Since 1979, fundamentalists have inexorably gained power in the biggest and richest U.S. Protestant denomination, the 15 million-member Southern Baptist Convention. Last year the rightward tilt was affirmed when fundamentalist Morris Chapman of Texas was elected president over Georgia's Daniel Vestal, leader of the moderates. Fundamentalists (who prefer to be called conservatives) have since piled pressure on Baptist seminaries to teach the literal historical accuracy of the Bible. They have also sacked recalcitrant officials like Lloyd Elder, head of the Sunday School Board, the huge denominational publishing house based in Nashville.
This week in Atlanta, Vestal will preside as thousands of...
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