On May 18 Pastor Jess Smith preached his last sermon at Mount Zion Baptist Church in Monrovia, near Huntsville in Madison Association. On May 25 Smith preached his first sermon a few miles away at what will become Providence Baptist Church
The core of his new congregation comes from Mount Zion.
While several issues contributed to Smith’s departure from Mount Zion, George Faust, chairman of the deacons at Mount Zion, noted Smith’s stance on predestination was an important factor.
Dale Huff, director of the office of LeaderCare and church administration at the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, says that when predestination is taught from the perspective of a “pure Calvinist,” it causes problems, because it is contrary to what most Southern Baptists have always believed.
“Purer Calvinism says that God has chosen some for salvation and some for damnation (the tenet of election) and that Jesus died only for the elect (the tenet of limited atonement),” explained Huff. “Southern Baptists believe in God’s sovereignty, but they also believe that man is given the free will to choose salvation or resist it, and that Jesus died for everyone.”
As a result of Smith’s leaving Mount Zion, the church adopted a resolution calling for spiritual healing and emotional reconciliation within the church.
Faust also noted that plans to form a search committee were currently delayed until he knows how many of the 1,236 members plan to remain at Mount Zion.
Smith, who could not be reached for comment after numerous attempts, was pastor of Mount Zion for 39 months.
(TAB)
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