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“Standing Firm”

“Standing Firm”. Lecture Four: The Four Versions of Baptist Fundamentalism. Regular Baptist Fundamentalism. Roots in the Grand River Valley Baptist Association, 1909. Key figure 1910-1934, Oliver W. Van Osdel. Key figure 1935-c.1970, Robert T. Ketcham. Early development: GRVBA, MOBA.

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“Standing Firm”

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  1. “Standing Firm” Lecture Four: The Four Versions of Baptist Fundamentalism

  2. Regular Baptist Fundamentalism • Roots in the Grand River Valley Baptist Association, 1909. • Key figure 1910-1934, Oliver W. Van Osdel. • Key figure 1935-c.1970, Robert T. Ketcham. • Early development: GRVBA, MOBA. • Middle development: BBU. • Full development: GARBC and kindred organizations. • Later leaders: Paul R. Jackson; Joseph M. Stowell, Jr.

  3. The GARBC • Reorganized from the BBU in 1932. • Born at Belden Avenue Baptist Church in Chicago. • Association of churches rather than fellowship of individuals. • Militant and separatistic from beginning. “Come-outers.” • Strongly premillennial, generally pretribulational. • Emphasis upon little men, shared power, church authority. • 1934, created approval system. • 1936, created council system and revised elections. • 1947, clearly affirmed secondary separation (CBA merger).

  4. Regular Baptist Ethos • Recognition of universal church. Bible schools and colleges. • Dispensationalist, premil, pretrib. • Primary and secondary separation. • Anti-charismatic, rejection of second blessing theology. • Moody/Dallas to Reformed understanding of sanctification (progressive). • Strong emphasis upon local church authority in fellowship structure. • Rejection of Big Man leadership. Allergic to assoc. politics. • Very strong missions emphasis.

  5. Conservative Baptist F’sm • Begins with the Conference on Baptist Fundamentals, 1920. • Early tensions between moderates (Massee) and militants (Riley). • Purge-out separatism, but resistance to come-out separatism. • Key figure 1930-1944, Earle V. Pierce. • Key figure 1945-c.1950, Chester E. Tulga. • Key figure c. 1950 on, B. Myron Cedarholm. • Early Development: Fundamentalist Fellowship. • Middle Development: CBFMS, CBF, CBA, CBHMS, CBTS. • Later Development: FBFI, NTAIBC

  6. FF CBF FBF(I) 1965 NTAIBC 1961 WCBM 1966 BWM 1950 CBTS Denver Seminary 1948 CBHMS 1947 CBA of A 1943 CBFMS

  7. CB Turning Points • 1943 Elmer Fridell appointed to ABFMS, fundamentalists organize CBFMS. • 1946 NBC effectively disenfranchises supporters of CBFMS. • 1946-1947 merger talks with GARBC, rejection of separatism as a requirement of fellowship. • 1947 CBA of A, accepting churches still in NBC. • 1953 Portland Manifesto declares CBA to be separatist in spirit. • Mid-1950s through mid-1960s BATTLE.

  8. Issues in the CB Battle • Separatism: should churches be required to leave the NBC? • Eschatology: should the CB movement be premil and even pretrib? • New Evangelicalism: how to respond to Billy Graham’s cooperative evangelism? • Polity: what measures are permissible as agencies attempt to influence churches? Direct appeals over the pastor? Engineering pastoral placement? • Interlocking structure: tended to strengthen denominational spirit and loyalty.

  9. The Two Sides Hard Core Soft Policy Central Regional Some Western Regional CBA of A Office CBF CCBTSM, after 1956 SFBTS, eventually Eastern Regional Some Western Regional CBFMS CBHMS Especially, CBTS

  10. Breakup of the Hard Core • Left CBA over the rejection of WCBM (BWM). • Approach to GARBC—sought merger with guaranteed leadership. • GARBC emphasized that churches vote to fellowship one by one. Churches choose leadership. • Organized NTAIBC. Immediate falling out among leaders. • Division between NTAIBC and FBF. Some went each way. • Some went purely unaffiliated. • Some went into the Sword crowd. • Some went toward the GARBC.

  11. Hard Core Ethos • Strong emphasis upon primary, secondary separation. • Premil, pretrib, young earth, but varied dispensational. • Strong critique of platform fellowship. • Mixed views on sanctification, emphasis on “standards.” • Anti-charismatic, but some “second blessing” theology. • Talk about church autonomy, often meaning pastoral autonomy. • Big Man leadership was typical. Hyper political. NTAIBC has shifted away from this. • Recognized importance of seminaries.

  12. Norris Brand Fundamentalism • Originated in the ministry/philosophy of J. Frank Norris. • Rejected both Regular and Conservative Baptists. • Key figures to 1950: J. Frank Norris, G. Beauchamp Vick, Louis Entzminger. • Key figures after 1950: G. Beauchamp Vick, W. E. Dowell, Noel Smith, Wendell Zimmerman, Fred Donnelson. • Organizations: World Baptist Fellowship with Arlington Baptist College; Baptist Bible Fellowship with Baptist Bible College (Springfield).

  13. Development of the Norris Brand • 1926 the Chipps shooting hurts Norris’s influence in the North. • In the South, Norris develops his own preachers’ fellowship. • 1935 Norris accepts pastorate of Temple Baptist in Detroit. • 1936 comity agreement between GARBC and southerners. • 1936 Norris attacks John R. Rice. • 1938 Norris attacks GARBC leaders and institutions. • 1938 Norris organizes the World Baptist Fellowship, takes over Sweet Baptist Mission to China.

  14. Development of the Norris Brand • 1940 first credible, public accusations of immorality, dating back at least five years. • 1944 Norris “retires,” then splits with his son George. • 1948 Vick becomes president of Bible Baptist Seminary. • 1950 Norris reclaims presidency, resulting in massive division and formation of BBC, the BBF, and the BBT. • 1952 Norris dies.

  15. BBF and WBF Ethos • Differed in their ultimate loyalty to Norris. • Both held the same philosophy of ministry (Norris’s). • Rejection of universal church. • Topical preaching, strong on gospel invitation. • Size of church determines success of ministry. • Virtual pastoral dictatorship. Big Man leadership. • Little pastoral accountability. Predation, coverups. • Crisis-driven view of Christian life. Southern standards. • Rejection of associations in favor of preachers’ fellowships. • Little discipleship, suspicion of biblical exposition.

  16. The Sword Crowd • 1934 John R. Rice starts The Sword of the Lord. • 1936 split between Rice and Norris. • 1940 Rice relocates Sword ministry to Wheaton, IL. • 1941-1943 Rice becomes key interdenom. evangelist. • 1945 first Sword Conference in Winona Lake, IN. • 1944 Rice begins private opposition to Lewis Sperry Chafer. • 1946 Rice attacks Chafer in the Sword. • 1949 Rice publishes The Power of Pentecost. • 1956 Southwide Baptist Fellowship organized. • 1959 Jack Hyles goes to First Baptist of Hammond, IN.

  17. Conflict with Chafer • When did the church begin? Pentecost or OT? • What is an evangelist? Church planter or revivalist? • Where does the evangelist rank? Over or beneath the pastor? • Necessity of second blessing or anointing? • Necessity of revival? Unusual or usual situation? • View of Christian life? Progressive or crisis-driven? • What about Calvinism? Biblical or damnable? • Permissible persuasion? Appeal to truth or emotion?

  18. Sword Crowd Ethos • Vitriolic anti-Calvinism. • Evangelism covers a multitude of sins. • Focus on the invitation, make the (emotional) appeal. • Crisis-driven revival a normal state of affairs. • Alternate hilarity with hard preaching. • Effective ministry requires second blessing (anointing). • Value of minister judged by visible effectiveness. • Virtual pastoral dictatorship, but evangelists outrank pastors. • Big Man leadership.

  19. Our Situation Today • Four strands of Baptist fundamentalism. • There has been significant cross-fertilization. • Few can neatly distinguish the ideas and practices. • Institutions (especially schools) try to appeal to everybody. • The result is real confusion. • Young men look at the confusion and see the worst. • Officials feel obligated to defend it all, even the worst. • Personal loyalties are enmeshed by Big Man leadership. • Complicated by changing cultural situation.

  20. What Should We Do? • Hold no illusions. Realism, not idealism. See virtues and vices for what they are. • Don’t cover up unrepented sins. Shine the light. • Absolutely reject Big Man “celebrity” leadership in whatever form it appears. • Get a clear and biblical theology of salvation, evangelism, and the Christian life, and get a clear philosophy of ministry. • Get a clear and biblical theology of Christian fellowship and separation. • Operate by principle rather than popularity, personality, or politics. Refuse to be intimidated.

  21. A Strong Fundamentalism? • Reset your focus upon God. • Guard your own heart. Love God, love others. • Stay close to the Word. Read it, learn it, preach it. • Keep your prayer time sacred. Worship the Lord. • Be willing to serve in obscurity. You’re not nobody to God. • Tell the truth. Never knowingly misrepresent an opponent. • Do justice and show mercy.

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