This morning I sent a copy of my article Southern Baptist Pastor Ed Young, Jr.: Church Leadership Conference Not About Theology to Dr. Wiley Drake. The Lord was pleased to allow me to get to know Brother Wiley when he was kind enough to ask me if I wanted to share a statement concerning the Global Summit on Aids held by Rick Warren.

Today God afforded me the privilege of returning the favor concerning Ed Young Jr.’s upcoming Creative Church Conference 2007 where once again he is allowing T.D. Jakes, a man who denies the cardinal doctrine of the Holy Trinity–the very nature of God Himself–to once again preach in a local SBC church. And so I asked Dr. Drake:

Would you be willing to write a statement that I might turn into a short piece to then publish for you at Apprising Ministries and Christian Research Network? My brother it would be uplifting for those of us in the SBC who are standing for Biblical orthodoxy and still loving those in our fellowship who seem to be struggling with it such as Ed Young, Jr.

The Lord be praised as this is what Dr. Wiley Drake sent to me in response:

Blessings my dear warrior.

To Whom it may Concern:

A message from the heart of the 2nd Vice President of the SBC.

As many of you know I was elected as 2nd Vice President of The Southern Baptist Convention in June 2006.

I believe this was a move of God and I take my job very serious. While I am serving I will do all that I can to work towards what I call New Testament Unity. First of all let me say that this is in no way ecumenical, as we all know that as a negative term.

In our diversity we must remain on the constant alert not only to be orthodox, but to be careful in our orthopraxy.

Let me give you an example of what I mean. I told my friend and brother Clayton Trotter, who is the Chief counsel of The Justice Foundation, the following statement as an example. Using him and me in this example is in no way to honor either of us. Hear is what I said……………

“I do not know of anyone who is more Southern Baptist than I am, the good, the bad, and the ugly. On the other hand I do not know of any Charismatic who is more charismatic than Clayton Trotter.”

With this in mind I know that Jesus knows, that despite our little differences, for more than 4 years Clayton Trotter and Wiley Drake have worked together with this type of New Testament Unity. We have loved each other, worked together, and prayed together with probably more Southern Baptist and Charismatics than any one else in the world.

I am simply asking God, “if Clayton and Wiley can do it, why not more in His Kingdom?”

Remember there has never been a more diverse group than the early Church, but they had a reputation of “my how they love one another”. They were also great soul winners while they discussed circumcision, baptisms, Church polity, and worship practices.

Remember though they were all orthodox in their basic theology. We too should remember that today as we attempt to work together.

With this orthodoxy and orthopraxy in mind let me speak to the issue of a pastor who does not believe in the orthodox teaching of the Holy Trinity.

It is my understanding that TD Jakes does not believe as we believe in The Holy Trinity. It is also my understanding that a Southern Baptist pastor, Ed Young Jr., has invited Mr. Jakes to the pulpit of the Church he is the shepherd of.

As 2nd Vice President of the SBC, I can not tell a pastor or Local Church what to do.

On the other hand I would not be doing my job before the SBC that elected me, and more important before my Lord, if I did not say to the pastor and the Church,

“what you are doing in this matter violates the Word of God.”

I will pray for the local church and her pastor, and the leadership conference. To all of those who are invited to the conference I would simply ask you to follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit.

We need more pastors, and churches that are about Holy Spirit purpose and following the Biblical example of leadership.

Leadership, no matter how famous, or how attractive, without orthodoxy and orthopraxy leads to hell.