No, not of the Southern Baptist Convention, although I know that is the post which he is seeking. I think Bill Wagner would make an excellent president of the newly formed Antioch Network of Churches.
- Wagner is the President of a Pedobaptist theological seminary. The ANC needs somebody at the helm who realizes that THERE IS NO SECONDARY DOCTRINE. By golly, if it ain't primary, it's tertiary.
- The statement of faith in force at the institution that Wagner leads is a pretty good match for the statement of faith in force over at the Antioch Network of Churches. No doctrinal strangleholds here. I find it hard to imagine a single Christian who couldn't affirm the statement of faith. Can you imagine how much easier Christian unity would be if God hadn't bothered to write SO MUCH scripture? Really, this postcard theology is all we need.
- Wade Burleson likes him. He'd be a shoe-in over at the ANC.
But, there are a few obstacles that Wagner would have to overcome.
- According to this interview, Wagner is still confused over the meaning of the Garner motion. To get the full blessing of the ANC folks, he's going to have to swear on a stack of tNIV Bibles that no human being drawing breath could ever be confused as to the meaning of the Garner motion. He'll need to repent of being confused, explain that he really has known all along the plain, simple meaning of the motion, and pass between the hewn carcasses of oxen and rams covenanting to uphold the One Catholic Apostolic meaning of the Garner motion.
- Wagner's campaign website lists a faculty berth at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary among his "Current Positions," as does his campaign blog (word has it that Wagner also has a campaign manager—do we need to enact McCain-Feingold for campaigns for SBC high office?). Burleson et al will be forced to decry the horrible corruption imminently on the horizon should an agency employee be elected as SBC President (that's a deeply held conviction among our dissenting brethren, you know).
Still, all things considered, campaigning to preside over the Antioch Network of Churches rather than the Southern Baptist Convention would remove the last obstacle, and I'm sure that Wagner would be open to instruction on the first. It is settled in my mind: Wagner for President (ANC).
At times, Bart, you display wise Christian perspectives and interesting insights. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThen we have this.
Isn't Bill Wagner doing almost the same job as you and as your Christian brother? What possible justification can you offer for writing such satirical garbage in the name of Christ?
Surely it is enough to state your preferred candidate and why, and offer prayer for whatever unfortunate soul gets to represent a corner of Christianity inhabited by such vitriole as the SBC is cursed with.
"he's going to have to swear on a stack of tNIV Bibles that no human being drawing breath could ever be confused as to the meaning of the Garner motion."
ReplyDeleteThat made me Laugh....thanks, I needed that right now!:)
Jason
I checked the GGBTS site and found his name listed under senior faculty:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ggbts.edu/catalog/display.aspx?page=99&area=submenu8
Alex,
ReplyDeleteSorry you didn't like it.
Jason,
Glad that you did.
Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteThanks for doing the research. Wagner is now safe on the legal front. But he'd better batten down the hatches for the assailing storm coming his way about the conflict of interest thing. That's a matter of convictional principle for a lot of folks these days, you know.
I notice that "Senior" and "Emeritus" are two different categories, but that they share the same page—a different one from the faculty directory.
ReplyDeleteAlex,
ReplyDeleteYou probably deserve a more in-depth answer.
I'm sure that Bill Wagner is a great guy. I would enthusiastically vote for him for any number of other things—just not to preside over the SBC. My suggestion that he's a good fit for the Antioch Network of Churches is only a slur against the man if one believes that the ANC is birthed of the Devil.
But that's not my opinion. I just think that the ANC is entirely different from the SBC. My beef with Bro. Burleson and crowd is that they would transform the SBC into the ANC. Buy why do that to convictional Baptists? There are a quadrillion little lowest-common-denominator Evangelical groups out there. If you fit great there and don't fit in a Baptist group, go on over. Is it truly necessary to drag the whole rest of the world over with you?
As for me, I'd like to participate in a network of people who are genuinely and confidently Southern Baptist. Funny me, I think that the Southern Baptist Convention would be a good place to find that. To the degree that the ANC and its member churches have no interest in "transitioning" the SBC after its own image, I say good luck and godspeed.
Fixed the post to reflect the clarification on his status at Golden Gate.
ReplyDelete