Social media, especially Twitter, can be a toxic place for conversations, specifically when it comes to people who have disagreements. Even pastors and church leaders often fall prey to this tendency.
Those who follow pastors on Twitter, especially Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) pastors, more than likely have seen the names Dwight McKissic and Rod Martin infiltrate their feeds in what would appear to be contentious disagreements—leading many to believe that these two dislike each other.
McKissic is the senior pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas, and Martin is a former SBC Executive Committee officer and a co-founder of the Conservative Baptist Network.
Twitter disagreements between McKissic and Martin have have ranged from sexual abuse reform measures in the SBC to race-related issues. In the months leading up to this year’s SBC annual meeting, which took place last week (June 13-14), the two have sparred on the issue of women serving as pastors in the SBC.
In a tweet that has since gone viral, McKissic uploaded a photo while he was at the annual meeting.
“Recognizing this would be last time attending an SBC annual gathering,” he wrote, “my executive staff members who attended this meeting as messengers, thought we’d take a photo together, as we were departing the conversation floor after the vote to place [unbiblical] restrictions on women.
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Martin expressed his sorrow toward McKissic’s announcement, writing, “Dwight, I’m very sorry to hear this. Christians don’t have to agree on every point to be brothers.”
“But you are correct that sometimes we have to agree on more than we do to be able to work together in certain ways,” Martin continued. “My prayers are with you, I wish you nothing but Gospel-centered success, and I will always be available to be helpful to you on the many, many things on which we do agree.”
Martin expressed his regrets for not being able to attend the SBC annual meeting, saying, “Very sorry to have missed you this year. But I’m recovering well from the surgery. Thank you for your prayers.”
Although McKissic and Martin don’t see eye to eye on every issue, especially when it comes to conversations on Twitter, McKissic made it clear that the he “genuinely” loves his brother in Christ.
“Often we saw things differently,” McKissic told Martin, “but I always believed you were sincere. You’re a warrior. But, you are also willing to reason and talk things out, whether agreement is reached or not.”
