I learned about the MacArthur/Beth Moore kerfuffle yesterday. What MacArthur said needed to be said. What saddens me is that, to my knowledge, no notable SBC voice has ever criticized Moore’s teaching. She is an income producer for SBC’s LifeWay and is untouchable. Sure, it would have been better had the tone been better, but that’s the way these Q&A’s tend to be at such a conference. There is some levity and good-natured banter, but I thought MacArthur himself was pretty sincere and not flippant. His “go home” comment was indicating, in my opinion, for Beth Moore to stand down from the celebrity speaking circuit, that she does the church no benefit with her teaching.
Our church is still tangentially associated with the SBC, though two of our three elders want us to take a serious look at that continued relationship. The problem with the SBC, in my opinion, is that, as a denomination, it is basically a-theological. We won the “battle for the Bible” with the moderates and liberals, but theologically remain loosely evangelical. It’s a really big tent. The bottom line for the convention is producing more salvation decisions (as opposed to biblical conversion) and subsequent baptisms by whatever pragmatic method possible.
As to the Founders Ministries, that is the bright point in the convention and has been for, what, thirty years plus. They’ve taken a lot of heat concerning their forthcoming “By What Standard?” documentary (to be released in December, if I recall correctly).
