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The position of the Moderates was that the Inerrantists were trying to promote a hierarchy or impose a formulaic doctrine on Baptists. This, as you know, for a denomination that emphasizes “the priesthood of the believer” and has local congregational control, is a big no-no.

However, the local churches own their own property, and, unlike what we are seeing in the Episcopal church, don’t have to sign over their assets if there is a doctrinal dispute with anybody - SBC or CBF.

I’m not taking up for the SBC in this debate. It is no surprise to me that all this drama came about within a few years of the attempt by the SBC a few years ago to evangelize the entire world and get the gospel to everybody. No sooner than that started, and here comes the controversy. I’m no theologian, but I know who was behind this (”Could it be SATAN?”, he said through pursed lips. YES!)

I wish I could find a Baptist church that preaches God’s Word, uses the Baptist Hymnal not PowerPoint, and has a pipe organ. I’d join in a heartbeat.

I understand, and I understand the “priesthood of the believer” and local church autonomy, and the other historic Baptist distinctives (I am teaching a series on the distinctives even currently), but I will say this for anyone who might be reading this. The distinctives mean absolutely nothing without a Scriptural base, and if there is no inerrant Bible, then we’re all just full of men’s traditions and opinions, anyway, and we are doomed and are of all men most miserable. But I take it that you agree with that.

Concerning property: I am close friends with several men who have had to battle the SBC over property when the churches decided to remove themselves from SBC rolls. Seems that many years prior, there was financial assistance in the building of facilities, but that all debts had been paid by the local churches. Evidently, titles had not been cleared up, and the SBC tried to keep the properties when the churches wanted to leave the fold. Those several cases have all been resolved in favor of the local churches involved, but SBC big boys did try to use intimidation and threat of loss of property when the churches wanted to have their names removed.