Abstracts Category : Other

Give me thatbig time religion: Adrian Rogers as a builder in the SouthernBaptist convention, at Bellevue Baptist Church, and with his radioministry Love Worth Finding, 1972-2005

by Graham M Weaver

As pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church from 1972 to 2005and three-time President of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC)in 1979 and 1986-1988, Adrian Rogers (1931-2005) played an integralrole in promoting inerrancy within the SBC. His actions not onlymoved the SBC in a more conservative direction, if not afundamentalist one, but also shifted Southern Baptists,politically, in the direction of the Republican Party. However,Rogerss role in the SBC went further than just politics. Hisinvolvement within the SBC, his leadership at Bellevue BaptistChurch and its eventual move to Cordova, Tennessee, suggest thatRogers was actually a builder. Love Worth Finding (LWF), haspreserved his legacy after his death in 2005. As a result, thisthesis argues that Adrian Rogers was not only a preacher, populargrassroots organizer within the SBC, or evangelist, but also abuilder. If it had not been for Rogers, the architecturalblueprint for the SBC would never have become a reality. WhenRogers became pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church, the church residedin midtown Memphis and had close to 9,000 members. By the time heretired in 2005, the church had 28,000 members and was located inCordova, Tennessee. Finally, Rogers launched LWF in the midst ofthe televangelist scandals of the late 1980s. Not only did LWFsurvive the unseemly televangelist fallout, it continues tobroadcast Rogerss sermons today.Advisors/Committee Members: Robert D. Linder.