Buice continues:
Creating an internal SBC police department responsible for updating a database with convicted and accused church leaders will not solve the problem. Is the local church capable of engaging in such situations with a responsibility to properly report abuse to the civil authorities and exercise biblical church discipline? This is a classic example of a failed philosophy of ministry. It’s not the role of the Convention to police local churches. It’s the role of the local church to return to a firm commitment to the sufficiency of Scripture which will result in a proper response in all areas of sin. However, the need for a top-down approach of ecclesiastical policing is indicative of the reality that the majority of SBC churches do not engage in church discipline.
Giving a nod to the horrific stories described in the report, Buice says, “Yes, there needs to be repentance for how specific individuals handled or mishandled sexual abuse victims, but there needs to be a call to repent for the SBC’s longtime commitment to pragmatism.” The SBC, says Buice, is at a crossroads where the denomination can either continue to go down the path of pragmatism or choose the sufficiency of Scripture. Buice defines “pragmatism” as “the philosophy that encourages people to make decisions based on whatever will give them positive results.”
Hannah Kate
Tiffany
Christa
Jules
Anne Marie
etcShould I continue? Are they “anonymous”, Josh? pic.twitter.com/Qc661KbmcA
— Jay the Baptist (@geekyguyjay) May 27, 2022
Pragmatism, says Josh Buice, has already “opened the gates of the SBC to the social justice train.” But he believes that “a firm commitment to biblical sufficiency will have a far reaching impact upon the SBC for the good of local churches.”
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