So. Baptist Preachers Told to 'Stick to Scripture' in Defending the Faith
by Allie Martin
June 20, 2005
(AgapePress) - Southern Baptist pastors were told over the weekend that their denomination is poised to influence the world for Christ, provided they don't deviate from God's Word. They also were reminded it is their calling to prepare believers to stand firm in defending their faith.
Dr. Ergun Caner, a Christian author and professor, says pastors need to preach the truth -- regardless of the consequences. Caner addressed more than 5,000 pastors during the Southern Baptist Convention Pastors' Conference in Nashville over the weekend, which preceded the two-day Annual Conference of the SBC taking place in Tennessee's capital city Tuesday and Wednesday, June 21-22. He says the denomination faces a major change as many of the leaders of the conservative movement are getting older.
"We must cling to the cross; we must preach the old-school way; we must stand unapologetically; we must be the people of God -- and if every other denomination on the planet gives up, may it never be said of Southern Baptists that we backed away from the infallible, inerrant Word of God," Caner said, pushing forward as the "Amens" and applause continued.
"And I will tell you one more thing: It's a fun ride -- because I'm going to beg you: quit whining, quit complaining, quit running; take a stand, take the hit, take the heat; stand up -- He died for you!"
The former Muslim who now teaches at Liberty University in Virginia also urged his audience to never back away from defending their faith against Islam or any other false religion. "Muhammad considered the claims of Christianity, read the Bible, rejected the God of the Bible -- and made one up," Caner stated.
"Allah is not Jehovah. I don't care how many linguistic ways you play the game, a camel by any other name don't fly [sic]," he continued, saying it is a theological issue. "You can come with all your arguments ... and what will happen is all the great gains that we have made over 25 years as Southern Baptists will die in an instant. Why? Because we stopped caring about the things that matter."
Eyewitness Testimonies
One of those things that matters, said Dr. Voddie Baucham, is for congregations to be equipped to defend the Christian faith. In his address to the Pastors' Conference, the black evangelist said the Bible is a reliable collection of historical documents of eyewitness accounts and fulfilled prophecies about Christ. In preparing their flocks, Baucham said pastors do not need new methods to reach people -- they just need to stick to scripture.
"The Bible answers every relevant question. All scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, rebuking, correcting, training in righteousness -- all of it," he said. "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence."
The Texas-based evangelist said pastors are called to prepare their congregations so they can answer the world's questions about God, faith, and the Bible. "[But] here's what I am worried about," Baucham stated. "There's a lot of us who believe in the inerrancy of scripture -- but some of us preach like we don't believe in the sufficiency of scripture."
Still, he said, objections to the Christian faith are easy to overcome, such as those who want to see "scientific evidence" of the Bible. Baucham says that approach is not possible.
"In order to use the scientific method, something has to be observable, measurable, and repeatable," he pointed out. "Folks, you can't use the scientific method to prove that George Washington was our first president. Why? Because his presidency is not observable, measurable, and repeatable. You don't use the scientific method there -- you have to use a more evidentiary method there."
Baucham explained himself further. "What you do is like what we do in a courtroom; you [ask], 'Do we have any eyewitnesses? Do the eyewitnesses tell the same story?' Yep! 'Friday, dead -- Sunday, risen!'"
Baucham is co-author of a resolution that encourages Southern Baptist churches to investigate their local public school districts to determine if any homosexual influence exists. The resolution may come up for a vote on Wednesday during the SBC business meeting.
Allie Martin, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
