One of the most respected and longest-tenured professors in the Southern Baptist Convention recently wrote a letter defending the Southwest Baptist University professor who was fired for caring about sound doctrine.
We previously brought to your attention the firing of Professor Bass, who was canned by Southwest Baptist University for even questioning whether or not a school dean and a few other faculty members were annihilationists and inclusivists. Despite their explicit denials afterward, Rodney Reeves and Zach Mannis are on audio espousing these heretical doctrines, and so it’s pretty hard at this point to deny. University president, Eric Turner, demanded to see Bass’ personal diary in which he detailed their heresies with documentation, and then fired him for “undermining the integrity of the institution.”
We then explained that in response to the outrage and an online petition demanding Bass be rehired, President Turner and the trustees passed the buck of responsibility to an outside panel (are they not capable of knowing the difference between heresy and orthodoxy?) to David Dockery, who is an ecumenist who considers Roman Catholics to be believers. In that post, we explained that this would be a kangaroo court and the outcome predetermined.
Bass continues to receive support from those concerned with orthodoxy, and perhaps the most notable (and respected) defender is Tom Nettles, a longtime SBTS professor (back before they became the hotbed of social justice liberalism) and Southern Baptist historian who is old enough to remember the Conservative Resurgence during his prime.
You can read Nettles’ letter below, or click here for the pdf.
Dr. Nettles’ letter speaks for itself and it was blistering, but polite.
By the way, I’d give somebody else’s left arm to find out what Nettles meant by Bass’ “involvement in a meddlesome congregation.” It sounds like maybe his church didn’t “know their place” in the scheme of things. If only I knew the details.
[Contributed by JD Hall]
PS. A reader sent us the following, regarding the “meddlesome congregation comment.” You can see the full pdf here. Take time to read the whole thing. SBU is a doctrinal cesspool, complete with a top-scum of cover-up.
