Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Announces $5,000,000 in Reparations to Black Students, Promise to Show Partiality
The flagship seminary of the Southern Baptist Convention has announced millions of dollars in scholarships to be doled out exclusively to black students, in a move of “Al-firmative” action they hope will stave off further criticism that the seminary and yea, even the whole convention is racist.
SBTS announced in a press release:
Trustees of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary unanimously voted not to remove the names of the school’s founders from several campus buildings, but embraced steps to lament the institution’s racial history and provide up to $5 million in scholarships for African American students over the next few years.
The school’s founders, James P. Boyce, John Broadus, Basil Manly Jr. and William Williams, apart from being excellent exegetes of the word, also happened to be slave owners, resulting in a longstanding push by critics to have their names removed from positions of prominence.
The release also notes that the board approved four motions, with three of particular note:
1. SBTS will continue to express lament over the sinful dimensions of its legacy—including slavery and racism—and pledged to be an ever more faithful servant of the body of Christ in the education of faithful Christian ministers.
2. Beginning with the 2022-2023 academic year, SBTS will set aside $1 million of endowed and restricted funds as an endowment to assist qualified black students at SBTS through the Garland Offutt Scholars Program, honoring the legacy of the seminary’s first African-American full graduate. Additionally, the seminary will set aside $1 million for this fund every three years until a goal of $5 million is reached. “We hope to assist in the development of African American pastors and theologians and scholars and leaders by means of this historic new initiative,” Mohler said. These funds will be in addition to the current scholarship and student aid programs of the Seminary.
3. Leadership pledged to become more faithful in telling the seminary’s story, and the founders’ story with accuracy and biblical witness. The 2018 report on slavery and racism in Southern’s history is a starting point. “There is always more to learn about how to tell our story most faithfully,” Mohler said.
While we understand that Al Mohler and the board would bristle at this monetary offering being called “reparations,” it is hard to understand it as anything but. There are a lot of poor white students and other visible minorities out there who likewise were not slaves, whose parents were not slaves, or even whose grandparents who were not slaves who could really use these scholarships, but because of the color of their skin, SBTS has deemed them not black enough to apply.
Even open proponents of reparations like Ron Burns (aka Thabiti Anyabwile) see this for what it is.
If they don’t want them being called “reparations” the only other description we could think of would be “indulgences.” SBTS is spending $5,000,000 in indulgences to gain themselves entry into the good graces of the wokefolk and to alleviate their temporal suffering caused by the burning criticism of progressives and critical race theorists. They might even update the jingle, if they were so inclined: “As soon as a coin in the coffer rings, a black student from SBTS springs.”
Of course, if the leadership at SBTS thinks that a measly $5,000,000 is enough to silence the critics or satiate their hunger, they have made a terminal miscalculation. Rather than allay and satisfy the beast, they used donations from churches to chum the waters for the next inevitable feeding frenzy.
This will never be enough, and the seminary will have to go back to this well over and over again. Rather than trying to placate the unplacatable, they have further alienated those they cannot afford to lose.
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What a joke. So much for “there is neither jew nor Greek…..”
Exactly. So now even the Southern Baptists are going liberal. They avoided the massive exodus from main line denominational churches precisely because they stood steadfast in their faith to Biblical principles, now they face a similar exodus.
I agree and the exodus from the Assemblies of God isn’t far behind.
That is Stupid & outrageous, that SBTS is doing that !!
My generation, & younger generations are NOT responsible for the Actions of what happened to Slaves !!
It’s like we are held accountable for their Sins!
This is Not what God said in His Word that we are accountable for Sins of Any Generation !!!
But yet SBTS is going Against God , they have Compromise with Satan and the World !!
You are 100% correct.
The God of the Bible visits the sins on the fathers upon the children for generations.
Ezekiel 18, Jeremiah 31, and Romans 5-7 all make clear that each will die for their own sins. One remark in Exodus 34:7 about generations is better thought of as describing original sin in Adam, which does affect us all equally.
These people are actually a fool’s idea of a fool. What the article says about it never being enough is true and will likely lead to bankruptcy, which SBTS deserves.
Hopefully, this will lead to the end of the seminary and Mohler’s career. Sure wish James White would start stop talking him up and mentioning that he still listens to Mohler’s podcast.
I can’t help but think of past Ligonier conferences that featured Burns and Ravi Zacharias along with Ligon Dunkin and Al Mohler as speakers and wonder if RC would regret it all now since all these guys have been exposed.
One more thing: why is it that all these woke Warriors don’t care at all about modern day chattel slavery that goes on in Africa and the sexual slavery that also occurs all over the world? Seems like people can always find another scam, doesn’t it?
The only thing discriminating against all non-black students will do for this godless institution is give its leftist white guilt-plagued administration the warm and fuzzies, while generating needed and entirely appropriate lawsuits.
Currently my caucasian arse identifies as African American. . To whom do I make my application for my free money?
I sure am glad I’m not a Southern Baptist. What a pack of stupid they have running things.
It’s time for all members of the S.B.C. to leave. Home church or find another denomination.
Bob, seriously for those of us who want to leave the SBC, where do you recommend we go?
Why is it always time for whites to beg forgiveness and do penance, and never time for blacks to forgive? “But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.“- Jesus of Nazareth
If I was a black student, I would be embarrassed to receive this scholarship. I would want to receive it because of my merit, not because of my color. This is a classic example of “white guilt.”
Given your history, I’m guessing there really isn’t any money you wouldn’t turn down. Jump, hireling!
I’m sorry to say, as a 1989 graduate of Southern Seminary, the seminary and the SBC continue their slide to decline. I’m not sure what the court options would be being it’s a private institution. But funds and donations can certainly be held from the school.