Seth Udinski, FISM News
On the eve of one of its most important conferences in years, the Southern Baptist Convention has lost one of its most influential leaders. Last month, Dr. Russell Moore announced that he would be leaving his position as president of the SBC’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission.
Moore affirms the theological and biblical convictions of the SBC, but he was one of the few American high-profile conservative theologians who openly resisted and criticized the campaign and presidency of President Donald Trump. Some will argue that famous female Bible teacher Beth Moore (no marital or familial affiliation to Russell Moore) was another, but she has proven through her words and tweets to be much more liberal, both politically and theologically, than she once appeared. Unlike Beth, Russell Moore has continued to uphold conservative ideals, but like Beth, he also is moving away from his home denomination, in both a personal and clerical way.
This past week, news broke that Dr. Moore is now the minister in residence at Immanuel Church in Nashville. Immanuel Nashville is part of the Acts 29 church plant network, a nationwide network of evangelical churches that claims fidelity to biblical doctrine while having no affiliation with any denomination. Pastor T.J. Tims sung Dr. Moore’s praises in his announcement of Moore’s new role:
Russell Moore is a man of tremendous integrity who has proven that his faith is not tethered to the changing winds of American politics or cultural trends.
Moore will also join the staff of Christianity Today as the full-time leader of the magazine’s Public Theology Project. The true reason behind Moore’s departure from a denomination that has remained faithful to Word of God may never be known. Hopefully, both Dr. Moore and the SBC will continue to serve the Kingdom of God faithfully, even as they have parted.
Meanwhile, the SBC prepares for a vital conference in the same city as Dr. Moore’s new church home.