Crossing the Line...Chronological Overview

Crossing the Line...
Chronological Overview

The following indicates but a few of the matters related to the radical Fundamentalist takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention.

1964 Pressler initiates liberal hunt in the SBC.

1968 Formation of Luther Rice Seminary at Jacksonville,
Florida

1970 Establishment of Criswell College at Dallas, Texas

1971 Mid-America Seminary launched at Memphis,
Tennessee

1972 "There is no Liberal drift in the SBC"-
W. A. Criswell

1972      Hard-line Fundamentalists' initial effort to gain control
              of the SBC at its Annual Meeting, Philadelphia,
              Pennsylvania

1972 Systemic slander launched against most visible SBC
leaders and all SBC institutions, boards and agencies.

1977      Paul Pressler and Paige Patterson meet at Cafe'
              Monde, New Orleans, Louisiana. Planning of the
              SBC takeover was begun.

1978 Widespread untruths against SBC entities intensified.

1978 Initial introduction of Presslerism at SBC Pastors
Conference

1979 Hundreds of additional liberal hunt meetings held
across the SBC.

1979 Political compromising of SBC Pastors Conference
begun

1979 Political control of SBC Annual Meeting at Houston
engineered by Pressler.

1980      Launching of the Southern Baptist Advocate
              subsequently spawns many additional hard-line
              Fundamentalist publications.

1980      Scores of additional liberal hunt public meetings
              begun, typified by Paul Pressler's going for the jugular
              of the SBC.

1983      Hard-line Fundamentalists foster spying in the
              classroom; Pressler's illegal recording of a telephone
              conversation.

1984 "Separation of church and state is the figment of an
infidel's imagination" - W. A. Criswell

1985 Patterson suggests SBC Trustee control over the
WMU.

1985 Patterson's widely trumpeted "heresy file" proved to
be fictitious.

1985 Character assassination of W. Winfred Moore begun

1985      Unauthorized use of Billy Graham's name to maintain
              control of the SBC at its annual meeting at Dallas,
              Texas

1985 Paul Pressler/Reconstructionism leader's taped
interview

1986 The inerrancy thing - Patterson

1986 Transformation: "Pastor as Ruler" - W. A. Criswell

1986 Political corruption of the Pastors Conference
completed.

1987      CBS Television - Pressler, Land and Young:
              "Our SBC institutions were devoid of persons who
              believed traditional Christian beliefs."

1987 Opponents of hard-line Fundamentalism labeled
infidels and half-infidels - W. A. Criswell

1987 "There will be a bloodletting" - Kart Davis

1987 Peace Committee deliberations dominated by
hard-line Fundamentalists.

1988 "Pastoral Authority" Resolution - SBC San Antonio

1988      Slander against Richard A. Jackson at crescendo
              level. Outcome of SBC vote for president: Jerry
              Vines - 50.43%. Richard Jackson 49.57%.

1989 Clandestine hard-line Fundamentalist meetings at
Atlanta

1989 Character assassination of Daniel G. Vestal initiated.

1990 "Victory in Jesus" celebration... Cafe' Monde,
New Orleans

1990      Armed guards prevent Baptists from observing SBC
              Executive Committee firing of Al Shackleford and
              Dan Martin.

1992 Rogers hosted "Bellevue Plan" to seize 40 State Conventions.

1992 All SBC officers elected by fewer than 1/10th of 1%
of the Baptist people.

1992 Seizure of Republican Party by various hard-line
Fundamentalists begun.

1992 Pressler's imperialistic demand: Election to the
Foreign Missions Board. -- Parks out

1993      Three identical control or else WMU resolutions
              adopted by SBC Executive Committee, Home
              Missions Board and Foreign Mission Board.

1993      Allocation of $750,000 by SBC Executive
              Committee, seemingly to accelerate demise of State
              Convention papers

1993 Prohibition of CBF participants to serve in any SBC
capacity

1994      Russell H. Dilday firing. Because he was elected by
              the Fundamentalist faction as president of the
              Southern Baptist Convention, and subsequently, was
              named president of the SBC Sunday School Board,
              Dr. James T. Draper, Jr., wrote a revealing
              description of Fundamentalism:

"Fundamentalism is more dangerous than Liberalism because everything is done in the name of the Lord. In the name of the Lord, the Fundamentalist condemns all who disagree with him ... he uses the Bible as a club with which to beat people over the head, rather than a means of personal strength and a revealer of God. To the Fundamentalist, the test of fellowship is correct doctrine. If you do not agree with his doctrinal position, he writes you off and will not have fellowship with you. There is no room in his world for those who have a different persuasion. He feels threatened by diverse convictions and writes them off as sinister and heretical. As long as you support his position, he is with you. Cross him, and he has no use whatever for you ... the Fundamentalist tactic is simple: hatred, bitterness, and condemnation of all whom they despise ... In the name of the Lord they will launch vehement attacks on individuals and churches. In the name of the Lord they attempt to assassinate the character of those whom they oppose. They direct their attack most often on other Christian leaders with whom they found disagreement."

--James T. Draper,

May 2001