If a discerning student would diligently compare the record of Aaron and Israel in Ex. 32:1-6 with the actions of some Baptist today, he would unmistakably arrive at a conclusion that men's ways have not changed and man's works have not improved. In this scripture Aaron makes for a people a golden calf to satisfy their desires for a religion of sight instead of a walk by faith. The end is disaster with the God of Eternity blasting forth against a blind and stiff-necked people in words of infinite disgust and repugnance.

In May of 1845, after heated disputes between northern and southern Baptist policy, education, missions, and slavery, some three hundred and ten church delegates met at Augusta, Georgia, and cast their gold into the fire. The emerging figure from the boiling compromise of discontented Baptist emerged with the name "Southern Baptist Convention" flying from its theological flag pole. The time was one of peril but history bares the record which unveils the fact that the cow of Bashan gave to the Baptist world calves of Bashan glittering of the same gold. The calves at their birth were called: Foreign Mission Board, Home Mission Board, Sunday School Board, Annuity Board, and others too numerous to mention.

These are the brain storms of men who were truly seeking for a way to carry forth the work of God. Vedder says their purpose and constitution was, "For eliciting, combining, and directing the energies of the whole denomination in one sacred effort for the propagation of the gospel." They failed, however, in conquering one problem: Man's ways are not always God's ways." Their efforts produced an embryo organization that has grown to an enormous ecclesiastical hierarchy type machine. This twentieth century machine is a compromise for truth, a distillment of modernism, an amalgamated wealth of multiplied millions of honest Christians' dollars, and a fortress of self perpetuating wolf-sheep rulers.

This you may say is a serious accusation of America's largest Baptist body. To this may we reply with the testimony of the Southern Baptist Convention's own information made public by her own men for any inquisitor to consider.

For instance:

(1). In 1964 the SBC contributed $70,025.63 to the Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs which set lobby work in Washington to uphold the Supreme Court's change of the constitution to ban prayer in the schools. (See the 1965 SBC Annual, p. 376).

(2). As of December 31, 1964, the Home Mission Board had:

$484,479.95 in U.S. Bonds

68,493.75 in Utilities Bonds

77,313.75 in Utility Stocks

3,502.65 in Miscellaneous Stocks

970,000.00 in Federal Savings and Loan 113,000.00 in Bank Savings & Deposits

How does this total up in assets? It totals above 14 million dollars in net worth. (See pp. 312, 313 of the SBC 1965 Annual). It is little wonder that over nine million Southern Baptists have just over 2,000 missionaries on the field with their money banked and invested at home.

(3). The balance sheet of the Sunday School Board including over two million dollars in marketable securities and nearly one million cash states their total net fixed assets are $21,416,305.00 (notice millions). Of all this they include U.S. and Corporate and Mutual stock invested to the tune of $4,725,139.00. (See SBC Annual 1965, pp. 315,316)

(4). The Annuity Board is the wealthiest of all the boards. What they have done with God's money in piling up fortunes instead of preaching the Word they will truly answer to God for. In 1964 they gave the following on their financial balance sheet of assets:

Bonds................................$31,931,880.10
Mortgage Loans................... 45,807,273.79
Collateral Loans......................1,662,170.00
Notes.........................................64,504.84
Preferred Stocks.....................3,593,165.57
Common Stocks....................12,716,362.02
Real Estate............................30,160,483.58 (in leases to sell)

There are also many others but the total invested assets is over 132,876,446.64. (See SBC Annual for 1965, p. 317)

This is not all, however, for the Religious News Service in response to the last convention meeting listed the Annuity Board's assets at $164 million dollars. You will have to look up the latest investment on your own.

The Annuity Board seems to have quickly become an object of prayer by many SBC pastors with preference to retirement instead of the rapture.

(5). The list of investments in worldly properties could go on and on. The convention holds interest in textile mills, Coco-Cola International Company, Railway Equipment Bonds, General Motors, Bristol Myers Company, and Standard Oil Company to mention only a few.

The total investments in current and fixed assets of the convention in 1964 was $320,326,953.00. Quite an investment in the money that God's people gave for the winning of souls. I wonder what the souls in hell consider the worth of these assets????

In the past we have talked with many Southern Baptist lay members concerning their desire to join in with Catholicism and the National Council of Churches' Ecumenical movement. Most are wise enough that these movements and churches do not persuade them to join. Most Southern Baptist lay members know that the ecumenical movement is filled with modernists who do NOT preach the gospel but are social gospel inclined, and desirous to come under the wing of Rome. Sad to say, however, but many of the Southern Baptist leaders are jumping on the ecumenical band wagon as they did the race wagon of days past. Notice the following examples:

(1). Mercer University had Henry J. Stokes speak at the summer commencement on August 19, 1966. He is a former "first" church pastor presently "vicar" of the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection in Atlanta. He is a graduate of Mercer. (Did they teach him to baptize, sprinkle, or pour?) See THE CHRISTIAN INDEX, Aug. 18, 1966; p. 12)

(2). Mr. Wayne Dehoney, to clarify his invitation to Catholics, said, "Our clear objective in the Crusade of Americas is not to win men from one church membership to another, but to call unredeemed men to follow Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour." (THE CHRISTIAN INDEX, March 16, 1967; p. 4) This would almost be a good thought from Mr. Dehoney if one did not know that Catholics and their priests place Mary on level with Christ in Deity; the Church with Christ in salvation; and tradition with inspiration concerning the Word of God. Why can't people wake up to facts. This kind of inclusive concept is tearing away the foundation from Southern Baptist people.

(3). Dr. L. D. Johnson stood and read a 30 page prediction of life in the 70's and 80's to the Inter-Agency Council of the Southern Baptist Convention. He emphasized the next two decades would be characterized by more emphasis on the ecumenical movement. He said, "Baptists can ill-afford to remain aloof from the lively movement that is bringing the church of Christ together.

"Insistence upon the literal meaning of all of the Bible is no longer a tenable position among people who are educated, and the education of the American people will be the mark of the 70's. "

"The traditional revival meeting is almost universally ineffective. So is the Sunday morning preaching as a method of reaching the lost." (See THE CHRISTIAN INDEX, April 6,1967; p. 3)

(4). A Baptist pastor and a Catholic priest performed a joint wedding ceremony at a Catholic Church in Clemson, S. C. He (it) was James Pitt pastor of the first church of Fairfax, S. C. May I ask sir, is "Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers" still in the Bible? (See THE CHRISTIAN INDEX, September 15,1966; P. 5)

(5). Harold Martin was named to the staff of the National Council of Churches. He expressed "Hope that Southern Baptists can break through some of the stereotyped images and prejudices they have towards the council. " (See THE CHRISTIAN INDEX, April 27,1967)

(6). Brooks Hays, a former Southern Baptist Convention president said, "The traditional view of Church and State as two separate spheres of activity with an impregnable wall between them is not the best possible approach. "

"It is more biblical," Mr. Hays said, "to think of the wall as one that has opened up a bit." (See THE CHRISTIAN INDEX, April 20,1967; p. 7)

The amazing Mr. Hays has found a new revelation concerning church and state but he failed to expose the source of his liberal stand which is taking hold of many educational leaders in the Southern Baptist Convention.

(7). A group of nuns were "Warmly received" in the Shawnee Baptist Church in Louisville. This group was supposed to have deeply impressed this "Baptist Church" concerning their work with delinquent girls." (See THE CHRISTIAN INDEX, July 6,1967; p. 8)

(8). C. A. Roberts invited a Catholic priest to fill the pulpit of the First Baptist Church in Tallahassee. The priest, Fr. Cunningham, said, during his sermon, "He had listened to Mr. Robert's sermons for four or five years, and that Mr. Roberts had never said anything from the pulpit that he (Fr. Cunningham) did not believe whole heartedly. " (See THE CHRISTIAN INDEX, Oct. 27, 1966; p. 3) If this Baptist pastor has the spiritual laxity to invite one of such rank heresy into his pulpit, it is no wonder he hasn't preached enough truth in five years to even supply one jot of disagreement from a pulpit of Rome.

(9). Paul Stevens, director of Southern Baptist Radio and Television Commission, was forced into a position of defending a Catholic film producer, Mr. Phillip Scharper, that the commission had hired to write their script. Stevens said, "He is a genuine Christian first and a Catholic second." I wonder if Mr. Stevens could convince Pope Paul or Mr. Scharper of this profound observance since it is diametrically opposed to the dogma of Rome (See THE CHRISTIAN INDEX, March 2,1967; p. 9)

(10). Victor L. Priebe has been selected to teach at Bellarmine College, a Catholic school. He will remain pastor of Bucchel Park Baptist Church while teaching. (See THE CHRISTIAN INDEX, September 7,1967; p. 16)

Mr. Priebe, are you going to teach Christ as the only true mediator between God and man; are you going to teach the history of the Baptist Church in the dark ages when 50 million good Baptists were killed by the ancestors of your college staff; are you going to assert the rightful position of the scriptures above all authority on earth; and will you demand salvation is by the grace of God apart from human effort or works? If you are afraid to stand, please advise your school mates there are some Baptists left in this world that are not afraid to stand or speak the truth; then please call us.

(11). The Snyder Memorial Baptist Church of Fayetteville, North Carolina, staged a "unique" series of services on the subject "What Our Church is Doing to Re deem the World." Their church, however, had no message in the series but invited the Methodist, Pentecostal, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, Lutheran and Roman Catholic churches. An example of their attitude is expressed in their statement, "The dialogue has helped the Baptist to understand why, for example, the Pentecostals speak in tongues. With this understanding comes fellowship and improved relationships." (See THE CHRISTIAN INDEX, August 10, 1967; p. 18)

Concerning the attitude of compromise and the social gospel thrust, H. F. Paschall said, "Let us break out beyond ourselves-beyond frozen orthodoxy, organizational routines, religious rigamarole, prejudice and price-and minister in the world." (See THE CHRISTIAN INDEX, June 8,1967; p. 12)

J. D. Grey speaking down the same line says, "Although Southern Baptist do not participate in ecumenical organizations (and this is questionable) we do have a mandate and I believe it is from God, to minister through Christian fellowship." (Parenthesis mine) (See THE CHRISTIAN INDEX, June 8,1967; p. 13)

Theodore F. Adams said that Baptists and other Christians are so concerned with great commissions and compelling causes and conflicting ideologies that we are prone to neglect the primary responsibility to minister to persons. (See THE CHRISTIAN INDEX, June 8, 1967; P.

13) the It is too bad these men can't grasp the impact of gospel as the life changing principle of the New Testament message. It was Christ who gave the "Great Commission" and not the Southern Baptist Convention.

Mr. Ross Coggins in lifting the social gospel banner said the crusade of Americas should be accompanied with support of civil rights legislation, open housing, and anti- poverty efforts. (See THE CHRISTIAN INDEX, March 23, 1967; p.4)

Dr. Billy Graham, claimed as a Southern Baptist evangelist, expressed support of the "social gospel" in a paper distributed to the World Council of Churches.

Mr. Graham's paper stated, "There is no doubt that the social gospel has directed its energies toward the release of many of the problems of suffering humanity. I am for it! I believe it is Biblical." (See THE CHRISTIAN INDEX, September 7, 1967; P. 16)

There is probably not a single pastor in the world who would not like to see the world clothed and fed. However, there is something far more important than the social gospel. The gospel of Christ is the gospel of importance. It is the key to whether men spend eternity in heaven or hell. It is of small significance whether man is up or down in the stock market of finance. Man's lot is the same in hell-eternal torment.

The gospel of Christ is the only life changing "gospel" there is in existence. "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature." 11 Cor. 5:17. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Mk. 8:36. If modernists, liberals, and Southern Baptists are really interested in social evils, why not begin where God did and proceed under divine care instead of fostering false elements into useless struggle between the classes. If the social gospel is the thrust of the scriptures, why did Jesus purchase eternal redemption instead of a perpetual bank account?

Why don't we admit that all this so-called effort toward improvement of society is a failure and a social mess? There are more church members today than ever before in the history of the world. Yet in all this in the SOUTH, where Southern Baptists are strongest and where men say the Bible Belt exists, only 30% of the population makes a profession of any kind with reference to Christianity. In America only 8% of the people attend the church regularly on Sunday morning and only 1/4 of this amount on Sunday night.

The question must be asked Southern pastors: "Why are you drifting to a social gospel instead of standing with the gospel of Christ?" Any time any nation has 150 racial outbreaks in 120 cities, with 270 million dollars worth of property damage, 118 people killed, and nearly 4,000 injured there needs to be a spiritual revival and respect of God, not millions wasted on carnal lust of the flesh. WE NEED A REAL SOUL SEARCHING OF THE INWARD MAN.

Yes we need a real revival of salvation preaching and return to the true spiritual values expressed in the Bible. We do not need what John E. Haggai terms "Evangelical ecumenicism." Man is to spend eternity in Heaven or Hell not purgatory or limbo. Man is saved by grace through faith not water, works, or winsome societies. We must separate from those of the golden calf and walk with God in the way He has commanded for the past history of man; we must walk and work according to "thus saith the Lord.