Calvinism in the Southern Baptist Convention, part 1 of 4

The debate over Calvinism in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) has far exceeded its point of profitability. As my father-in-law use to say, “we are now bombing the rubble.” The debate has needlessly harmed many churches and has made their witness to the community more difficult as word gets out about doctrinal unrest.

My purpose in these next four posts is to help tone down the rhetoric and to show that Christians can debate in a manner that is productive to all hearers. I must say at the beginning that I am not a Calvinist (and no, I’m not an Armenian either). I owe many thanks to Drs. Alvin Reid (non-Calvinist) and Nathan Finn (Calvinist) both professors at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary for the dialogue. The full article can be viewed by visiting www.betweenthetimes.com.

“An Open Letter to my Calvinist Friends in the SBC” by Alvin Reid 

“We see a rise in interest and conviction about Calvinism, which hardly caused a stir in my circles throughout college and seminary. Today, however, we have no small discussion and some level of hysteria over the subject.

Though I am not a Calvinist, I am also not a hater. I am too much of a student of history. While my heroes include famous non-Calvinists like Wesley and Moody, I also love notable Calvinists like Edwards, Whitefield, and Spurgeon, just to name a few.

As a non-Calvinist who is not an anti-Calvinist, I want to offer the following suggestions for my friends who are Calvinists. I do so out of a spirit of brotherly love and as humbly as I know how.

1.  First, embrace humility. You have an obvious hunger for truth and for theological depth, which is commendable. But when your love for truth smacks of condescension, even to the point of arrogance, you do no one any good. You will not win others to your cause or promote the cause of Christ with an attitude of superiority.

2.  Second, avoid implying that Calvinism and the gospel are synonyms. Sometimes I hear Calvinist speakers argue (or at least imply) that Calvinism and the gospel are identical, and if one does not affirm the tenets of Calvinism he denies the gospel. Not only is this theologically arrogant, it is unkind. I would remind you that in our history as Southern Baptists we have had room for Calvinists and non-Calvinists, and I see no reason for that day to end.

3.  Third, do not hesitate to call for non-Christians to turn to Christ in faith. I understand your reticence at extending a call for decision when the gospel is preached is due to more than a few who have been reckless in their handling of such invitations. But I would urge you to call for decision both personally and corporately as did our Lord, Peter, Paul and others in Scripture. Now whether or not you have an “altar call” at the conclusion of your service is less the issue for me than that some of you fail to give those on whom the Spirit is doing His convicting work the opportunity to follow Christ in some public manner. As you read this particular criticism, please do not assume I think Calvinists are not evangelistic. I am using Mark Dever’s fine book on personal evangelism as one of the texts for a class. Dever sets a good example for his fellow Calvinists (and non-Calvinists) in personal witnessing.

4.  My fourth and final plea is in your conferences and other meetings, especially those directed primarily to Southern Baptists, consider involving some speakers who may not agree with you at every point. As a non-Calvinist who teaches on the great awakenings I would be the first to affirm that more leaders of revivals were Calvinists than not. But I would also submit that if we could today see an awakening sweep our land through the work of both modern-day Whitefields and modern-day Wesleys, we could bury a hatchet or two and learn from one another.