Some “young leaders” in the Southern Baptist Convention are asking to be heard. One of them, Chris Seay of Ecclesia church in Houston, gets a hearing from Mark Coppenger in the latest issue of Touchstone magazine, in which Coppenger reviews Seay’s book, Faith of My Fathers, in which the “emerging” pastor engages his father and grandfather (both also Southern Baptist ministers) with the help of Donald Miller.
It turns out, Seay the “young leader” is saying many of the same things some “old leaders” in the SBC were saying thirty years ago: the Bible has errors but it is as perfect as it needs to be, we don’t need a perfect canon because we have a perfect Christ, and so forth.
Coppenger concludes:
“As I read Faith of My Fathers, I was reminded of a familiar Hollywood scene, where the ball carrier weaves his way down the field for a touchdown. Along the way, hapless, would-be tacklers bounce off each other, dive in the wrong direction, fail to grasp the runner, or are even trampled by the (often unlikely) star.
“And so, with Don Miller running interference, Chris Seay scores handily, as muddied, out-of-breath-traditionalists in dated uniforms, high-top shoes, and leather helmets, left on the ground by the faster and stronger player, look on in dismay, and perhaps grudging admiration. I think they might call the film, Running Proudly Over and Around the Faith of My Fathers.”
Coppenger’s review essay hits at the core of Seay’s argument with clarity, humor, and honesty. You can read it here.
