Ascol expressed that the SBC’s structural problems can be addressed, but “if we don’t get our spirits right before God, if we don’t have spiritual renewal, if we don’t return to a simple fear of God, it won’t matter.”
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Ascol recognized that the SBC president doesn’t have the power to make unilateral changes in the denomination, but he is committed to raising awareness and championing fear of God.
“There’s 150 places in the Bible that talk about fear of God, [so] maybe we ought to start looking at it more carefully,” Ascol said. “And if God would be pleased to grant that to us, I’d die happy.”
The SBC presidential nominee expressed that pastors don’t need “experts” to fix the issues within the Convention. Rather, pastors within the SBC have been granted the biblical wisdom needed to judge things that need to be attended to. “We’re going to judge angels. Don’t you think we can judge these other things that pertain to relationships in the church?”
“All scripture is breathed out by God, and it is profitable for correction, rebuke, instruction, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God might be thoroughly equipped for every good work” Ascol continued. We can learn from people who are experts in particular fields, but they can only “help us to the degree that they enable us to see more clearly what’s in the Book,” Ascol said.
Ascol shared that he is grieved when church leaders say they are “just pastors” and not equipped in the same way as certain experts. To Ascol, those experts are valuable, “but let’s never put that in the place of the Book.”
“We have the Word of God,” Ascol said, pointing out that every generation has had to deal with similar problems.
“This ain’t complicated. We need to come back to an actual affirmation and submission to what we say we believe. And I know you can’t find a self-respecting Southern Baptist that would deny believing in the inerrancy of Scripture,” Ascol said. “But again, brothers, my fellow pastors, we need to be careful that we’re not theoretical inerrantists.”
Ascol then pointed out the difference between sins and crimes. Where there is sin, churches should deal with it redemptively. Where there are crimes, it should be reported to the police.
“So when there’s a crime, call the police, the church has no business trying to adjudicate crimes—we deal with sin,” Ascol said. “The church shouldn’t take up the sword, and we shouldn’t look to the state to take up the keys [to the Kingdom of God]. It’s our job to do what God’s called us to do and disciple the nation.”
