A senior black pastor has launched an impassioned defence of the embattled president of the denomination's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, Russell Moore and raised the spectre of racial division within the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC).
Dwight McKissick Snr is pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas, and has written a blog post arguing that attacks on Moore for his trenchant criticisms of Donald Trump and positions on religious liberty are led by white Southern Baptists who don't reflect the concerns of black people.
Moore's ERLC has been targeted by churches including Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, which has withheld $1 million in donations because of Moore's statements and positions. The SBC's Executive Committee has launched an investigation into why churches are refusing to support the ERLC. Furthermore, the Louisanan Baptist Convention, part of the SBC, has called for Moore himself to be investigated.
McKissick says: 'If Russell Moore cannot give a candid evaluation of Donald Trump without being publically humiliated and without White Churches withdrawing and threatening to withdraw funds, and the Southern Baptist Convention and a state affiliate, launching an investigation, I pity the Black SBC officeholder who would dare whisper a word of disagreement on a Trump statement or action.'
He urges black churches to wait for the outcome of the SBC investigation before donating to the denomination's Cooperative Program or affiliating with the SBC.
McKissick says Moore's criticisms of Trump – who was backed by more than 80 per cent of white evangelicals – caused a 'tremendous backlash' against him and 'tremendously weakened the numerical, financial, and more importantly, the missionary strength of the Southern Baptist Convention'.
He speaks of 'huge implications' because most black church leaders agree with Moore about Trump, not with his critics, and warns that the outcome of the investigation could be 'racially polarising'.
'If the Executive Committee's investigation results in reprimanding, marginalizing, or firing Russell Moore – the message being sent is strict adherence to Republican Party loyalty is absolutely necessary to be elected as an entity head and to maintain one's position in SBC organizational life,' he says. 'The implications of the Executive Committee's investigative report is staggering and could be tantamount to an earthquake in the Convention.'
McKissick also highlights the ERLC's 'tone' on racial justice, saying: 'Russell Moore's "tone" is offensive to the base constituency of the SBC, but his text is a breath of fresh air for those of us who have longed for the SBC to address matters of race and justice.'
He argues that all the issues on which Moore is criticised have a racial component, saying: 'Immigration, tone and emphasis on race relations and positions taken on race and law enforcement are the root causes of the Moore controversy.'
The SBC originally comprised churches that were in favour of slavery during the Civil War, but has worked towards racial justice in recent years.
