Beth Moore’s split from the Southern Baptist Convention prompted lament from many SBC leaders and led some to wonder if her exit will cause others to do the same. The Bible study author and teacher said in March she is no longer tied to Lifeway Christian Resources after 25 years of partnership with the Southern Baptist publisher.
“I am still a Baptist, but I can no longer identify with Southern Baptists,” Moore told Religion News Service. “I love so many Southern Baptist people, so many Southern Baptist churches, but I don’t identify with some of the things in our heritage that haven’t remained in the past.”
Moore has spoken often in recent years about the SBC’s need for repentance and change around racism. She is also an advocate for victims of sexual abuse and has been critical of sexist attitudes toward women, including the behavior of former President Donald Trump. In 2019, she was at the center of a controversy over women’s roles after she suggested on Twitter she planned to speak at a church on Mother’s Day.
The controversies affected Moore’s book sales and attendance at her live events, RNS reported. From fiscal year 2017 to fiscal year 2019, her Living Proof Ministries lost more than $1.8 million. Moore had planned for her events in 2020 to be a farewell tour with Lifeway, but most were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lifeway will continue to carry Moore’s books and promote some live events.
As the news of her departure broke online, some Southern Baptist leaders reacted to the news with sorrow and concern over what Moore’s exit means for the denomination.
“I am grieved anytime someone who believes in the inerrant Scripture, shares our values, and desires to cooperate says that they do not feel at home in our convention,” said SBC President J.D. Greear in a multi-part Twitter thread about Moore. Texas pastor Phillip Bethancourt, former executive vice president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, noted how Moore had often encouraged others to “keep going” amid various trials. “So, when she leaves the SBC because she can no longer say ‘keep going!’ to the denomination that shaped her, that should have our attention,” he tweeted. “Don’t we need to do some soul searching?”
Not all leaders were disappointed by Moore’s exit. “Beth Moore is a perfect example of what is wrong with the SBC,” wrote Tom Buck, a Texas pastor who has been critical of Moore’s positions. “If the SBC were healthy, the RNS story would not have been that Beth Moore had severed ties with Lifeway, but that Lifeway had severed ties with Beth Moore.”
Moore’s departure adds more potential controversy to an SBC annual meeting already shaping up to be one of its more contentious gatherings in recent memory. Wheaton College’s Ed Stetzer tweeted that “the convention mtg in Nashville must decide if they want leaders who (continue to) drive others out OR those who build up. Time to decide.” Stetzer also noted Moore will be teaching a course this summer on “The Life and Leadership of the Bible Teacher,” through Wheaton’s partnership with the ministry Propel Women.
Moore told RNS, “I am going to serve whoever God puts in front of me.”
Some national media reports about the departure focused on whether women who grew up attending her Bible studies and learning from her will follow her out of the SBC. After the announcement, many posted on social media about her influence and legacy, including popular teacher and author Jen Wilkin. “Thank you, @BethMooreLPM for the light you carry, for the compassion that drives you, for the steadfastness that marks you,” Wilkin said on Twitter. “I wouldn’t be teaching today if I hadn’t seen you do it first. I might have given up if I hadn’t seen you persevere. What a debt we owe you.”