Baptists denounce ‘alt-right’ movement at annual convention

Southern Baptists on Wednesday approved a resolution condemning the “alt-right” white supremacy movement as “antithetical to the gospel of Jesus Christ.” The resolution won nearly unanimous support after a tumultuous 24 hours of debate among delegates to the denomination’s annual convention and the wider evangelical community. The furor started Tuesday when the resolutions committee declined to forward to delegates a measure submitted by Cornerstone Baptist Church pastor Dwight McKissic. After an emotional plea from McKissic on the convention floor and a wide backlash on social media, the committee agreed to forward a new resolution Wednesday. After it passed, delegates stood to applaud. McKissic, who is African-American, said he was encouraged “to see so many Southern Baptists take a courageous stand” and for a generation of them to say, “We will not take this sitting down.” The Southern Baptist Convention has a long history of supporting racism and has worked hard in recent decades to distance itself from the past. McKissic noted many “alt-right” adherents claim to be Southern Baptists. They also strongly support President Donald Trump, forming another link to members of the Christian community who backed the president. Support for Trump sparked another debate among Baptists earlier this year when several prominent pastors publicly chastised Russell Moore, president of the SBC’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, for his criticism of the president.

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