October 8, 2025

Distraction - Dilution – Decline

Once upon a time, most of the Baptist Churches in this country cooperated together for missions and church planting. That unity was broken in the time leading up to the Civil War. There was now a Southern Baptist Convention and a Northern Baptist Convention. The churches in the south were dead wrong about the issue of slavery. The churches in the north viewed the cause of emancipation as a spiritual and political issue. Churches throughout the north sang Julia Ward Howe’s famous song, “Battle Hymn of the Republic” which she wrote as a staunch abolitionist. The Union Army won. Slavery was eradicated. The northern churches were vindicated and it appeared that God’s truth was marching on.

A great deal of effort went into this cause and more was needed. Churches in the north began sending people to the south to help former slaves learn how to read and write so they could take advantage of their freedom. Winning the war was only a step to a much larger social situation. But in the north, the churches felt like they could take the country for God. With the right political persons and legislation, this country could help usher in the kingdom of God. So, the next great cause they took on was the sale and consumption of alcohol. Flush with victory over slavery, the new mission of the church was the eradication of alcohol. It took an enormous amount of work, but finally, the 18th Amendment was passed and in 1920, the temperance movement succeeded in outlawing the manufacturing, sale and transportation of alcoholic beverages in the United States. Once again, the social cause championed by the northern churches was successful. But at what cost?

Over time, the Baptist and Methodist churches in the north focused more and more efforts on political and social issues. Their short-term wins fueled their efforts to put more attention on these matters but with those issues getting the bulk of attention from the pulpits, the gospel was neglected. Political issues distracted the churches from the gospel. In place of the biblical gospel, a social gospel emerged.

Ironically, the Baptist churches in the south, while wrong on the issue of slavery, for the most part continued to preach the gospel. The Northern Baptist Convention and American Baptist Convention went from distraction to dilution and then into such significant decline that neither denomination can hardly be found any more. When Detroit and other northern cities were the recipients of people moving here for jobs in the 40’s and 50’s, many of these southerners brought the gospel with them. Since they could not find faithful churches here, they started their own.

As citizens in this country, we have the opportunity to be salt and light and we should seek to leverage that influence, but how? Voting? Sure. Understanding political issues and trends and being informed? Sure. But be careful. It is so easy for good things like that to become distractions from the best things. The church bows to Jesus, alone, not to a political power, nor to a political agenda. If your pursuit of a political position is pitting you against brothers and sisters in Christ you are being played. “…we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.” 2 Cor:2.11

Satan does not care how he destroys our unity, only that he does. Satan does not care how he gets you distracted from the gospel, only that he does. Satan does not care how he gets us off our primary mission, only that he does. Be on your guard that you do not allow your pursuit of what you think is good to be used against what God has established to accomplish the ultimate good.

Grace and peace,

Bob

Sunday’s Text: Luke 15:1-7