James Cone is largely regarded as the father of the heresy known as Black Liberation Theology in America. While his ideas were not new, he is credited for popularizing the movement in the Black Church which has ultimately led to the social justice movement that is rampant in Evangelicalism today.

Southern Baptists, in many ways, have been ensnared by this movement and embraced a “lite” version of Black Liberation Theology and renamed it “racial reconciliation.” This movement is also known as the “woke church” movement and many Southern Baptist and Evangelical leaders have been relentlessly trading the gospel for it.

Several Southern Baptist seminaries have been caught red-handed over the last few years either blatantly or subtly promoting James Cone either directly or indirectly. In 2019, one professor at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary was recorded promoting James Cone and encouraging them to read his works and view them in a positive light.

Later that year, SEBTS president, Danny Akin opened the door for the notion that the Christ-denying, gospel-perverting heretic, James Cone, might be in Heaven.

Of course, that is abundantly false. One cannot die in their rebellion against Christ and see the Kingdom of God. This is nothing more than pandering to those who are sympathetic to Cone’s social justice heresy–like the professor under his own leadership at SEBTS.

Earlier this week, Reformation Charlotte reported that another Southern Baptist seminary has been repeatedly platforming a woman named Lisa Fields who is the founder of an organization called the Jude 3 Project. The Jude 3 Project, as it stands, is highly sympathetic to James Cone and his teachings. In fact, the Jude 3 Project recently held a podcast where they praised James Cone’s Black Liberation Theology because it allows “other sources of theology to add to the canon” so it’s “not just the Bible” that we get our theology from.

The praise for James Cone–even though many of these organizations and leaders will verbally deny that this is what they’re doing–has drawn considerable backlash from the rank-and-file membership of the Southern Baptist Convention and other conservative Evangelicals. Yet, one Southern Baptist pastor, Dwight McKissic, offers some insight into why he believes the backlash against the heretic, James Cone, and the advancement of his anti-Christ ideology within Southern Baptist seminaries should not be cause for concern. The answer is simple; you have to affirm James Cone if you want to minister at Black colleges.

Well, I guess that settles it, that’s the reason we should affirm heretics. If Southern Baptists want to minister at Black colleges and in the urban community, you have to affirm James Cone.

Of course, the Scriptures are opposed to Dwight McKissic and his asinine statement. Dwight believes that unless we affirm heretics around those who are sympathetic to them, then the Holy Spirit is unable to work among these people. Honestly, these people who think this way should do us all a favor and stop calling themselves Christians. The Scriptures have a clear stance against affirming heretics. The Apostle Paul even warns in Galatians 1:8,

But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.

James Cone is most assuredly accursed. And John similarly concluded in 1 John 1:10,

If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting,

Yet, Southern Baptist pastors and leaders continue to lend credence to this man.