In a recent comment on his own post at SBCToday.com, Dr. Eric Hankins, pastor of First Baptist Church of Oxford, Mississippi and son of David Hankins, the Executive Director of the Louisiana Baptist Convention, joined the vocal group of Southern Baptists who view Calvinism within the Southern Baptist Convention as a danger that needs to be dealt with.

Hankins states:

…this growing problem didn’t start with guys like me condemning Calvinism. For instance, the SBC gladly placed Al Mohler at Southern knowing full-well he was a Calvinist. We were proud and appreciative of his erudition and leadership. But the neo-Calvinists started the name calling and pushing, saying things like, “most Southern Baptists are semi-pelagian.” If they don’t want a fight, they shouldn’t use fighting words. So, now that the issue is being pushed, it looks like we’re going to argue it all the way out. I, for one, believe the logical conclusions of Calvinism are clear and they are dangerous, and I will be encouraging other Southern Baptists not to subscribe to it. I think that will be pretty easy because most of them don’t.

http://sbctoday.com/2012/04/05/beyond-calvinism-and-arminianismtoward-a-baptist-soteriology/#comment-19934

Hankins is not alone. In the past year, several prominent Southern Baptists who view Calvinism as a threat to Southern Baptist life have been vocal and unashamed in their rhetoric. Continue Reading…