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For the Southern Baptist boycott to have been effective, there would have had to have been near unanimity among the clergy and churches. The resolutions of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) are not binding upon the thousands of churches associated with the convention. Baptist churches have always been congregational in polity. The only force the anti-Disney resolution would have had is a moral one. The same is true with anti-Disney resolutions passed by the Assemblies of God (AG) and the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), both of which evangelical denominations, though connectional in polity, give congregations an unrestricted right to secede with their assets (usually real estate) if they disagree with denominational decisions.

However, the SBC is the 800 pound gorilla of evangelical denominations. While conservatives are dominant at the national level, several large state Southern Baptist associations, including those in Texas, Virginia, and North Carolina, are controlled by moderates, who generally have little desire to engage in culture wars. (Moderates in SBC circles are generally orthodox Christians, but differ from conservatives on issues like Biblical inerrancy, separate roles for men and women in church and society, creationism, and interpretation of end times prophecy.) Numerous Baptist churches ignored the Disney boycott, as did many of those in the pews. In the Dallas suburb where I live, the local school board, which had several members who belonged to the largest SBC church in town (whose pastor leaned toward the moderate camp), quashed a motion made by a board member (who was a member of an independent charismatic church) to prevent one of the high school marching bands from taking a trip to Disney World.

Without the consistent support of the churches and members, the SBC boycott was doomed to fail. Without the 800 pound gorilla in the game consistently, boycott resolutions by the AG, the PCA, and others had little chance of success.

Score one for the bad guys in the culture war.