What Were the Early SBC Leaders’ View of Salvation? by Emir Caner, President, Truett-McConnell College Cleveland, Ga.

Below is an extended excerpt from an excellent essay written by Truett-McConnell president, Dr. Emir Caner, posted on SBC Today. In the essay, Caner shows how Baptists in the south, both preceding and following the formation of the Southern Baptist Convention, were hardly as strongly Calvinistic--not to mention virtually singularly Calvinistic as many Founders-type Calvinists insist today--as one might imagine given the theological sympathies gleaned from the Calvinistic influence swelling across the present evangelical landscape.  

Says Dr. Caner:

The Sandy Creek movement began nearly forty years before Finney’s birth. Its founder, Shubal Stearns, practiced innovative evangelism methods long before Finney.

One such revival meeting in 1760 demonstrates well how these Separatists used means to draw men and women to Christ: At the close of the sermon, the minister would come down from the pulpit and while singing a suitable hymn would go around among the brethren shaking hands. The hymn being sung, he would then extend an invitation to such persons as felt themselves poor guilty sinners, and were anxiously inquiring the way of salvation, to come forward and kneel near the stand, or if they preferred, they could kneel at their seats, proffering to unite with them in prayer for their conversion…After prayer, singing, and exhortation, prolonged according to circumstances, the congregation would be dismissed to meet again at night…for preaching or prayer meeting. They held afternoon or night meetings during the week. In these night meetings, there would occasionally be preaching, but generally they were only for prayer, praise, and exhortation, and direct personal conversation with those who might be concerned about their soul’s salvation.¹⁰²

In some of those evening services, the preacher would not even preach. He would simply inquire regarding the state of the listeners’ souls. Can you imagine an entire service dedicated to people who are considering, like Cornelius, their own soul?

While preachers from the First Great Awakening such as Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield may not have given the equivalent of an altar call, Sandy Creek Baptists, to whom Southern Baptists owe much of their heritage, dedicated themselves to such personal invitations to Christ long before Finney’s revivals perfected such altar calls. These revival meetings and altar calls have been in our bloodstream for two hundred and fifty years. However, it seems we are undergoing a spiritual transfusion today, with new, more refined blood replacing the old stream. But it is revival fires that not only can see souls saved but unify a convention struggling with its theological moorings. Perhaps we should take heed of the words of the founder of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, B. H. Carroll (1843-1914), who pleaded that his students would preach Christ to all men, especially in a day of theological struggle:

It was a time of strong doctrine, and many Baptists were hyper-Calvinists in their views. But Leland himself tells us how one day, while preaching, ‘his soul got into the gospel trade winds,’ which so filled his spiritual sails that he forgot about election and reprobation, and so preached Christ to sinners that many accepted him as their Saviour and Lord. And, oh, I would to God that his people now, like old John Leland of long ago, would get into the gospel trade winds and bear away with flaming canvas the everlasting gospel to earth’s remotest bounds.¹⁰³

When revival comes, we will not be caught in examining theological minutiae but busy seeing souls saved and baptized.

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READ CANER'S ENTIRE ESSAY (PART 1) @ SBC Today

Part 2 now available

Part 3 now available

DOWNLOAD PRESENTATIONS FROM ENTIRE JOHN 3:16 CONFERENCE (second)

Comments

[Mark]

Peter,

Your transition to Brewton-Parker College must've absorbed much of your time. I haven't seen too many postings on SBC Tomorrow, which is probably why the responses are few, most of us didn't know you are posting.

I have however, have read other threads challenging Hyper-Calvinians Un-Christian Sophomoric verbal tactics they liberally use to attack those they Doctrinaly disagree with.

I don't embrace Hyper-Calvinianism but thats not why I challenge them. I challenge their Un-Christian cyber behavior or their Stealth or Covert motivations of force feeding Hyper Reformed Doctrines, they themselves fail to find a concensus.

[Scott Shaver]

Good message on our power and primary purpose from Caner.

With regard to our contemporary SBC environment ... Semper Reformanda de Calvin.

Certainly couldn't hurt IMHO.

[peter lumpkins]

Mark,

You're correct. The transition to BPC has been overwhelming. Frankly, I've not put in as many hours since I was driving an 18-wheeler over the road! :^). Though difficult, it's been as refreshing as anything I've ever done. I especially benefit from the opportunity to examine and appreciate more the campus life at a Baptist college as well as how the system runs from the inside. BPC has had some internal issues for quite some time, and we've seen the results in attrition, fiscal scandal, and basic incompetence and/or irresponsibility.

I realize it sounds trite but from my observation nonetheless true, Brewton-Parker is about to rise from the ashes. Once we get past SACS--we'll fairly well know the probable outcome tomorrow--a new day will dawn.

Truth is while I've known and served with some of Southern Baptist's greatest (and most well known) servants, no one I recall reaches beyond the passion and commitment toward excellence in Kingdom service than Ergun Caner. I knew him from afar before but now I know him up-close. I'm "expected" to say that I know. But truth is truth, and that's how I see it.

I hope to begin writing more. Things will slow down over summer. I appreciate your contributions here and also your readership, Mark. Lord bless.

With that, I am...
Peter

PS. BTW, the reason in part for the tardiness in comment posting is an attack on my platform, TYPEPAD. I'm thinking of switching to Wordpress soon but not just yet...