Southern Baptist Seminary, Southwest, $12 Million in Debt, Enrollment Down 2/3

For all of its chest beating of being the largest Protestant denomination and having moral standards higher than any others, the Southern Baptist Convention is slipping every year. Membership has declined by 10% annually of decades. The "Largest Protestant Seminary," Southwestern, is no longer the largest. It has gone from 3,000 students to about 1,000. And, it's $12 million in debt. 

Southwestern is in the news mostly because a recently hired President up and resigned. He resignation statement hinted at problems that are unresolvable. That seems like the case of this seminary and it serves as a metaphor for much of Christianity. 

The seemingly unresolved dilemma is the unmovable puritanical members versus those more pragmatic. The more pragmatic represent better the general public which ultimately is the source of followers and money to keep the lights on. With the puritanical blocking the way for change the result are places like Southwestern Seminary sinking under water.

How could the largest seminary in the U.S. which is in the largest Protestant denomination in the U.S. become a shell of its former self? If we didn't need confirmation big changes are happening this is one. 

One thing I associate with the Southern Baptists is huge egos owned by self-important wind bags. The site Christian Post carries self-righteous columns be current and former Southern Baptist officials. Their ideas are right out of the 1950's. On top of that, they apparently are big spenders and that has contributed to the denomination's money problems. With a declining membership, one would think the emphasis would be on tightening the proverbial belt.

It seems inevitable the troubles in the Southern Baptist Convention have been exacerbated by Donald Trump and the laser focus on abortion. If one left these two forces out of the pictures, things might not look as dire as they do at this time.