SCBF and Baptist Bible Trumpet
Separate after 49 Years
I have had the privilege of reading through scores and scores of the over fifty years worth of Trumpets. In those early years most of the Independent Baptist Churches were former SBC churches which had pulled out of the Convention because of the compromise and liberalism that was so rampant. Taking a stand against the SBC cost these men. On a monthly basis articles were written exposing the modernism, compromise and worldliness of the SBC among many other issues. In most of the issues in 1956 and 1957, (I just glanced at all 24 issues) an announcement was made about an SBC man coming out or of a former SBC church going Independent. Dr. Waters did not shy away from controversy. The Trumpet was correctly named. It blew loudly each month. Whether you agreed with Dr. Waters or not you had to admit that he was not afraid to publish things that were controversial. In the October 1957 issue he printed three articles dealing with racial issues that are so politically incorrect it is scary.
I give this brief history for several reasons. First, I think it is very important that we, as Independent Baptists, remember the price that our Independent Baptist fore-fathers paid when they stood against liberalism, modernism, and other compromise. In most cases these pioneers of our movement either left the SBC or were forced to leave. These men were bold. They had conviction. I don’t want to forget them. Second, I am troubled at how easily both the world and the Church revise history to help prop up their own views. It is my view that this revisionism should be exposed for the error and deception that it is. Third, I think it is important to take note of how far removed and how different we are today than the patriarchs of our own movement. Our movement is only a half a century old and it has drifted a long way from its moorings. That being said, allow me to get to the issue at hand.
Several weeks ago I was visited by Pastor Alvin Wilson, (Lighthouse Baptist Church, Ora Community, SC.). During our meeting he made me aware that, “he and other men” felt that the Baptist Bible Trumpet did not speak for them. He explained that many of the men he talked to in the South Carolina Baptist Fellowship thought the Trumpet was “too negative.” He said that he spoke for the fellowship when he said they wanted to be divorced from the paper. He told me that some of these men had already met and were meeting again at the Tabernacle Baptist Church in Greenville, on Tuesday June 10th, at 10:00 AM to discuss the fellowship and the changes that needed to be made. I attended this meeting held at TBC. About 12 to 15 other preachers attended as well. During the meeting the pastors discussed the decline of the South Carolina Baptist Fellowship.
While the paper goes to 48 states and to almost 5000 people each month no one can deny that the paper and the SCBF have been tied together. As related to the Trumpet, the men who spoke seemed to credit the Trumpet and the paper’s volatility as a major reason for the decline of the fellowship. Two or three specific articles were cited as examples of divisiveness and bad spirit. I made no apologies for the articles and I still don’t. But some felt the paper was keeping people away. In addition to the discussion of the Trumpet and its part of the decline of the fellowship, the use of Southern Baptist Convention men in our SCBF meetings was discussed. While it seemed pretty clear that most of the men were not for that, one preacher said he quit coming to the fellowship in the past because of the attacks that were made on the SBC. This made it clear to me that what has changed isn’t the direction of the Trumpet. It’s the direction of the Fellowship!
My personal belief concerning the decline of the Fellowship is that the Fellowship has lacked leadership. I say on the Radio that, “a church that’s alive is worth the drive.” The same could be said for any fellowship. The biggest fellowship meetings held all 6 years I’ve lived South Carolina were the ones we hosted every February. At our last meeting 73 preachers were present and we had a full house. When I mentioned this, it was quickly dismissed by suggesting that most of these preachers at our meeting in February were out of state men. Which was kind of funny because a third of the preachers in the room attended our meeting in February while the statement was made by a man who didn’t. As the meeting closed Ben Mayo, the assistant pastor of the Gateway Baptist Church in Boiling Springs was made the secretary of the Fellowship and was asked to begin mailing out correspondence on behalf of the Fellowship since the Trumpet would no longer be its voice.
In summary, I do not believe the Trumpet is more divisive than when it started. It simply tells the truth in a way that some don't like. We all know that truth divides people. It is a simple fact of life. When some can’t refute the truth all that is left is to attack the manner in which the truth is presented. Rodney King said, “can’t we all just get along.” The answer to that is, only if we all line up with the Truth or if we all throw the truth out. Dr. John Waters founded the Trumpet to present the Truth and expose error. He put Isaiah 58:1 on the cover of the very first issue. Is. 58:1 says, “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet and show my people their transgression…” That is what the Trumpet has done for over a half century. It is what I hope the Trumpet will continue to do. Some will like it. Some will not. We will continue to have our annual Trumpet meeting the first week of February. Many will come and others will stay away. Nothing has changed in that respect. I may be wrong, but I don’t think the Trumpet has kept any more from the fellowship than it has attracted. One thing is for sure though, as of June 2003 the Baptist Bible Trumpet is no longer part of the South Carolina Baptist Fellowship. Now, I guess, we’ll find out.
Pastor Steven E. Mays – Trumpet Editor
BroMays@FaithBaptistTrumpet.org