I believe the brightest light in the SBC Conservative Resurgence was Adrian Rogers and it ought to be noted among us that it’s been a decade since he left us for a better place.
I’m highly prejudiced in this since I was a Bellevue member for the three years I lived in Memphis and attended Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary. Bellevue’s old campus was adjacent to MABTS’ old campus in midtown Memphis.
The thirtysomething SBC site, B21 has a tribute including Bellevue’s video retrospective. Check it out. I suppose there are other articles marking this anniversary but I haven’t seen them.
Adrian (most of my age colleagues use the familiar first name, although he wouldn’t know me from Adam’s housecat) always hit the right notes, I thought, especially in interaction to some of the more militant moderates in those years of public disputes.
Admittedly, I tried my version of Adrianology, the extreme alliterative sermon outlines. Those worked for him. Not for me or many others, although many of the brethren continue to trot out the most tortured alliterative material.
I’d love to ask him a few questions about SBC events post-2005. I always thought he had more wisdom and savvy about such things than others.
Someone else could probably do a far better job on this site than I could in looking back on AR, but so far, no one has.
[The photo above is from the Love Worth Finding site. My household is found watching his old sermons quite often.]
He clearly identified himself as a non-Calvinist. He said, “Any doctrinal position that causes you to stop or slow down in your efforts to share the Gospel with anyone and everyone is a position that should be abandoned.” (or something to that effect) Of course, all of the Calvinists I know would call a non-witnessing Calvinist a hyper-Calvinist and a sinner/backslider (or maybe even simply lost!). As far as a Calvinist who faithfully shared the Gospel with lost people and had a passion for missions that caused him/her to do whatever he/she could to get the Gospel to the ends… Read more »
By the way, I was at MABTS and Bellevue from 1988-92 and was ordained at Bellevue. I served as a worshipper (ministry intern) from 1989-92.
I’m also looking for a new church to serve as Pastor. The church I was serving here in the Atlanta area merged with a larger church, and I’m now on an extended sabbatical. Feel free to email me at pastorpaul@comcast.net with any leads, or I’ll send you a resume. I’m open to a Sr. Pastor position or an Associate Pastor position at a larger church. I’m even open to a DOM position. In 23+ years of ministry, I’ve only served as a Sr. Pastor, and that’s been in five churches in MS, FL & GA.
Dave would probably appreciate my saying here that a roiling C/NC comment stream would not be appropriate. I just wondered how AR would react to what has transpired in this are since 2005…think I’ll delete the sentence in the OP.
You guys know me…I prefer NO comment stream become a C/NC foodfight. But that’s a result of a decade of frustration.
I loved Dr. Adrian Rogers. He was probably one of the greatest Preachers that ever lived. IMHO, the greatest SB Preacher that ever lived. In fact, we need another Adrian Rogers to rise up in the SBC….badly! Aldo, Adrian Rogers was not a big fan of Calvinism. He used to call them the “Wine and Cheese” crowd. Lol
William, what years were you at Mid America? I went there from 1984-1988.
David
I left in ’81…whippersnapper.
We moved to SC and I didn’t make it back much.
I teach missions at Mid-America Seminary now. We have an Adrian Rogers museum in our building. I’m sure you would enjoy seeing the photos and artifacts. For sure, Adrian Rogers still casts a long shadow here in Memphis and in the SBC.
Amen to your estimation of Adrian Rogers!
A MABTS grad as well. A Calvinist too. But that should not matter when talking about Dr. Rogers. I have always had the highest regard fro Dr. Rogers. He was one of the greatest preachers in the last century and God used him mightily to reach untold numbers of people for Christ. And God used him as an instrument to be part of saving the SBC, one of the greatest and most used denominations in existence. I especially liked the part of the video where he was told by a fellow member of the peace committee that if Adrian wouldn’t… Read more »
“I especially liked the part of the video where he was told by a fellow member of the peace committee that if Adrian wouldn’t compromise that they’d never get together. His response was priceless.”
I remember his words well – priceless indeed. As I listened to his response again after all these years, I found that I had his words memorized!
I was born and raised in Memphis Tennessee and I live in Germantown (right outside of Memphis) now. I didn’t attend Bellevue Baptist but, you didn’t grow up in the Baptist Church in Memphis without knowing about Adrian Rogers. I have several friends who are long-time members of Bellevue who speak of Dr. Rogers fondly. I listen to him everyday on the radio even today.
Bill, I truly hope you have eaten at the Germantown Commissary.
David
Many times
BTW, when I was 13, we left the Raliegh Methodist Church in Memphis due to liberalism, and my family started going to a Church with a fiery young Preacher, whom my Mama loved watching on TV…..Bellevue and Dr. Rogers. What great memories of hearing Dr. Rogers preach and teach.
Also, I was at Bellevue when Dr. RG Lee preached Payday Someday in his white suit on his 90th birthday. What a memory!
David
While most Southern Baptists knew Brother Rogers as a great preacher, our family also knew him as pastor. After my father passed away, my mother moved to Bellevue Woods, a retirement complex adjacent to Bellevue Church. She was a member there for several years before her death. At that time, Bellevue membership was over 20,000 … but Brother Rogers still found time to visit church members in hospitals and nursing homes. During my mother’s hospital stays, he visited her in the late evening to pray with her. Brother Rogers was a preacher, teacher, pastor, and evangelist.
My tribute. http://loveeachstone.blogspot.com/2006/03/what-my-daddy-has-given-me.html?m=0
David, what a beautiful tribute to your precious dad. I had the privilege of hearing him preach in person several times when I was in junior high and had a friend who was a member of Bellevue. That was MANY years ago, and I still remember what it was like to sit under his preaching. At the time, of course, I had no idea that he was someone important in a fight that I didn’t know was going on around me, but I did know that he was a man whose preaching could reach even the heart of a 13-year-old… Read more »
Thank you David. Your father was an example to many who observed and followed his ministry. He instilled the same attributes of Christian character that you note in countless thousands who knew and loved him. His love for Christ in preaching to others, as well as personally practicing what he preached, was evident.
I remember listening to Adrian Rogers, even growing up. His voice was unmistakable. I could pick it out even with my eyes closed. Love his sermons, loved his heart. David Rogers tribute just added to that admiration.
Sad he didn’t get to see the great young pastors coming up today! I think he’s a huge part of it!
First of all, Dr. Rogers was one of the best preachers in SBC history. In fact, my two favorite SBC preachers were Dr. Criswell and Dr. Rogers. I personally think he would have been even better if he would have of left off the alliteration that William alluded to earlier. I do remember hearing him preach on the radio one time and was amazed that he did not use alliteration in that sermon. Second, based on what I have read by him, and about him, I think he would have been concerned for post 2005 SBC. He would have been… Read more »
John,
I don’t say this as demeaning at all, but as the highest praise for Adrian Rogers and all of those in the Conservative Resurgence. If it was not for those men and their stance on the inerrancy of Scripture, I would not be a Calvinist today. Do we disagree on that issue? sure. But they taught us to read Scripture as it is and take Scripture as it is, and for me it came to a Reformed theology (and much more of course!). So I have those great me to thank!
I’ve said this often in recent years – that the biggest thing we’ve missed in recent days is an Adrian Rogers, a statesman who can inspire us to nobler things, who can bring us together and and move us toward the best. I think Frank Page has some of that in him. There may be a few others. But we have so many firebrands with agendas, those who want to divide us, to create “us against them” and lead various splinters. Maybe it is the times. Maybe it is the situation. But the CR never happens without a man like… Read more »
Couple of things AR brought to my attention, both of which are often rejected in our discussions here and related discussions elsewhere:
1. Dollars pay bills, not percentages (relative to CP percentage of a church).
2. We have always had a dual system: societal and cooperative.
Even Adrian had a bad day now and again. Frankly, I never liked that “dollars” vs. percentages statement. It was basically a justification for megachurches giving low percentages to the SBC. “Even though we give low percentages we give big dollars.” It would be like a multimillionaire in the church saying, “Tithing is for poor people. I give a large amount even though I give a low percentage.” I loved and respected Dr. Rogers, but I never liked that statement. While it is factually true, I think the sentiment, the attitude behind it was not one that was healthy for… Read more »
Perhaps this isn’t the best place for extended discussion on this issue. If AR’s statements, both of the ones i used, were not persuasive to masses of SBC pastors and laypeople, the CR would have failed.
The dollars/percentages was a response to those who declared him unfit for the SBC presidency due to low % CP giving. Folks younger than us don’t have much of an idea how heavily the attempts were to marginialize the <10% churches and pastors.
The same issues relative to dollare/percentages/cooperative/societal are present today.
I am a fan of AR. I listen to his sermons on a regular basis.
I’m not a fan of the “dollars vs. percentages.” The current crisis at the IMB could be a result of both statements.
I think this is just one of many such statements in which we won the battle and may lose the war. The unintended consequences of AR’s sentiment may indicate that the CR was not as a deep a victory as many had hoped.
I’m an AR fan and a CR vet. Yet, the battle may not yet be finished.
Adrian Rogers was a hero of every conservative that fought during the SBC Conservative Resurgence. He was a model of a preacher and a pastor. I would highly recommend any preacher, young or old, to read and listen to Adrian’s sermons and use them in their ministry. Get every book and pamphlet he has. Two great, and different, models of preaching are represented in two pastors of Bellevue, R. G. Lee and Adrian Rogers. I will always be grateful that in the last year of his life, Adrian Rogers wrote a very gracious recommendation of my book about my dad,… Read more »
Thanks, William. The alliteration doesn’t work for me either. I remember a time he was speaking at a conference in Texas. He did not know me, but I stood in line to ask if he had a few moments to makes some suggestions to a young preacher. He pulled aside, and although it was may 3 to 5 minutes, he acted as if he had all day. I shall never forget that very gracious response on his part. I knew I was young and very green, but he made me feel that my calling and ministry were important. Never forget… Read more »