Accounts on social media indicate that a controversial set of stained glass figures have been removed from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, a Southern Baptist institution, in Texas.
One of the most offensive things about Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary – other than enrolling Muslims in the school designed to train Christian ministers – is the stained glass windows that are installed at that MacGorman Chapel. One of the figures includes the (largely disgraced) Judge Paul Pressler and, even more atrociously, Rick Warren.
The Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SWBTS) website said at the time that the figures enshrined in stained glass were pivotal in assisting the Conservative Resurgence, the movement in the Southern Baptist Convention several decades ago that removed leaders (like Russell Moore is now) who were turning the convention into another mainstream, liberal ball of hell-bent compromise. Figures in the stained glass at the SWBTS chapel also include Adrian Rogers, W.A. Criswell, Jimmy Draper, and most oddly, Rick Warren.
Paige Patterson, one of the last remaining remnants of conservatism at Southern Baptist institutions (other leaders like Albert Mohler, Jason Allen, Danny Akin, Thom Rainer, and David Platt, who formerly was president of the IMB, have gone “full woke,” almost entirely abandoning the Gospel in their focus and drifting instead to the doctrines of Social Justice) was taken out of office as president of SWBTS during the #ChurchToo Movement. This movement, led by feminists like Beth Moore and Karen Swallow Prior and is ultimately aimed at promoting egalitarianism and female clergy, targeted Patterson for not handling allegations of sexual abuse aggressively enough.
Although these allegations have largely been overblown and unsubstantiated (and denied by Patterson) woke SWBTS trustees like Bart Barber thrust the knife of political correctness into Patterson’s back even further, ending his tenure at the institution. Patterson was replaced by Adam Greenway, the Dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism, and Ministry at the newly-woke Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS).
Pulpit & Pen has criticized the stained glass at SWBTS for many years, especially the figure of Rick Warren, which unlike the other figures, had nothing to do with the Conservative Resurgence. However, one must wonder if the decision to remove the stained glass is to help remove any vestiges of the once-great Conservative Resurgence.
Whether for good or bad, this move is positive; SWBTS is changing.
That change might just be a mixed bag. Time will tell.
