Journal: Central Bible Quarterly
Volume: CENQ 07:2 (Summer 1964)
Article: A Two-Party System?
Author: Warren Vanhetloo

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CenQ 7:2 (Summer 1964) p. 31

A Two-Party System?

Warren Vanhetloo

Central Conservative Baptist Theological Seminary, Minneapolis

Dr. Vincent Brushwyler, General Director of the Conservative Baptist Foreign Mission Society, recently wrote of what he called a “conflict of ideology” in the Conservative Baptist movement, and he labeled the representatives of that ideology which had elected Rev. Orval Byrd of Luverne, Minnesota, to the CBFMS Board in October 1961 as “extreme separatists,” a name which has been used by others since.

The-political vote in the state of Minnesota is confusing because there is no consistent use of the labels “Republican” or “Democrat,” but “Conservative” and “Liberal” are used on the local level, and. “Democrat-Farm-Labor” is different from the conservative “Democrats.” Americans are proud of the two-party system and are disturbed over news of revolt and revolution in other lands where the two-party system has not been accepted. -So long as all operate properly within the framework of the Constitution, two parties stimulate and correct each other. Similarly, within the framework of the Conservative Baptist movement, there may well be room for a two-party system; it is not necessarily destructive or bad to have a conflict of ideology in the movement.

If Dr. Brushwyler is right, would it not be helpful to attempt to identify the two opinions, being specific as to who stands on each side and what each group is promoting?

Identification As To Labels

Names may be either chosen by proponents or assigned by enemies. Those who first proposed a shift in evangelical theology spoke of theirs as a “new evangelicalism.” They and others have continued using that label, though some prefer merely the one word “evangelical,” thinking that the position is the unchanged emphasis of a former generation and so not “new.” Whichever name they prefer for themselves, those of the “New Evangelical” point of view have now labeled their Biblical opposition as “extreme separatism.” Proponents would prefer the historic name “Evangelical separatism”. or “Biblical separatism” {II Cor. 6:14–18), admitting that separation is the crux of the differences in ideology. Through the. years they have’ referred to their position as “hard-core,” as indicating that it was the initial position of the Conservative Baptist movement. The word “Fundamentalist” has been used by both groups, but is currently scorned by most “New Evangelicals.”

Identification Of The Leaders

Complete identification of all who .have declared their convictions, regarding these ideologies is not possible here. So far as the writer knows, he is...

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