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John Leland was a pastor, abolitionist, and friend to America’s founding fathers. His commitment to religious liberty influenced the shape of the Constitution’s guarantee of that privilege. Leland’s fervor in evangelism and passion for religious liberty was used by God in the growth of His church during Leland’s life and in centuries beyond. Also, Leland’s opposition to slavery as an 18th-century Virginian was remarkable.
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Luther Rice was a partner to Adoniram Judson. When the two became Baptists, Rice returned to America to raise funds for Judson and others to continue their mission. He was a part of beginning the Triennial Convention, which was the forerunner to the SBC as they pioneered cooperative efforts of American Baptist churches for missions. His influence on the SBC is seen in his efforts to unite churches in giving to advance the cause of the kingdom on the mission field and in higher education.
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Ann’s legacy in unflinching service is unmistakable. Her influence on the SBC is seen in that she was together with Adoniram when they both became Baptists. Her story of unrelenting faithfulness through profound suffering and loss has inspired others (including me) to go to the mission field. She called Baptist women in America to sacrifice for the good of oppressed women overseas, and her writings still speak.
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Sarah wanted to serve in foreign missions before she ever met her husband. She served with him in evangelism, discipleship, and translation, ad established women’s ministries and girls’ schools. Following the deaths of her husband and son, she remained in Burma and eventually remarried Adoniram Judson. Her influence on the SBC follows in the footsteps of Ann Judson, through her example and writings.
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A humble prayer meeting becomes the beginning of American foreign missions endeavors
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James P. Boyce’s vision to offer theological education in the American South, available to students regardless of their educational background, led to the formation of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He was also president of the SBC for eight years. God gifted Boyce with administration, and rather than use that for his own ends, he devoted his life’s efforts to the advancement of theological education and the growth of the church.
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Martha’s commitment to Christ led her to pursue appointment to China with the newly formed Foreign Mission Board. Martha’s request drew the attention of T.P. Crawford, who was heading the same direction. They were married, spent their honeymoon at the SBC in 1851, and went to China soon after. Martha became a partner and mentor to Lottie Moon upon her arrival years later. God used her teamwork and persistent evangelism to further the cause of Christ in China and around the world.
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Lottie Moon wielded powerful influence on the SBC for the cause of global missions. Many missionaries have faithfully served in anonymity. Moon was a voluminous writer, and her sharp mind and pen issued decades of piercing calls to give money and self to the nations. Perhaps the greatest ongoing influence of her life is the annual Christmas offering of SBC churches. This was her suggestion prior to her death, and the SBC honors her legacy by naming this offering after her.
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Contemporary to Lottie Moon, Armstrong was a sister in arms with the missionary to China. Armstrong was passionate about evangelism and missions from her youth onward, helping other women engage in outreach across cultural and linguistic boundaries in America. This extended to global efforts through the formation of the Women’s Missionary Union. The union continues today as an auxiliary to the convention, mobilizing and funding missions efforts.
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SBTS began with twenty-six students and four professors. The vision was to create a place where men could be trained for ministry regardless of their educational background, while also challenging the most brilliant minds and prioritizing doctrinal fidelity. Southern was a new kind of seminary, and it is still today what it was then: a place for God’s people to train and prepare for faithful service, learning to love Him with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength.
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Billy Graham was a faithful evangelist at home and abroad. He loved people and sought to meet them where they were, which meant moving crusades to Harlem to engage with African American communities, and advocating whatever action was necessary to enforce integration of education, which was counter-cultural in his day. His fortuitous influence on the SBC is summarized in the convention’s statement of his legacy following his death: evangelism, personal holiness, and joy in the gospel.
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Adrian Rogers served as president of the SBC during a storm of theological controversy. God used him to effect the “Conservative Resurgence” that realigned the convention to the theological right. Rogers’s commitment to the inspiration and inerrancy of Scripture was more important to him than the preservation of the SBC or his own legacy. God ordained, though, that his resolve and leadership would be a means of preserving both.
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The annual Easter offering for home missions is named for Annie Armstrong to honor her testimony of sacrificial financial gifts, prayer support, and personal involvement in missions and evangelism.
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As Enlightenment philosophy grew in influence in American seminaries, the affirmation of inerrancy historically held by Southern Baptists came under fire. Progressives sought to be relevant to culture and scientific advancement. The contest between conservative and liberal theology centered on the doctrine of Scripture and was fought largely in the seminaries: as the education goes, so goes the denomination. The crisis of this controversy could have ended the SBC and its seminaries.
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Rogers served as SBC president from 1979-1980 and 1986-1988. Adrian Rogers, “the prophet of the Conservative Resurgence,” received precisely the percentage of votes necessary to become president of the SBC in 1979. His election was a significant step to the right for the convention. Rogers was committed to truth above all else, even his own legacy and the preservation of the SBC itself. God used Rogers and others to settle the SBC on the right side of inerrancy.
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Dr. Mohler was tasked with returning the seminary to its theological roots. The Conservative Resurgence of the decade preceding had brought the convention away from liberal theology, but the influence of progressive seminary faculty remained. Without decisive leadership to make difficult decisions, Southern was set to reverse the theological gains of the convention. God used Dr. Mohler’s service to restore the seminary’s doctrinal fidelity and set a trajectory for further growth.
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The BFM 2000 was a capstone of conservative resurgence in the SBC. Ambiguous language was removed, as well as phrasing that could be used as a Trojan horse for liberal teaching. Adding clear statements affirming inerrancy and infallibility to the BFM established the convention’s position and direction. This update also exerted influence by holding seminary professors openly accountable for their views.
