sbchistoryadmin – SBC History

Conventional Wisdom, Episode 2

This week we begin our exploration of the 2023 Resolutions with a look at Resolution 1 on Revitalization and Replanting. Stay tuned for more about each of the resolutions and to hear from the original authors!

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Introducing Conventional Business

We are excited to introduce conventional business, a podcast centered around the people, polity, and procedures of the Southern Baptist Convention. Hosted by Keith Myer and Luke Holmes, the show will take a deeper look at some events of the Southern Baptist Convention. This could be entities, meetings, procedures, resolutions, motions, and more. Tune in to find out. Subscribe through all your favorite podcast feeds.

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Dr. EW Perry

EW Perry might be one of the best preachers that you have never heard of. He was born in 1882 and died in the 1960s. He was a long time pastor of Tabernacle Baptist Church in Oklahoma City and the first African-American man to preach before the southern Baptist convention. He did so at the invitation of RG Lee in 1949. This is very special audio that you’re hearing today because to my knowledge this is the only recording of him preaching!

You can read more about Dr. Perry and his life’s work here.

SBC History Reading List

There are many reasons to read good history. Biographies and general histories remind us of those who have come before us, and can shine light on current events. The history of the Southern Baptist Convention and it’s leaders and members can both inform and inspire us as we work together to take the Gospel of Christ across the world.

Right now there is lots of down time in the middle of the COVID-19 Pandemic. It can be a great time to read as history and biography can remind of the sacrifices, mistakes, and triumphs of those who came fore us. Below are some of the stories of the people and places of the SBC. Some are short reads, others are longer works, but all will educate you.

Take a look, find a book, and read some about SBC History.

GENERAL OR INSTITUTIONAL HISTORIES

The Southern Baptist Convention

Jesse C Fletcher

This book marked the 150th anniversary of the SBC and covers the convention from 1845-1994

The Shantung Revival

Duane Culpepper

Called “the greatest revival in Baptist history.” Read the story of this remarkable work of God through Southern Baptist Missionaries in China. 0

The Inside History of FBC Fort Worth and Temple Baptist in Detroit

J. Frank Norris

This is the history of the SBC’s most colorful character, including how he pastored churches in Ft Worth and Detroit at the same time, shot a man in his office, and coined the term “fundamentalist”

Fibers of our Faith

The Herschel Hobbs Lectures are a series of lectures given at Oklahoma Baptist University on the topic of Baptist history and life. They contain fascinating glimpses into Baptist historical life.

LifeWay Legacy

Jimmy Draper

A Personal History of LifeWay Christian Resources and the Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention

BIOGRAPHIES

B Frank Belvin: God’s Warhorse

Belvin was a leader in Outreach to Native Americans in the state of OK. Published by New Hope (WMU) in 1986

The Story of Yates the Missionary

This is the first book published by the Sunday School Board in 1898. It tells the story of Matthew Yates, one of the early missionaries of the SBC

Read it online for free at the link above

Never Too Late: One Woman’s Journey in Mission Service

This is the story of Lolo Mae Daniel, who became a missionary with the FMB after retiring as a school teacher at the age of 60. Published by the WMU in 1988.

M Theron Rankin – Apostle of Advance

Rankin was an IMB missionary to China who spent time in a Japanese prison camp in WWII, and later Exec Director of the IMB.

Overlooking the Cooperative Program

Mr. President, Mr. President!” Three voices spoke almost as one. “Mr. President, do I have the floor?”

The president’s gavel hammered vigorously. “The Chair recognizes Brother Stealey.”

“Mr. President, we must settle this evolution issue at once,” Clarence Stealey said. “Let the messengers to this annual session of the Southern Baptist Convention vote now. It’s the most pressing matter before us in 1925. Brother Burts’s money report can come later.”

“Mr. President!” shouted Bronson Ray taking advantage of Stealey’s pause, “the editor from Oklahoma may think other matters are more important than money. But that’s because he doesn’t have the foreign missionaries looking to him for their salaries. He doesn’t have debts piling higher every month and precious little money coming in to pay them. I tell you we are in a bad way. This Convention must do something before it leaves Memphis…”

The gavel beat out an insistent interruption.
“Gentleman, Gentleman!” said President McDaniel. “Let’s get on with the order of business. Brother Charles Burts has been standing here for ten minutes now to give his report. We shall hear him now.”

Burts eyes moved over the big room, and then back to the paper in his hand. He read slowly, his voice lifting slightly as he accented certain words and phrases. His was the first annual report of the Future Program Commission, of which he was general director. The report set forth and named the new unified budget of the denomination.

“From the adoption of this report it shall be known as the Cooperative Program,” read Burts.
The report was adopted in routine fashion by messengers anxious to get on with debate on evolution. With that action, the the Cooperative Program was launched May 13, 1925 at the Southern Baptist Convention in Memphis, TN.

The Cooperative Program was almost overlooked in the beginning. State papers were concerned with debts and debate. Few messengers paid attention to it or caught its significance.

Our Cooperative Program By W. E. Grindstaff, Sunday School Training Course material 1965 Published by Convention Press

Such humble beginnings for something that most Baptist’s would be quick to praise now. Something that seems to be an indispensable part of Baptist life is less than 100 years old and got off to a slow start, as Grindstaff later discusses in his book. Grindstaff served as pastor of several churches in Oklahoma after attending Oklahoma Baptist University, and later served the BGCO and was director of Cooperative Program Promotion with the Stewardship Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention, so this is an area he is well familiar with. There were several failed attempts at funding the work of Southern Baptist before this, such as the Judson Memorial Fund, the $75 Million Campaign, and the many special pleas made by agencies to churches every week across the country. Until the Conventions agencies paid off most of their outstanding debts with the “Hundred Thousand Club” from 1933-1943, the CP was slow in getting going.

Once it finally started rolling, it funded untold salvations, missionaries, block parties, and baptisms, among other things. There has been much discussion about the future of the CP, and of the way that we need to fund our work among the nations. But as I read this book, by a man commissioned by the Southern Baptist Convention to write a training course to educate all Southern Baptists on the Cooperative Program, I was struck at the time it took them to reach the conclusion of the CP, and the time, again and again, it took to fine tune it. I know that we have now reached that time again, but I doubt the CP will be scrapped any time soon. It will be tweaked, challenged, changed, and more, as it has throughout it’s history. Obstacles arise, new ideas come forth, and we must do the best to continue to push the gospel, to our neighbors and the nations. The history of the SBC is one of change, believe it or not. We tried whatever we could to get the name of Jesus out to the world. Some attempts were ill advised, some were spectacularly successful.

The history of the CP is well documented, but don’t think that everyone was in agreement with it. Grinsdstaff records the sentiments of three people who left that convention in 1925.

“Happiness of former conventions was not on the face of delegates. This was due, perhaps, to the depressing effect of our huge debts.” CW McEloy

“The Convention was the least satisfying of all I have attended in twenty-five years.” TC Skinner

“The Convention struck no high tide. We seemed to not be together.” Frank L Hardy

At a time when they just voted to start cooperating, to institute the great CP, it was felt as if nothing was accomplished. It feels like the SBC is more divided than ever now, so it’s good to be reminded that this is not a new spot in history! Although our concerns are many, and there are difficulties to overcome, we can look at history and see God worked through that time and is working through ours as well.

There were many varied opinions that were put forth, and tempers flared as the SBC fought to figure out the best way to fund God’s work. At the time, it seemed like there were more pressing issues to deal with, but there is no more pressing issue than sharing the Gospel. As we continue to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the world, we must continue to work together, finding new and creative ways to work together, as we have before.

We won’t all agree on every single detail. We are Baptist’s, after all. But by the grace of God we will continue to work together to take the good news of Christ across the street and across the world. I trust the leaders God has blessed us with in the SBC, and trust the heart of it’s pastors and members to put Christ first above all.

Captain of the Team, M. Theron Rankin

I recently had the chance to read a short little story about the life of M. Theron Rankin. He served as a missionary to China for many years before becoming president of the International Mission Board from 1945-53, before dying of leukemia at a young age. This sketch of his life was written by his brother, and contains a few details and anecdotes about his life and ministry. Although it’s very brief it was greatly encouraging to me.

While serving in China in the late 1930’s he lived under the threat of war with Japan and the rising threat of communist China. When Japan was threatening to invade China, he was ordered home by the Foreign Mission Board three times before he finally replied “It may be that some of us will have to die for Christ in this generation. My place is in China.”

Rankin paid the price for that, and spent several weeks pinned under enemy fire in the mountains before being captured by Japan and spending more than a year in an internment camp. Upon his release and return to the states, he was made the president of the IMB where he served faithfully until his death.

“The convincing power of the witness we seek to give the world…, will be determined by what Southern Baptists do about what we profess. Professions of great faith cannot be substantiated by small action and giving.”

If you can find this book, or any other stories about this great Southern Baptist, you will be encouraged.

Famous Sermons: Payday Someday by RG Lee

Over the history of the Southern Baptist Convention there have been many gifted preachers. Those men have been used by God to provide timely and prophetic sermons that have guided, shaped, and corrected the course of individuals, churches, and the SBC. In this series we will look at some of those sermons. Even though most of these men will be dead, the message that they preached lives on because of the truth of the ever living Word of God.

RG Lee was the pastor at Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis from 1927-1960. (!) He served as President of the SBC, and was called “a veritable paragon of excellence in the preparation and delivery of sermons” by WA Criswell.

His most famous sermon is Payday Someday. He is said to have preached it over 1200 times across the SBC. Take the time to watch it below or read it here.

Did God mean what He said, Or was He playing a prank on royalty? Did pay-day come? “Pay-day—Someday” is written in the constitution of God’s universe. The retributive providence of God is a reality as certainly as the laws of gravitation are a reality. And to Ahab and Jezebel, pay-day came as certainly as night follows day, because sin carries in itself the seed of its own fatal penalty.

SBC History Summer Reading List

Summer can be a great time for reading histories. If you are on vacation or with kids at camp, or just have some slow days, history and biography can remind of the sacrifices, mistakes, and triumphs of those who came fore us. Below are some of the stories of the people and places of the SBC. Some are short reads, others are longer works, but all will educate you.