“Because unless you 100% agree with every jot and tittle of Deevers’s obsession with sending 16-year-old girls to prison for succumbing to the coercion of their parents to have an abortion, he will label you ‘against the innocent preborn,’” Barber added.
Further adding to the controversy is the fact that Bush recently used that quote in campaign materials—albeit misattributing it to SBC president “Bret” Barber.
Barber has said that Bush did not have permission to quote him. In a social media post, Barber shared a letter he sent to the editor of The Lawton Constitution, an Oklahoma newspaper.
“I am concerned about the downward spiral we have all been witnessing in our elections and our electioneering,” Barber wrote. “That is why I was so shocked to see online reports that Larry Bush, a candidate for Oklahoma State Senate District 32, had used my likeness, my name, my words, and my position as President of the Southern Baptist Convention in an attack ad against his Republican opponent in the election.”
Barber indicated that Bush did not even inform Barber that the quote would be used in campaign materials.
“Let me be clear. The Southern Baptist Convention does not endorse electoral candidates. The President of the Southern Baptist Convention does not endorse candidates,” Barber added. “My differences with his opponent about religious liberty notwithstanding, I deeply resent Mr. Bush’s decision to use my likeness and words in his efforts to debase further our political process, and I would never have given my consent to being used in his attack ad.”
In another post, Barber indicated that in light of the fact that Deevers is now running against a pro-choice candidate, he will not “speak against Mr. Deevers’s campaign. Even if Abortion Abolitionists will not reciprocate, I will welcome any of goodwill who will work together to end abortion.”
Following the controversy, a number of high-profile Southern Baptists indicated that they have made contributions to Deevers’ campaign, presumably as an implicit rebuke of Barber. Among them is Georgia pastor Mike Stone, who ran against Barber for SBC president in 2023.