Former Southern Baptist Convention President James Merritt resigned last week as a visiting professor at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary over controversy sparked by Merritt’s decision to share a sermon online by his son who’s gay.
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary President Daniel Akin announced the decision on Twitter.
“Today my dear friend @drjamesmerritt asked me to allow him to decline serving as a visiting professor @SEBTS, not wanting to be a distraction to the school,” Akin said. “I have honored his request. His integrity, character & love for the gospel is a model for us all.”
The decision came after Merritt, who’s also pastor of Cross Pointe Church in Duluth, Georgia, tweeted a link to a sermon by his son, Jonathan Merritt. The younger Merritt is a graduate of Southeastern Baptist and an author, journalist, and popular speaker. In August, Jonathan Merritt announced on Instagram that he’s gay.
“I don’t agree with my loved son @JonathanMerritt on everything to be sure,” James Merritt tweeted November 22. “But I encourage you to listen to his message on Mark 13. It is both brilliant and faithful to the gospel and the coming of Jesus!”
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Good Shepherd New York • 11.21.21 https://t.co/qPq5rpy0JH via @YouTube I don’t agree with my loved son @JonathanMerritt on everything to be sure. But I encourage you to listen to his message on Mark 13. It is both brilliant and faithful to the gospel and the coming of Jesus!
— Dr. James Merritt (@drjamesmerritt) November 22, 2021
The tweet unleashed virulent pushback.
“You are not showing love to your son at all by supporting his rebellion against Christ,” one person tweeted. “. . . You both need to repent before it is too late.”
Another responded, “Wow, ‘southern baptist’ I now understand more why God is turning His back on you. If you are a pastor and encourage people to listen to your gay son, you clearly, sir, don’t understand gospel!”
James Merritt’s tweet also received support. Some praised the elder Merritt for “loving your son unconditionally . . . We need more of this!” Others confronted critics for exhibiting a “self righteous attitude and pride.”
In a follow-up tweet, James Merritt defended his stance. “Regardless of who preaches Jesus or speaks truth I rejoice when they do because I love Jesus and truth,” the elder Merritt wrote. “I can approve a message even when I have disagreements with the messenger . . .”
However, the same day, the Conservative Baptist Network (CBN) released a statement sharply critical of James Merritt.
“To present to Southern Baptists a man living in unrepentant sin as someone to whom they should listen for a sermon that is ‘faithful to the gospel,’ as the elder Merritt tweeted, is wholly illogical and demonstrably dangerous,” the statement said. “For one who is employed by a Southern Baptist seminary receiving Cooperative Program tithe dollars to promote an unrepentant sinner—no matter whose son he is—as a trustworthy preaching source is a betrayal of trusting Southern Baptists.”
CBN’s comments come after news this summer that one of CBN’s founders, former Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary President Paige Patterson, allegedly stole confidential information and valuable artwork from Southwestern. Patterson is also accused of diverting millions in donations to his own nonprofit after Southwestern fired him.
In response to CBN’s statement and his father’s resignation, Jonathan Merritt tweeted: “Christianity is not for the faint of heart, folks. Jesus asks us to love all—even fundamentalists who rage at the mere thought of the Other. Praying for the CBN that they would come to know the God whose name is Love. Mt 5:44”
Today, James Merritt appeared to take aim at his critics, tweeting: “. . . If you fear God exclusively you don’t have to fear unjust criticism, outright lies, or hypocritical judgmentalism of Pharisaical bullies.” He also tweeted, “There are two words that are sweet to my ear these days and both start with the letter ‘M.’ As a golfer you like the word ‘Mulligan.’ As one on Twitter You really like the word ‘mute.’”
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20 Responses
The same Paul who tells us not to fellowship with darkness (Eph. 5) is the same one who declares so long as Christ is preached, the messenger and motive doesn’t matter (Phil. 1). I long for the day that we as believers (SBC in particular) learn to hold two truths in tension. It seems to me that the goal of the fundamental right is to rid the world of sinners. Well, good luck with that.
I think you’re right. And they should start with themselves and the logs in their own eyes.
If I have a log in my eye but all my friends and family do is provide me with support to keep the log in my eye, then where can the Gospel be applied with any effect if no one will state the obvious? If I can’t see the log as an example of sin, then how can I repent?
I know I’m dirtied by sin every day, and I need to ask forgiveness every day and repent every day. That’s our condition this side of heaven. If I decide which sins I’ll acknowledge and which ones I won’t, then I’m really acknowledging that I’m still in my sin. What if I don’t know it? Isn’t our mission/mandate to call people to repent? Was Nathan the Prophet supposed to be supportive when he declared to David, “Thou art the man…”? Should Nathan have kept silent because he himself was a sinner? Is that the meaning of the verse in question? If so, then your own comment is self refuting.
Paul is quite specific about the particular range of motives and it did not include touting a homosexual life.
If a person takes the time to explain his or her perversion that’s bad enough (if it’s private, it’s private), but to brandish it about with the ‘gay’ badge that automatically supports the ‘queer’ agenda, that’s not preaching Christ from envy.
I encourage you to read Peter Jones’ paper on Androgyny in JETS, 2000 I think it was published.
Agreed. The Bible is very, very clear cut regarding homosexuality as well as all other sins of the flesh. A person openly practicing homosexuality is utterly unqualified to preach in any venue, just as a practicing adulterer, practicing alcoholic, practicing child abuser, practicing drug abuser is also utterly unqualified. End of story. The key word is “practicing”.
This father is loving his son while making it clear he has not nor has ever condoned his son’s sin; much like what Christ does with us.
The fact that this bothers so many Christians should be eye-opening.
I will always support my children. If it costs me a ministerial position so be it. The SBC eats and devours its own on a regular basis imo. I applaud him for supporting his son. His resigning is to be admired IMO. He continues to love his son and the Seminary lost a former SBC President. No one is safe in the SBC from the attacks from within.
It’s pretty obvious that he resigned because as a pastor (who should know better) he called his son’s sermon brilliant and faithful to the gospel when in fact it was entirely blasphemous hinting that Jesus sinned when cursing the fig tree Mark 13.
In the sermon Jonathon
preached that Jesus was a “buzzkill” and Jesus was so “hungry that he grows grumpy” and that “Jesus over reacted when he cursed the fig tree”
Larry, Over reacted is not the same as hinting that Jesus sinned. Your comment and most of the others here are why I am done with religion, but not Jesus.
Tom Parker
I stated only the facts pertaining to the sermon. I made no comment on the matter to sway your opinion. So your point to create a “retort” by your personal reply to my facts totally missed the mark.
If you disagree with the sermon that is entirely different to disagreeing with me.
I too have a gay son whom I love.In no way do I condone his life style as a gay man. The simple truth is love the sinner but hate the sin. I love my son but I yes hate is a strong word but I do hate the sin.
Rise by the Tweet, fall by the Tweet.
No points for any of them, but best wishes.
I don’t know that I would call the elder Merritt’s actions sinful, but I consider them unwise. While it is true that we rejoice whenever Christ is preached, no matter the motive or messenger, I think it’s another thing altogether to promote a situation in which the message and the messenger are not aligned. The New Testament makes clear that both the message and the character of the message are important. That’s true whether it’s the bullying and abuse of James McDonald or the embrace of disordered sexuality by Jonathan Merritt.
Many years ago I came out as an idolater, an adulterer at heart, a thief, a lier, covetous, dishonoring of my parents, and on and on. In other words, I came out as a rank sinner desperately in need of forgiveness. Thankfully, we serve a God who specializes in lost causes. I still had to agree with Him concerning my sin and repent. I wish my own earthly father had loved me enough to tell me the truth of my condition.
Peter Hays,
I imagine James Merritt has shared with his son his views/convictions on the matter.
so then what? what is it you are expecting him to do?
what is the problem?
Scottie, sadly I expect many expect him to abandon his son. Would they take their own advice?
I don’t expect him to abandon his son. Let me ask you if you believe his son is regenerated or not given his choices? If you do then I find that curious given the multiple verses that address the issue.
If he is in an unregenerate state due to his choices and does not repent, then at some point his father will be separated from him forever anyway. That is a bleak future to not look forward to. At some point God abandons us to our own willful choices. Roman’s 1:24
I don’t expect him to abandon him at all. What in anything I said would lead you to believe that?
I would expect that he would be heartbroken and pray fervently for his son’s repentance. I wouldn’t expect him to direct people to a sermon his son wrote anymore than I would direct people to the ministry of a pastor who admitted to sexual sin. At one point he was a hero for me, but I would no longer direct people to any material by Ravi Zacharias.
I have a son who I support, but I can’t support any lifestyle he chooses. Should I be supportive of my son if he had a wife and decided he wanted to be part of the swinger lifestyle? I would always love him and.pray fervently for him, but I’m also called to train him up. There comes a point where being “supportive” isn’t really loving. Loving and supportive aren’t synonymous here. His eternal destiny is what’s at stake.
I mentioned my own father because he never spoke of eternal thiings with me. I wish he had. Much of my life might have been different. I needed to hear very hard things. I desperately needed to know I was separated from God and destined for a very bleak eternity.
You asked what’s the problem? The problem is God. We all have a very big God problem that can’t go unsolved.
Agreed and I believe you captured the heart of the issue.
Gordon:
A very sensible reply. Thank you.