And that is true. Individual congregations can do many wonderful things. They can also be cut off from the flow of Baptist life. Many moderate Baptists have encouraged me to stand and fight for change. The few liberal Baptists I know have told me not to care so much about what the denomination does.
Baptist congregations are absolutely free, they stress.
I know that in the future, some SBC congregations and individuals will choose to remain free and will be happy doing so. However, with the continuing rapid growth of the SBC in the more conservative parts of the Southwest, I am convinced that the swing to the right that started in the Houston and St. Louis conventions will continue and have lasting effects on the national, state and maybe even associational levels. Okla. Also, I have to be honest and admit that I do not believe in the inerrancy of the Bible, at least as that term is defined by today's Southern Baptist leaders. The Bible is a book that is both human and divine, carrying a message that is both inspired and authoritative. But the words in the Bible are not the Word.