Posted on 11/28/2007 9:06:58 AM PST by Alex Murphy
RIDGECREST, N.C. (BP)—-Nearly 30 percent of recent SBC seminary graduates now serving as church pastors identify themselves as Calvinists, according to data presented during the opening session of a conference on Reformed theology and the Southern Baptist Convention.
By contrast in the SBC at large, the number of pastors who affirm the five points of Calvinism is around 10 percent, Ed Stetzer, director of LifeWay Research, said in reporting various findings by LifeWay Research and the North American Mission Board Center for Missional Research.
Such data, Stetzer noted Nov. 26, perhaps gives an indication why a conference such as "Building Bridges: Southern Baptists and Calvinism" is taking place. The three-day gathering, with approximately 550 attendees, is being co-sponsored by Founders Ministries and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary at LifeWay Ridgecrest Conference Center in North Carolina. Founders Ministries formed in 1982 to advance Reformed theology in SBC churches.
Stetzer's presentation relayed additional information from a 2006 LifeWay Research study combined with 2007 research from NAMB's Center for Missional Research, which surveyed SBC pastors who graduated from SBC seminary master's degree programs between 1998 and 2004.
Stetzer, who also is LifeWay's missiologist in residence, noted that the research showed that among pastors of Southern Baptist churches who are recent SBC seminary graduates, 29 percent indicated they are Calvinists. Stetzer said 27 percent of 1,234 recent seminary graduate respondents serving in SBC church leadership positions "somewhat agree" or "strongly agree" that they are five-point Calvinists, while 67 percent affirmed that God's "grace is irresistible" and 58 percent said they believe "people do not choose to become Christians, God chooses and calls people who respond to him."
The numbers of graduates who affirmed Calvinism rose steadily between students who graduated in 1998 and those who completed their degrees in 2004, Stetzer said. In the last year of the study, 34 percent of those serving in SBC churches identified themselves as five-point Calvinists.
"It would be difficult to say that Calvinism is not a growing influence in SBC life; [it] certainly [is] a growing influence in the graduates of our seminaries," Stetzer said.
NAMB's research complements the Calvinism study that LifeWay Research conducted in 2006, Stetzer noted. The LifeWay study surveyed a cross-section of 413 randomly selected SBC pastors. That study placed the number of pastors who affirm the five points of Calvinism in the SBC at around 10 percent.
NAMB's survey, however, sought to examine recent seminary graduates only, many of whom likely would be younger than the pastors that the LifeWay study canvassed, Stetzer pointed out.
With regard to Calvinism and the SBC, Stetzer said NAMB's research also demonstrated that:
-- Churches pastored by Calvinists tend to have smaller attendance and typically baptize fewer persons each year. Stetzer cautioned the attendees to be careful in their speculations, explaining that this study did not look at "why." However, he pointed out that recent graduates who are Calvinists do pastor smaller churches that baptize fewer people.
-- Calvinistic churches, though they baptize fewer persons each year, have a "baptism rate" virtually identical to that of non-Calvinistic churches. Baptism rate is the number of annual baptisms relative to total membership, a statistic used to measure evangelistic vitality.
-- Both Calvinistic and non-Calvinistic churches believe that local congregations should be involved in sponsoring missions and planting new churches. The study showed 95 percent of both types of Southern Baptists affirmed the necessity of missions and church planting.
-- Calvinistic recent graduates report that they conduct personal evangelism at a slightly higher rate than their non-Calvinistic peers.
The bottom line, Stetzer said, is that Calvinistic churches compose a minority of congregations in the SBC, but their numbers are steadily growing, particularly as recent seminary graduates take the reins of leadership.
Referring to recent graduates, Stetzer explained, "The percentages tick up each year and if they continue to increase, then obviously the percentage of Calvinists in our churches and church leadership will continue to increase as well.
"Calvinism is on the rise among the most recent seminary graduates. If present trends continue, Calvinism will continue to grow as an influence in our convention."
Stetzer encouraged both Calvinists and non-Calvinists to ratchet up their efforts to proclaim the Gospel to North America.
"Regardless of whether Calvinists are having a lower number of baptisms and a smaller attendance or baptizing the same in the baptism rate, the reality is none of these baptism rates or growth numbers should make any of us happy," Stetzer said.
"At the end of the day, Calvinists and non-Calvinists alike in our churches are failing to engage lostness in North America. This theological discussion has to lead to missional action and that missional action needs to cause Calvinists and non-Calvinists alike to love each other and to encourage each other and to provoke one another on to love and good deeds."
Ping
I’d say it’s because the leader of the seminary, Mohler, is a calvinist.
It’s easier to swim with the current than against it.
Wrong seminary. Mohler is at Louisville (Southern), not Wake Forest (Southeastern).
Research doesn't seem to focus on seminary, and Mohler does lead an SBC seminary.
But you used a definite article.
I wouldn't consider this news if the conference had been at Louisville. The fact that it is sponsored by Wake, and the high percentages, shows that it has probably spread from Louisville to some of the other 6 official seminaries.
It was inevitable.
Which Gospel?
Not thinking; just typing.
I could argue that Mohler’s Louisville is “the” seminary in the SBC, but I’ll refrain. The truth is I wasn’t thinking about it one way or the other. I was just typing.
Somehow, I don’t think the Calvinism of these SBC seminary graduates is the same Calvinism as that taught at WTS or other “Calvinist” seminaries.
I seriously doubt many of them believe in double predestination, so this GRPL group shouldn’t get too excited about this article.
unfortunate.....but true.....
There are lots of Christians who don’t subscribe to the notion of double predestination; and I would argue that most do not.
I wouldn't get too agitated over this development. The vast majority of SBC pastors still believe they are smarter than the non-Christian and thus were able to save themselves.
You really think that is a fair and accurate statement?
as opposed to.....Oh I don’t know
Let me think.....
Like comments on double predesntination????????
I am curious as to what you mean by double predestination and why you think it is Biblical. Maybe your definition is dfferent than what I have heard.
Since you used it first, let’s start with what you have heard.
Why it's taking place? Because God foreordained that it would, obviously! < /sarcasm >
That God has predestined some to eternal life and all others to hell, and the individuals cannot act on faith to alter that destination.
What’s your definition?
And how is that really different from the free will scheme where God, as creator and being omniscient, creates those who He knows will never put their faith in Christ. He knows they will go to Hell and creates them anyway?
Putting aside Calvinism for a moment, is the end result of free will any different? Is that God some how more loving?
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