And the plot thickens

Well not really any plot- but I have been delving into Baptist history. Okay- recent Baptist history about the fundamentalist takeover of the the Southern Baptist Convention.

Why, you might ask, am I 1) not aware of all of this anyway and 2) why I'm suddenly interested in it? Well the answer to number 1 is simple- the only thing I knew about the SBC prior to about age 22 was that they disliked Disney. My grandparents were Southern Baptist and my mom was raised in that belief, but it would be a far cry to say that I ever considered myself as Southern Baptist, aside from, you know, being a Baptist in the south.

Number 2 is more complicated, but perhaps more obvious- it has become apparent that being at a Baptist seminary, a Baptist seminary that affirms women in ministry,necessitates needing to know why that's unique. Also, with BGCT coming up, I decided to be prepared and know who was running for what this year (unlike last year when I was just told who to vote for or when Kevin and I ended up together and distinctly voted in opposition to what we should have- note: don't leave Kevin and me alone to vote together). This was all well and good, but nowhere online can I find a listing of candidates. What I have found are several blogs dedicated in one way or another to taking quasi-sides on the SBC takeover and the subsequent formation of groups in Texas, most notably the Texas Baptists Committed.

Unfortunately, wikipedia has let me down (sigh) and the TBC website is offline for the time being. Thus, I've started learning more about this event that seems to have redefined a generation of Baptists. Marie sent me a side-by-side analysis of the Baptist Faith and Message from 1963 and 2000. I haven't read it deeply enough to understand how deep all the complexities and the implications of changes are, but I do know that I would probably be kicked out of a SBC church upon putting one foot in the door.