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Prominent Black pastor pondering exit from Southern Baptists

Southern Baptists-Race
Posted at 9:07 AM, Jan 24, 2021
and last updated 2021-01-24 09:10:17-05

As a student in college and seminary, then as a pastor in Texas, Dwight McKissic has been affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention for more than 45 years.

Now he’s pondering whether he and his congregation should break away — following in the footsteps of several other Black pastors who exited in dismay over race-related actions of some white SBC leaders.

A crucial moment could come in June at the SBC’s national meeting in Nashville, Tennessee, if delegates rebuff their views on systemic racism in the U.S., and if Rev. Albert Mohler, a high-profile conservative who heads the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, is elected SBC president.

McKissic says he’s ready to leave the white-dominated denomination if delegates rebuff views shared by many Black SBC pastors related to systemic racism in the U.S.