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The Ghost of Adrian Rogers (actually his wife) Weighs In…
Orginally published on Thursday, June 15, 2006 at 9:34 AM
by Todd Rhoades
Joyce Rogers, widow of Adrian Rogers, longtime pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church, commented on what she described is the narrowing of parameters in Southern Baptist life June 12 during a tribute to her late husband in the Pastors’ Conference at the Greensboro Coliseum.
“Adrian Rogers was a gracious man who worked for unity in the body of Christ,” Joyce Rogers said. “… [I]n the battle for the Bible, he believed with all his heart that inerrancy was a hill big enough to die on. But under that umbrella, and the essentials of the faith, he sought for unity in the body of Christ, among Southern Baptists and the wider body of Christ.”
Rogers said her late husband had “other interpretations of doctrines that were important to him, like he was an avid believer in the premillennial view of prophecy. But he never considered that that was a basis for fellowship, and he believed that it was in the local church that you honed those beliefs.”
At this point in her remarks, Rogers urged the Pastors’ Conference audience to listen to her carefully.
“Adrian Rogers would not have been a part of what is going on in some parts of our convention today, getting narrower and narrower about very highly interpretive issues,” she said, touching off about 15 seconds’ worth of applause.
“He would try to convince you of his view, but not to exclude you from service and fellowship, or to prevent you from going around the world with Southern Baptists to share the Gospel if you disagreed on these controversial issues,” Rogers said. “And I challenge you on his behalf to graciously work for unity in the body of Christ.”
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Hi... I'm Todd Rhoades. I'm a Christ-follower, husband, father and I love to connect leaders with other leaders. Hopefully you'll find something here at MMI you like and will return often. If you want, you can find out more about me or follow my every step on Twitter.
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Thursday, June 15, 2006 at 10:54 AM
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Sunday, June 25, 2006 at 2:53 PM
Post Your Comments:The SBC has no doubt fought over some very non-essential doctrines.
There are also other Essential Doctrines, like The Gospel, Sovereignty and “essentials of the Faith” that are very much worth discussing to an end of absolute Unity in Christ.
Sometimes however the term “unity” is used to defend a failing or false position and should rather be called comprimise. On the flip side, unity could also be considered bullying which is WHY Scripture must be held to as the standard. “What does Scripture SAY” about Who God IS.
We shouldn’t use “unity” in hopes to deceive ourselves or others when a doctrine is called into question, ESPECIALLY essential Doctrines. We should be willing to hear the discussion and consider it, pray about it, etc. Not just dismiss it with “you believe what you want and I’ll believe what I want”. That’s not ANY desire for unity, that’s a desire to do what is right in my OWN eyes.
There is no doubt we should try to convince others with Scripture but to suggest it’s okay to go around the world to share the gospel would be absolutely wrong of me, if the gospel being preached is not The Gospel delivered to us in Scripture. Luther might as well have denied sola scriptora (sp) and we all become Catholic.
Of course this goes back to the question of what’s central and what’s peripheral. The frustrating part of this is that people disagree. While some might argue that a Reformed understanding of sovereignty is central to Christianity, others disagree. While some might argue that inerrancy is central to Christianity, others disagree. While some might argue that complementarianism is central to Christianity, others disagree. And while some might argue that voting Republican is central to Christianity, others might disagree.
The question then, is ‘who gets to say what’s central and what’s not?’
The ancient Creeds get to say what is central. At least as far as I am concerned, but then again someone else can say differently.
Perhaps there is a difference in the freedom or flexibility we leave room for within different groups. Within a particular church community, doctrinal issues about which there are many different views in the universal church, can (and probably should) be much more narrowly defined. Then, within a denomination the issues get a little broader, allowing for different views within the denomination on things we deem as non-essential for us, and even differing views among some of our essentials among brothers and sisters in other denominations. As individual believers we choose to align ourselves with a church and denomination that fits with our understanding or interpretation of scripture on “non-essentials.�
For example, I know of two well known BGC pastors of large churches within the same community whose churches have completely different interpretations of scripture regarding women in ministry. One ordains and affirms women (egalitarian) and the other affirms a male only interpretation of scripture (complementarian). I know that these two pastors work arm in arm serving the community with the same gospel. Obviously it would be wrong for a complementarian to join the church that affirms women and then start a campaign to change that church into affirming what he or she understands to be the correct interpretation of scripture. Unity trumps.
However, as a denomination the BGC affirms believer’s baptism using the mode of emersion. It is important, for unity within the denomination, for BGC pastors and churches to affirm this understanding of baptism. All of us within the BGC can still minister in unity with brothers and sisters from other denominations like the UMC, RCA, ELCA and others that affirm infant baptism. I believe that Mrs. Rogers would also affirm the importance of striving for this kind of unity within the universal church.
I believe that our ability (or inability) to achieve such unity affects our witness. Hmm. . . something Jesus said about the world knowing Him because of the unity observed among those who claim His name.
Wendi
It seems that the hardest thing to agree upon is not certain doctrines, but whether certain doctrines are “essential” and therefore in need of agreement! In other words, we disagree about what it’s okay to disagree about!
Today is June 25, 2006 and My husband and I just listened to another of Pastor Rogers’ awe-inspiring
messages. The last chapter of Revelation. Truly a prophet for our times. May his influence live on
until the Lord takes us home. And we will give all the glory and honor to Our Father, because of what
Adrian Rogers said to us.
God bless the family in their terrible loss, and his world wide congregation.
In Christian love Don and Paula Moran
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