southern Baptist Convention anchored to the inerrancy and sufficiency of God’s Word. The Conservative Baptist Network marketed itself as the faction that would fight for theological orthodoxy in the SBC. Although the CBN has ran candidates every convention since their founding in 2020, they done little fighting.
At the time of their founding, the CBN emphasized unity on secondary issues, most notably soteriology, however, this messaging is less prevalent now. However, this no longer appear to be the case as now the CBN is asserting an official position on eschatology.
In their statement on the Israeli-Palestinian War, they make clear that the CBN stands for dispensational premillennial theology.
“For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because the LORD loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments…” — Deut. 6:7-9
Scripture is clear that Israel is God’s chosen people and that God will keep His promises to Israel not because of number or merit but because of His character and for the glory of His name (Isa. 44:23; 48:9-11; 49:14-16).
The Conservative Baptist Network stands resolutely with Israel whom our God promises to preserve (Ps. 124). We condemn the abhorrent attacks of Hamas militants against Israel and any group or nation supporting Hamas’ terroristic activity through funding or overtures of solidarity. We further condemn Hamas’ targeting of civilians, including women and children, the taking of hostages, and the lethal attacks on families within their own homes. We pray for peace and for protection of all innocent life, and we lament the loss of life that has already occurred — Israeli, innocent Palestinian, and now American as well.
Through God’s inerrant and trustworthy scriptures, we know that His protection of Israel will prevail despite all worldly odds. We urge America’s leadership to remain faithful to our ally, Israel, and to fully support her right to self-defense and retribution for unprovoked attacks.
The Conservative Baptist Network calls on Christians around the world to pray for Israel and to pray for protection of innocent life.
“If it had not been the LORD who was on our side,” Let Israel now say—“If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, When men rose up against us, Then they would have swallowed us alive, When their wrath was kindled against us; Then the waters would have overwhelmed us, The stream would have gone over our soul; Then the swollen waters Would have gone over our soul.” Blessed be the LORD, Who has not given us as prey to their teeth. Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers; The snare is broken, and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.”— Psalm 124:1-8
Covenant Theology, the primary Christian teaching on this matter until the early twentieth century, would not conflate Israel, as mentioned in Scripture, with the modern nation-state of Israel. Dispensational theology interprets Old Testament passages and Revelation to speak on ethnic Jews and not yet fulfilled promises of the end times. Therefore this stance taken by the CBN is one of eschatology.
Eschatology is a tertiary issue, yet the Conservative Baptist Network’s audacity to declare itself a dispensational organization betrays it’s original founding.
