On December 4th my local New Orleans Baptist Association of Churches (NOBA) published a response to a letter that has been publicly released 7 years after its original recipient received it. Whether or not you are inclined to think the recent leak was appropriate, the letter itself is a commentary on how many people have viewed our African American brothers and sisters over the years.
As always, I am so thankful for an association of churches who will speak up for brothers and sisters who have been belittled, maligned or otherwise marginalized. It is a privilege to serve with and among these churches and friends. Jack, Leroy, and Alex are a gift to us and I think I can speak for all of NOBA when I say they are our heroes.
The original post may be accessed here.
Response to Released Paige Patterson Letter
Recently, a letter was released online in which Dr. Paige Patterson expressed his concerns at the election of Dr. Fred Luter to the SBC presidency. Because this letter directly involves one of the pastors in our association, and because, as associational workers and pastors in a majority African-American city, we’ve had conversations again and again with black pastors who feel as though they are not welcome in our denomination, we inclined to comment.
Defending the actions of God in elevating Dr. Luter to leadership in our convention, as in all apologetics, is not merely an appeal to open another’s mind to think differently, but also an appeal to open another’s eyes to see truly.
The truth of Dr. Luter’s presidency is this: he was not chosen by denominational leaders to fulfill their goals of diversifying the denomination; rather, Dr. Luter’s leadership was a gift of God to his churches, one given in mercy. Mercy, because we do not, in the SBC, deserve unity with our black leaders. We have constantly, from the first day until now, excluded and marginalized them; nor do we deserve to benefit from the great spiritual wealth found in our African-American churches. Like the churchman who tells a Sunday visitor to move out of his usual seat in the pew rather than welcoming him as a brother in Christ, we have denied our black brothers and sisters seats at every table, thinking absurdly that somehow we own the tables in God’s house. Yet we have received the mercy of God to have African-American churches join the SBC and godly black men and women as our leaders. Do we quake at the mercy of God? We should quake at the thought of our Father’s justice and one day reaching the end of his patience with us as we too slowly repent of our sins of racism and exclusion.
There are many who would not call Dr. Patterson’s letter racist, who believe anger, in this case, is undeserved. I wish we could share our hearts rather than words with you. African American pastors of Dr. Luter’s generation were denied entry into our seminaries for reasons of race, and in 2012 the president of one of our seminaries said most black people are not qualified to lead the denomination because they are uneducated on important theological issues, like inerrancy. This is a false assumption. Moreover, if inerrancy as a doctrine was to safeguard our denomination against “sliding…back,” it’s failed: again and again, we slide all the way back to the sin which first divided our churches and created our denomination. We celebrate ourselves as champions of inerrancy, and yet so often we have failed to live according to the inspired word which preaches again and again the equal worth and giftedness of the children of God.
When we pray for the future of the SBC, we pray God would continue to bring us leaders from every people, in the U.S. and elsewhere, because that means his gospel is crossing every boundary. We pray He would make our denomination representative of his eschatological Church of every nation, and far from excluding those of other races and nationalities, that we would eagerly seek them out to come and be a part, to take a seat in our pews, at our tables, and among our leadership. We quake to think our denomination might forsake its part in evangelizing every nation because we are afraid to place “our” denomination and “our” theology into the hands of those who are not steeped in our cultural traditions.
Lastly, we pray thanking God for the privilege of taking part in his work in the world, in deep recognition that it is his work—not ours to direct or control.
Signed,
Jack Hunter, NOBA Executive Director
Dr. Leroy Fountain, Church Health Strategist
Rev. Alex Brian, Neighborhood Ministry Coordinator
I have not read read the P Patterson letter, but can confirm the authenticity of Rev. Luter’s leadership, heart for his church and community, and for the SBC. He was one of the first people I met after moving to NOLA right after Katrina, and it is a friendship that I cherish. The belittling of men and women such as Rev. Luter, whether one’s motive is good or not, can not be excused. And not only that, his wife Elizabeth is a priceless gift to her church, city, and SBC.
Well said.
I am just a Baptist layman who has the profound pleasure of being a close friend to two African-American men and their respective wives. These brothers and sisters are rich in faith, and love Jesus. Doesn’t both OT & NT scripture command us to love our neighbors as ourselves? I suggest we throw off our past and begin anew. If an African-American believer wishes to aspire to a position, then seriously consider him or her.
Let’s not allow the past to rule us, but allow the Kingdom of God to go forward victoriously. It’s past time we did so.
If Luter was God’s man to be SBC president, by the same logic wasn’t Patterson God’s man at SWBTS at that time?
I thought the same thing. Patterson was also “God’s man” as president of the SBC. “God’s man” provides a virtuous contrast to the explicit misquoting and implicit mischaracterization of Patterson’s letter. I can easily see the letter as arrogant condescending and egocentric, but I don’t think that that Patterson is saying that Luter isn’t qualified, but is being used by SBC leadership because of his ethnicity. Patterson is a strategist and may be a narcissist, but he is not primarily a racist; if at all.
These mischaracterizations are no small matter, as we have a tendency to segregate ourselves these days in poorly defined secondary and tertiary “ist” opposing constituencies; racist, sexist, etc. These issues are issues of and from the heart, where the real problem lies. These mischaracterovations misuse a weak, wrong, or misleading doctrinal assertion that creates a false dichotomy between virtue and doctrine. Some choose a caricature of virtue, while others choose a caricature of doctrine. When bated by the leaders of virtue, the leaders of doctrine respond. Some have shrewdly become welcome in both camps.
It seems to me that a true Christian leader might be characterized by a reluctant acceptance of visibility and a tendency to decrease as others grow and God increases.
BT and Joe: Well said and I think that was the consensus of opinion back when Dr. Luter was elected President of the SBC. Paige Patterson however was a terror to be reckoned with. Even before the days of email he wrote many such letters, which in essence was his way of having his hands in more areas than he should have.
His power was great, and he could inflict untold damage on people’s careers, even those outside of SWBTS, ruining people’s lives with nothing more than an innuendo or downright made up lies about someone. His power was unbridled, he could do whatever he wanted with whomever he pleased because he felt no accountability to anyone, rightfully so as no one stopped him or held him accountable, and thought God was on his side. I think since his departure so much has changed for the better, and I pray that kind of power never has hold of the SBC again. Such a reign of terror should never be a part of the SBC or its entities, colleges. But 30 years ago, there was no internet, was no way to expose such damage as he tried to inflict in just this one area.
Dorothy wasn’t innocent either. She did her fair share of untold damage.
Debbie, I agree with your premise. I think the letter was about Patterson wanting to stay in control over the “empire” he believed to have created more than racism directed at Luter.
I guess I’m getting cynical in my older years because I think this is endemic of the SBC, past, present, and future. By that I mean it will always be run by a very few select people who control and direct anything that gets done, whether good, bad, or indifferent. There might be a few isolated moments where people are elected (such as Dave Miller or Frank Paige) that really surprised and rattled the establishment, but the establishment always regains their control in the end; hence the current nomination of Dr. Mohler.
Star Wars is opening in the theaters. Leadership in the SBC is the Empire. The Jedi will always be on the fringe.
I tend to think the same thing, about getting cynical in my old age. I was active and involved in SBC churches from childhood until just less than a decade ago (still in a few spots here and there since then) and my observation is similar to yours, that the SBC will always be run by a few people who work themselves into positions of prominence and prestige in order to control and direct what gets done and how it is done. That was one of the main reasons why there was so much discontent when Patterson, Pressler and a different group of elite figured out how to use the denomination’s relatively backward-looking organization to gain control and change the names of the “establishment.” That same pattern is mirrored in state conventions and even in most associations, at least, from my observation it is. Your Star Wars analogy nails it.
Debbie, This is the best analysis of the Pattersons I have read lately. Thanks for posting this. Dorothy almost caused me to leave seminary but I listened to God’s call instead of her condescending attitude towards women like myself who served in the military. Thanks for sharing this valuable insight.
Bitterness is destructive and counter to calls for unity. Just read conviction of sexual predator against 6 boys in SBC churches and not a word from newly organized entity in SBC. Connection? Unity is a two-way effort and cannot be fixated with a one side. For the record….never met DPP but am passionate about unreported and undiscussed side of current male abuse.
Additional thought…..reference to Dr. Luter as anything other than “qualified” is shameful. Too many references tout “first this” or “first that” contributes to further division versus God’s plan for unity. The same is true with “Critical Race Theory”. Example….9 Judges decided abortion is legal……does not make all Americans pro-abortion. SBC headed toward dividing if God’s people remain silent.
I loved Dr. Luter. He came to Montana for our convention and our pastors loved him. I was never a PP or PP fan. For me the voices of the CR were men like Adrian Rogers,Jerry Vines etc. However with all the stuff with which we are dealing in the SBC, I am not sure we should be concerned with a leaked 7 year old letter by a man who has already been put out to pasture by the convention.