- Heather Sells joins usnow with more on this.

Heather, what kind ofreaction have you seen so far

to Beth Moore's announcement?

- Well, Wendy you know alot of women in the church,

both within the denomination and out,

know her from her Bible Studies.

So a lot of conversationon social media today

about what's going on,both for and against her.

We also got comments from two of the top

Southern Baptist leaders today.

Dr. Ronnie Floyd says thatMoore has had an immeasurable

positive influence on the Convention.

And both he and President JD Greer say

they are saddened by her leaving.

They're committed to unityaround the Great Commission

and they are all lookingforward to see what will happen

with this conversationat the annual meeting

in Nashville in June.

Wendy.

- All right, thank you somuch, Heather, for that.

And Dr. Ed Stetzer, wholeads the Wheaton College

Billy Graham Center, joins usnow with more on this as well.

Dr. Stetzer, thanks somuch for being with us.

- Thank you, Wendy.

- Southern Baptist leaders,leaving the denomination

over political issues like race.

How concerned do we need to be about this?

- Well, I think Southern Baptist leaders

should be very concerned.

I think when you seeconsistent and prominent

African-American leadersdeparting the denomination,

saying that their concernsaren't being heard,

saying that they're not feeling welcomed.

And now you have the mostprominent woman leader

in the denomination leaving,I think it's a cause

for concern and needs tobe some self-reflection.

How did Southern Baptists get here?

And why are so many people leaving the

Southern Baptist Convention right now?

- You have some deep SouthernBaptist roots yourself

and you're calling for hard conversations

about why leaders are leaving,as you just mentioned.

What do you think is thebest way forward here?

- Yeah, so I thinkultimately this convention,

you know the Southern Baptistsgather usually every year.

COVID paused that, butgathering in Nashville,

I think there'll be an important election.

Southern Baptists have to decideif they wanna have leaders

that keep driving peopleout, that keep narrowing

the parameters of cooperation,or if they can actually

elect some leaders whoare building bridges,

who are working towards unity.

Now don't misunderstand.

The Southern BaptistConvention controversy is not

between liberals and conservatives here.

There are no liberals in theSouthern Baptist Convention.

It's between people who mighthave different approaches

to conversations about race and politics.

And if those can't bethings where we agree

on a common gospel, have a common passion

to reach the world for Christ,

but we disagree on who we voted for

or we disagree on the bestway forward in a racial

reconciliation or racialjustice conversation,

if that can't be a place where the Gospel

brings us together, then the Gospel is not

what brought us togetherin the first place.

It's something else.

And I think that's being laid bare

in some of these conversations.

- Dr. Stetzer, you've beenfollowing what's happening

in the Methodist denomination as well.

Do you think a split is theway to go at this point?

- Yeah, I think ultimately that that's

what's been recommended.

There was actually agroup that worked on this

and brought forward some recommendations,

then like so many other groups, COVID,

and then they've actuallybeen delayed again.

So I think the Global Methodist Church,

which will probably come outof the United Methodist Church,

will actually reflectmore evangelical values,

evangelical, Armenian, Wesleyan values.

They have already articulateda desire to have a passion

for church planting,for evangelism and more.

The reality is the United Methodist Church

is deeply fragmented and divided.

Some of it's more like amainline Protestant denomination,

progressive on theologicaland cultural issues

and a whole lot aren't.

And many of those wanna getforward with the Gospel work

of showing and sharing the love of Jesus

through church planting and evangelism,

calling women and men torepent, trust and follow Jesus.

So I think that's probablyan inevitable conclusion.

The global nature of it isa reminder that Methodists

around the worldtheologically far more aligned

with what will probably becomethe Global Methodist Church.

Now often connected with theWesleyan Covenant Association

in United Methodists andglobally, I think that movement

will move forward withwhat evangelicals would see

as the continuedpropagation of the Gospel.

- Okay, real quick, last question.

The backdrop behindall these church issues

is, of course, the pandemic.

What's your encouragement topastors, as we go forward?

- Yeah, I mean, we're notfar from seeing some degree

of the light at the end of the tunnel.

And I think ultimately manyChristians and churches

have stood up, stoodout and stood in the gap

in the midst of this very difficult time.

Let me encourage pastorsand church leaders,

don't grow weary in well-doing,keep showing and sharing

the love of Jesus because, ultimately,

two, three, four years fromnow, people are gonna look back

and I hope they say whatwas said of Christians

years and years ago.

Eusebius, the famous church historian said

that after a plague, the Christians'

"deeds were on everyone's lips

"and they glorified theGod of the Christians."

My hope and prayer is thatpeople will see us showing

and sharing the love of Jesus and indeed

will call upon the onewho can save them as well.

- Amen.Good word.

All right, thank you so much,Dr. Stetzer, for your time.

We appreciate it.

- Thank you.