A Pastoral Lesson from Mr. Southern Baptist
Arguably, the most influential Southern Baptists in the 20th century were E. Y. Mullins, Herschel Hobbs, and the key players of the Conservative Resurgence (Adrian Rogers, Paul Pressler, and Paige Patterson). I would not suggest that these men’s influence were entirely positive, but I would suggest that no men had greater impact in the 20th century on the SBC than these men. As such, Southern Baptists of the 21st century should study the ministry of these men, seeking to embrace their positive qualities while correcting any negative qualities which we may find. The rest of this article seeks to illustrate this with Herschel Hobbs.
Herschel H. Hobbs (1907-1995) was nicknamed “Mr. Southern Baptist,” a name well earned through his many years of faithfully serving Southern Baptists. As a pastor, Hobbs served congregations in Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Alabama, and Oklahoma. As an author, Hobbs wrote over 150 books for Southern Baptists. Additionally, Hobbs wrote countless articles for state papers and the Sunday School Board (now LifeWay). Finally, as a denominational leader, Hobbs served on numerous influential boards and committees. However, Hobbs’ greatest contribution on the denominational level was when he served as president of the Southern Baptist Convention (1961-1963) and chaired the committee that revised the “Baptist Faith and Message” in 1963.
While Hobbs’ service to Southern Baptists is celebrated, at the same time it is fair to criticize some of Hobbs’ weaknesses as well, such as his published views on sanctification, the nature of the local church, and the use of confessions. Additionally, those of the Reformed persuasion disagree with his commitment to what is perhaps best described as 1-point Calvinism.
Despite these weaknesses, however, pastors and aspiring pastors can learn much from this faithful pastor and denominational statesman. Specifically, I would like to point out that Hobbs, in many ways, was the epitome of what it means to be a pastor-theologian. In describing this, I will allow one of my favorite Southern Baptists, Dr. David S. Dockery, to testify about Hobbs. As Dockery writes:
[Hobbs'] leadership style and pastoral emphasis were reflected in his theology as well. Hobbs was a thoroughgoing biblicist, a well-educated and capable biblical interpreter, and a theologian for the church. He saw his role as one to interpret scholars and theologians to pastors and laity and also to interpret pastors and laity to theologians and scholars.
If only more Southern Baptist pastors could be described in this manner! Hobbs viewed the role of pastor as that of pastor-theologian. Hobbs understood the need for rigorous biblical scholarship and how this scholarship could benefit the people in the pews. Virtually all of his writings sought to accomplish this, and Hobbs was incredibly effective in achieving his goal on a national level through his denominational writings.
Southern Baptists need more pastors with the vision of Herschel H. Hobbs. We need more pastors who seek to teach deep theological truths to those who have had no formal theological training. We need more pastor-theologians in our churches. And while I would disagree with Hobbs’ theological conclusions on a wide variety of subjects, I wholeheartedly embrace his vision of how a pastor should see himself as a liaison between biblical scholars and laity.
Important Books by Hobbs
A Layman’s Handbook of Christian Doctrine (Nashville: Broadman, 1974)
Fundamentals of Our Faith (Nashville: Broadman, 1960)
Herschel H. Hobbs: My Faith and Message (Nashville: B&H, 1993)
With E. Y. Mullins, The Axioms of Religion, revised (Nashville: Broadman, 1978 )
The Baptist Faith and Message (Nashville: Convention Press, 1971)
What Baptists Believe (Nashville: Broadman, 1964)
About Hobbs
David S. Dockery, “Herschel H. Hobbs” Baptist Theologians, edited by David S. Dockery and Timothy George (Nashville: B&H, 2001)
