In the modern landscape of American Christianity, the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) finds itself grappling with internal conflicts that reveal the troubling infiltration of leftist ideologies. A prime example is the dual alignment of some Southern Baptist churches with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF), a group that epitomizes the complete and total apostasy from biblical truth.

The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship emerged in the early 1990s as a reactionary movement against the Conservative Resurgence within the SBC. This Resurgence aimed to return the SBC to a firm commitment to biblical inerrancy and conservative theology. In contrast, the CBF was birthed from a rejection of these conservative principles, embracing a more liberal theology that has only grown more progressive over time.

From its inception, the CBF has championed leftist causes that staunchly oppose biblical teachings on essentially everything. This organization has not only supported the ordination of women pastors but has also moved towards full inclusion of homosexuals and other sexual deviants and even advocates for abortion rights.

This trajectory is a radical departure from orthodox Christian doctrine and a surrender to the secular, progressive agenda that is increasingly pervasive in society. Today, many Southern Baptist churches, including former Executive Committee president, Jonathan Howe’s church, are dually aligned with both the SBC and the CBF.

Here is a recent email sent out by the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists (AWAB), a division of the CBF, that demonstrates just how far this organization has gone on the same trajectory as other apostate denominations such as the United Methodist Church and the PCUSA:

The CBF’s journey into apostasy is evident in its relentless pursuit of “inclusivity” at the expense of their souls. Their stance on LGBTQ issues, in particular, reflects a broader cultural capitulation. The recent merger between the CBF’s Affirming Network and the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists (AWAB) underscores this reality. This merger, announced in June 2024, solidifies the CBF’s commitment to normalizing and promoting LGBTQ lifestyles within Baptist life. Such actions blatantly ignore the clear teachings of Scripture regarding sexuality and the sanctity of life.

One of the most alarming developments in this saga is the presence of Jonathan Howe, who until recently served as the interim president and CEO of the SBC Executive Committee. Howe’s church, Woodmont Baptist Church in Nashville, is dually aligned with both the SBC and the CBF. This dual alignment means that Howe, essentially the acting CEO of the SBC, was leading the denomination while being actively involved with an organization that stands in direct opposition to God.

This situation is akin to having a fox guard the henhouse. It’s an appalling oversight that a man whose church supports an organization like the CBF, with its radical leftist agenda, was entrusted with such a significant leadership role within the SBC. This is not just a lapse in judgment but a severe compromise of the biblical principles that the SBC claims to uphold. If there is a such thing as a “Jezebel Spirit,” this would be it.

The Bible warns us about the dangers of false teachings and the infiltration of ungodly ideologies into the church. Revelation 2:20-23 speaks of tolerating false teachings that lead God’s servants astray. In a similar vein, the SBC’s tolerance of churches, not just Howe’s, but many churches, that are dually aligned with the CBF is a modern-day equivalent of allowing corruption to infiltrate the body of Christ. This permissiveness is not merely a minor doctrinal difference—it is a wholesale abandonment of biblical fidelity.

The leftist drift within the SBC, facilitated by people like Jonathan Howe, reveal a significant weakness—one of its many, many unresolved weaknesses—to the integrity of the denomination. This reminds us that Satan does not always attack from outside but often works insidiously from within, eroding the foundations of truth with subtle but destructive falsehoods.