Peter Ruckman had no problem ripping into his alma mater. Some of his accusations were true, some were false, none were Christ-like, and all of them were irrelevant. But independent Baptists were surprised to learn that you could attack BJU, criticize its wrongs, and reject its authority, even though they had been taught that this was impossible.
Having been driven into steadily-smaller, hostile camps that spied on and criticized each other, independent Baptists had no one to champion BJU, and its leadership over the group virtually disappeared.
Whether disciples of Peter Ruckman, members of the Southern Baptist Convention, practicing Biblical Christianity without the word "Baptist" in their name, or even continuing as they always had been, independent Baptists rarely send their students to BJU today.
The third reason why God allowed Ruckmanism to gain such influence over independent Baptists was to break Bob Jones University's control over them.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Fighting for the Lead
Bob Jones University had a well-organized network that kept track of various Christian publications, conferences, and churches. They began attacking Christians who were not in obedience to BJU, denouncing them across America and forbidding God's people to have anything to do with them. They took a new and strong stand for "secondary separation," teaching that we were to disobey the Biblical commands to fellowship with Christians who would not obey BJU. Eventually, they expanded this false doctrine to forbid Christians from associating with anyone who associated with anyone who associated, etc., with anyone whom BJU did not approve of.
Drunk with power that neither God nor man had given him, the president of BJU forbad any Christian anywhere to criticize him or his practices, and forbad Christians to fellowship with anyone who did. And with large numbers of fundamentalist churches being pastored by BJU grads, strong, fundamental evangelists who had already been rejected by moderate Christians found themselves unable to get speaking engagements if they did not did not obey him. He drove deep divisions into fundamentalists, isolating them from Godly Christians and groups who realized BJU's errors, as well as isolating them from each other.
Their new magazine, "Faith for the Family," spread this fighting into congregations whose pastors would not obey BJU, and he invented the word "pseudofundamentalist" to describe Christians who obeyed the Biblical commands to love one another.
And then it all backfired.
Drunk with power that neither God nor man had given him, the president of BJU forbad any Christian anywhere to criticize him or his practices, and forbad Christians to fellowship with anyone who did. And with large numbers of fundamentalist churches being pastored by BJU grads, strong, fundamental evangelists who had already been rejected by moderate Christians found themselves unable to get speaking engagements if they did not did not obey him. He drove deep divisions into fundamentalists, isolating them from Godly Christians and groups who realized BJU's errors, as well as isolating them from each other.
Their new magazine, "Faith for the Family," spread this fighting into congregations whose pastors would not obey BJU, and he invented the word "pseudofundamentalist" to describe Christians who obeyed the Biblical commands to love one another.
And then it all backfired.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
The Key Wrong Stand at the Key Wrong Time
As independent Baptists grew rapidly under the blessing of God, they formed careful alliances with Godly fundamentalist soul-winners from other groups that were not quite as conservative as they were.
At the same time, Bob Jones University was a large, successful, strongly fundamentalist institution with high academic standards. They taught and demanded strict loyalty and obedience from their students, and helped churches and evangelists with recommendations. Their graduates pastored a large number of fundamental churches, many of them independent Baptist. And the obedience of those graduates to BJU was fading.
BJU watched as their independent Baptist graduates fellowshipped with individual preachers from groups that BJU did not approve of. Already weak in doctrine, BJU couldn't compete with the powerful preaching and teaching of the independent Baptists, who were now starting to form their own colleges.
The fragile bonds that held fundamentalists together were growing stronger, while the powerful bonds that held BJU and its graduates together were growing weaker. And BJU decided to take its stand.
To be continued...
At the same time, Bob Jones University was a large, successful, strongly fundamentalist institution with high academic standards. They taught and demanded strict loyalty and obedience from their students, and helped churches and evangelists with recommendations. Their graduates pastored a large number of fundamental churches, many of them independent Baptist. And the obedience of those graduates to BJU was fading.
BJU watched as their independent Baptist graduates fellowshipped with individual preachers from groups that BJU did not approve of. Already weak in doctrine, BJU couldn't compete with the powerful preaching and teaching of the independent Baptists, who were now starting to form their own colleges.
The fragile bonds that held fundamentalists together were growing stronger, while the powerful bonds that held BJU and its graduates together were growing weaker. And BJU decided to take its stand.
To be continued...
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Why Did God Do It?
I have three overlapping reasons why Ruckmanism spread so strongly among independent Baptists. God deprived their leaders of wisdom and He wanted to break the power that editors of their publications had over them. The third reason is going to take a while to explain.
During their heyday in the 1960's, independent Baptist leaders cautiously reached out to fellow Christians whom they disagreed with. They invited soul-winning, fundamentalist preachers from the Southern Baptist Convention, Assemblies of God, and others, to be friends. They printed their sermons, let them speak in independent Baptist churches, and spoke at Christian conferences with them.
Godly, soul-winning men had few problems with this. It was frightened, angry denominational leaders who fought this kind of Biblical fellowship. As a result, this unity was fragile and carefully-balanced.
All it would take was one key man, in a key position, saying the key words at the key time, to shatter this unity.
To be continued...
During their heyday in the 1960's, independent Baptist leaders cautiously reached out to fellow Christians whom they disagreed with. They invited soul-winning, fundamentalist preachers from the Southern Baptist Convention, Assemblies of God, and others, to be friends. They printed their sermons, let them speak in independent Baptist churches, and spoke at Christian conferences with them.
Godly, soul-winning men had few problems with this. It was frightened, angry denominational leaders who fought this kind of Biblical fellowship. As a result, this unity was fragile and carefully-balanced.
All it would take was one key man, in a key position, saying the key words at the key time, to shatter this unity.
To be continued...
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Why Did God Do It? Part 2
Ruckmanism spread rapidly among independent Baptists, causing them to have a major decline. God caused it to happen, by depriving their leaders of wisdom. Why?
Independent Baptists are not supposed to have any human leaders higher than a local pastor. But over time, various publications emerged, usually controlled by Godly men, and independent Baptist churches urged their members to subscribe. The editors of these publications gained power that the churches never meant them to have.
Decades later, these publications had turned Ruckmanite, and large churches and their pastors found themselves being attacked in these publications if they would not obey the editors. Pastors who wanted to depart from man-made rules found their people reading publications attacking anyone who departed from the rules. Conferences and radio broadcasts played a smaller part, and overall, independent Baptists were steadily being put under the authority of leaders whom they did not elect, who ruled through the authority of unscriptural offices.
These publications kept up active spy networks, accusing various preachers who associated with Christians who would not obey the editors. Pastors who wanted to learn and grow from unapproved Christians had to do so secretly, or avoid doing so altogether.
Sick of the fighting, many churches joined the Southern Baptist Convention, many individuals left for other churches, and many independent Baptist churches avoided the title "Baptist" in order to get away from these editors. Keeping the Word of God without the man-made rules, they are generally doing well, while Ruckmanites continue to separate into steadily smaller, hostile groups.
Independent Baptists are not supposed to have any human leaders higher than a local pastor. But over time, various publications emerged, usually controlled by Godly men, and independent Baptist churches urged their members to subscribe. The editors of these publications gained power that the churches never meant them to have.
Decades later, these publications had turned Ruckmanite, and large churches and their pastors found themselves being attacked in these publications if they would not obey the editors. Pastors who wanted to depart from man-made rules found their people reading publications attacking anyone who departed from the rules. Conferences and radio broadcasts played a smaller part, and overall, independent Baptists were steadily being put under the authority of leaders whom they did not elect, who ruled through the authority of unscriptural offices.
These publications kept up active spy networks, accusing various preachers who associated with Christians who would not obey the editors. Pastors who wanted to learn and grow from unapproved Christians had to do so secretly, or avoid doing so altogether.
Sick of the fighting, many churches joined the Southern Baptist Convention, many individuals left for other churches, and many independent Baptist churches avoided the title "Baptist" in order to get away from these editors. Keeping the Word of God without the man-made rules, they are generally doing well, while Ruckmanites continue to separate into steadily smaller, hostile groups.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Why Did God Do It?
Why did independent fundamentalist Baptists turn so heavily against the Word of God and become disciples of a false prophet so quickly? Because God did it.
Isaiah 15:13 Therefore the Lord said: " Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men,
14 Therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work Among this people, A marvelous work and a wonder; For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, And the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden."
Because independent Baptist leaders had replaced Biblical holiness with man-made rules, God deprived them of wisdom. Working to bring independent fundamentalist Baptists closer to Him, God let their leaders become disciples of a wife-stealing enemy of Godly men.
Why did God do such a thing?
Isaiah 15:13 Therefore the Lord said: " Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men,
14 Therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work Among this people, A marvelous work and a wonder; For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, And the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden."
Because independent Baptist leaders had replaced Biblical holiness with man-made rules, God deprived them of wisdom. Working to bring independent fundamentalist Baptists closer to Him, God let their leaders become disciples of a wife-stealing enemy of Godly men.
Why did God do such a thing?
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Why Did God Allow This to Happen?
The spread of Ruckmanism among independent Baptists churches contributed heavily to their downfall and lessened their soul-winning influence. Why did God allow this to happen?
Surprisingly, the results indicate that God did not merely "allow" this to happen. He did it deliberately. Independent fundamentalist Baptist churches continue to dominate the list of America's greatest mega-churches, but they are calling themselves "Community," "Bible," "Fellowship," "Neighborhood," and other names. Yet their statements of faith clearly show that they are independent fundamental Baptist churches.
So the question becomes "Why did God do this?" I can give three overlapping reasons. One is from the Bible, and two are only based on observation, but the simple answer is "Because it worked."
Surprisingly, the results indicate that God did not merely "allow" this to happen. He did it deliberately. Independent fundamentalist Baptist churches continue to dominate the list of America's greatest mega-churches, but they are calling themselves "Community," "Bible," "Fellowship," "Neighborhood," and other names. Yet their statements of faith clearly show that they are independent fundamental Baptist churches.
So the question becomes "Why did God do this?" I can give three overlapping reasons. One is from the Bible, and two are only based on observation, but the simple answer is "Because it worked."
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