SBC and CBF: A Look in Contrast

“But the vast majority of that group [CBF] is just very conservative Southern Baptist, who are unwilling to be told they have to do their work one way. So they formed an organization to do it their way. That’s what Baptists typically do.” Jim Hill, Executive Director of the MBC, speaking at Parkade Baptist Church in Columbia, May 13, 2001.

The following contrast was originally published in 1998 and was updated in August 2001.

The SBC has no leaders that deny the deity of Christ, the need for His sacrificial death or the importance of His virgin birth.

But CBF does.

The SBC has no leaders that openly reject the exclusivity of Christ -- that is, the idea that there is salvation only in Christ

But CBF does.

The SBC has no feminist theologian leaders calling for the worship of the Christ-Sophia.

But CBF does.

The SBC has no leaders who refer to God as “Mother.”

But CBF does.

The SBC has no leaders proclaiming that the bible does not condemn all forms of homosexual behavior.

But CBF does.

The SBC has no leaders calling for the ordination of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered persons.

But CBF does.

The SBC does not embrace churches that ordain or “marry” homosexual persons.

But CBF does.

The SBC has no leaders declaring that God sometimes commands a woman to abort her unborn child for the purpose of population control.

But CBF does.

The SBC is aligned with no organization whose leaders have openly declared their support of the partial-birth-abortion procedure.

But CBF is.

The SBC has no leaders advocating federal funding for abortions, or the elimination of parental notification and parental consent laws so minors can have an abortion without their parent’s knowledge.

But CBF does.

The SBC has no leaders calling for the ordination of women as senior pastors.

But CBF does.

The SBC has no leaders that have signed a “declaration” stating that biblical scholarship is an area of common ground between Baptists and atheistic “secular humanists.”

But CBF does.

The SBC is aligned with no organization whose top leader has repeatedly defended the reproduction and distribution of child pornography.

But CBF is.

The SBC has no leaders that have worked for the passage of such pro-homosexual federal legislation as the Employment Non-discrimination Act (ENDA) granting minority-status to homosexuals/bisexuals based solely on their sexual behavior.

But CBF does.

The SBC has never published a resource for churches that re-defines the family to include gay families and lesbian families by virtue of their “enduring covenants.”

But CBF has.

The SBC has no leaders serving on the board of an organization that gave its highest award last year to a Baptist Minister for his efforts to keep homosexuals in the boy scouts.

But CBF does.

The SBC has no leaders that have worked in coalition efforts with Penthouse International, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and Planned Parenthood to undermine the efforts of conservative Christians to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world.

But CBF does.

The SBC is aligned with no organization that gave all of its “mission grants” in 1997 to churches that welcome and affirm homosexuality.

But CBF is.

The SBC has no leaders actively working for the sexual legitimacy of gay, lesbian and bisexual students in public schools.

But CBF does.

The SBC has no seminaries that allow the selling and consumption of alcoholic beverages on campus.

But CBF does.

The SBC has no seminaries that have an “open admission policy” for homosexual students.

But CBF does.

The SBC has no seminaries that allow same-sex ceremonies in their chapel.

But CBF does.

Mainstream Missouri Baptists:

Mainstream Missouri Baptists (MMB) was formed in 1998 and was immediately identified as a “political-front” organization for the CBF. Working to produce an anti-SBC/pro-CBF political coalition of moderate Missouri Baptists, MMB claims to be the “traditional Baptists,” where as the Southern Baptist Convention and conservative Missouri Baptists supportive of the SBC represent “Fundamentalists” with a “capital F” to be feared. MMB’s commitment to “mainstreaming” CBF is most clearly seen in its board of directors:

Four MMB board members have served on national CBF coordinating council

Two more MMB board members serve on Missouri CBF Coordinating Council

Another MMB board member served as an associate coordinator for the national CBF

Rob Marus, MMB coordinator, serves on the board of the CBF Young Leaders Network

Dr. Doyle Sager, president of MMB, served as host pastor for the 1998 Missouri CBF General Assembly; served as a Missouri CBF “breakout leader;” and has served as a national CBF General Assembly “worship leader.”

Two out of four MMB-endorsed candidates for officers at last year’s annual meeting of the Missouri Baptist Convention had served in national CBF leadership positions.

Mainstream Missouri Baptists is also a part of the National Mainstream Network, a coalition of 12 Mainstream state organizations expected to grow to 16 groups by the end of this year. MMB president Dr. Doyle Sager and MMB Coordinator Rob Marus serve together on the board of the National Mainstream Network, which operates out of Dr. David Currie’s office in San Angelo Texas, where he serves as coordinator of Texas Baptists Committed (now called Mainstream Texas Baptists). Currie, who serves as administrator of the National Mainstream Network, also serves on the national CBF Coordinating Council where he serves as chairman of the CBF’s finance task force group. However, Currie also serves as an officer on the board of a leading pro-homosexual, religious-left group called The Interfaith Alliance, where he serves with two openly lesbian religious activists.

Most recently, Currie has called on Texas Baptists to reconsider their support of the SBC’s Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering. According to Currie: “How many missionaries now serving with the SBC International Mission Board and the SBC North American Mission Board would serve with these agencies if CBF had the money to appoint them…”

Speaking at a “breakout session” at the 2001 National CBF General Assembly in Atlanta, Georgia, Currie pointed out the difference between the state “Mainstream” groups and the state CBF groups. According to Currie, CBF is about “missions and ministry,” whereas Mainstream groups are about fighting “Fundamentalism.” He states: “Where there’s a strong Mainstream movement, it helps the CBF movement.”

Note: With "a new Missouri Baptist Convention...on the horizon," Mainstream Missouri Baptists officially closed its doors on December 31, 2001.

Click here to read the CBF funded Associated Baptist Press article on MMB's closing.