[Sly Fox]

If you ever what the SBC would be like today had the conservatives not taken back control of the convention in the Late '80s & Early '90s, take a look at the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship that the liberals splintered off after the takeover.

CBF presenter questions Christ's deity

Posted on Jun 19, 2008 | by David Roach

CORRECTED & CLARIFICATION: Publisher of book corrected in third paragraph and clarification added.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (BP)--Salvation once meant belief in a series of doctrines about Christ, but the advance of society has caused it to become a quest for self-fulfillment, John Killinger said June 19 in a workshop at the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship General Assembly in Memphis, Tenn.

"Now we are reevaluating and we're approaching everything with a humbler perspective and seeing God's hand working in Christ, but not necessarily as the incarnate God in our midst," Killinger said. "Now, that may be hard for you to hear depending on where you are coming from, but we can talk more about it."

Executive minister and theologian in residence at Marble Collegiate Church in New York City, Killinger's views are well known. His presentation was titled after his book "The Changing Shape of Our Salvation," a 2007 release from The Crossroad Publishing Company. Although Smyth & Helwys -- a CBF publishing partner -- is not the publisher, the company sponsored the workshop and promoted the book during the General Assembly. Smyth & Helwys also is hosting a book-signing for Killinger at its booth in the resource fair.

And for those not familiar with Killinger, once upon a time he was pastor at First Presbyterian in Lynchburg. I assume that was the basis for this ...

Killinger was scheduled to lead two additional workshops June 20 titled "My Life with Jerry Falwell" and "A Dramatic New Interpretation of the Gospel of Mark."

In its "General Assembly Guide" the CBF says, "The opinions presented in General Assembly ministry workshops are those of the workshop presenters and do not necessarily reflect of the viewpoint of, or endorsement by, The Fellowship or its members.

There is plenty more to make your skin boil in the article.

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[LUconn]

I don't get it. Well I get it, but I wonder how he explains away the contradictions to what he's saying in the bible without explaining away any basis he has for his beliefs in God in general.

[phoenix]

The Bible is irrelevent when it comes to the CBF. It's about what sounds good and looks spiritual. Right now, it's pretty cool to re-imagine all sorts of things that we used to call doctrine, so the CBF is doing it.

Sad thing is that there are still churches within the SBC that are giving money to those idiots.

[Cider Jim]

Careful there, Phoenix. I'm a deacon in a CBF church, and we certainly believe the Bible and give tons of money to missions.

http://www.rabc.us/?page_id=4

[LUconn]

So do you agree with this fellow? Because he obviously doesn't believe the bible.

[Cider Jim]

I had never even heard of John Killinger until this article, and, no, I don't agree with him. Jim Baucom was my former pastor, and he used to be the moderator of CBF, and believe me, he knew and believed his Bible. Now he's a pastor in NOVA.

[Sly Fox]

Here is a follow-up ...

Daniel Vestal counters BP column that said CBF not ‘truly Christian’

By Jim White
Published: July 10, 2008

ATLANTA (ABP) -- Why would some Baptist writers go out of their way to create the impression that the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is not even Christian?

CBF Executive Coordinator Daniel Vestal said he is trying to answer that question after the Southern Baptist Convention’s news agency published a column claiming the Fellowship was neither Baptist nor Christian at all.

“It pained me that people have been offended and hurt by this confusion about what CBF believes. I want to make clear that CBF is Christ-centered and trinitarian in its theology,” asserted Vestal. “CBF is clear in its affirmation of the core commitment to the triune God. Our commitment to Christ as the savior for the whole world stems from our trinitarian faith.”

Vestal responded to the column by James Smith, editor of the Florida Baptist Witness, which Baptist Press published nationwide June 25.

“Here's the bottom line,” Smith wrote. “It's long past time to declare the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is no longer truly Christian, let alone Baptist.”

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