Below is a letter from some self-acclaimed “young leaders” of the CBF to Dr. Cecil Sherman.
I’m not sure how I feel about it yet. There are some things I agree with, but I also see arrogance in these (not-so) young leaders. I’ll give my reply later. But for now, here is the letter. I initially read this letter from Aaron Weaver’s blogsite: Big Daddy Weave
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Open Letter to Dr. Cecil Sherman
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Dear Dr. Sherman,
For your work and ministry, we are sincerely grateful. You helped harness the energy of those who chose to leave the Southern Baptist Convention when certain leaders were ousted through manipulative and unethical means. You helped to create a new family of faith, a new movement now known as the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. We are grateful for your risk-taking and your leadership.
After receiving recognition for your recently published book last Thursday at the CBF General Assembly in Memphis, Tennessee, you juxtaposed our relatively small amount of pain – where no one was injured or killed – to the six million killed in the Holocaust. In our opinion and the opinions of many others, your analogy was misguided. These words are old rhetoric that we will no longer accept in our midst. The SBC has chosen one path and the CBF another. We no longer have energy to focus on this separation, but rather turn our attention to a suffering world.
Though the wounds of the fundamentalist takeover of the SBC are nothing in comparison to the Holocaust, we recognize those wounds are real. They are also wounds that need healing, and for some the grieving process is not over yet. We respect that and want to allow a place for conversations about our past. Of course remembering what happened will help us avoid repeating mistakes. But we will no longer wish for this conversation to have center stage – nor be the focus of who we are and what we do.
Young Baptist leaders are ready to embrace new opportunities for ministry and discipleship. Remembering the past but not dwelling on it, many Baptist are excited and enthusiastic about ministering with the most neglected people around the world. Some of these most neglected include descendants of those people-groups who were targeted for extermination in the Holocaust.
So with deep respect for your work and sacrifice for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, we invite you to lay down the pain of the past and join us as we focus on a future, bright with possibility.
Respectfully submitted,
David Burroughs, President, Passport, Inc.
Rev. R. Scott Ford, Associate Coordinator for Missions, CBF of Georgia
Rev. Nikki Hardeman, Associate Coordinator for Congregational Life, CBF of Georgia
Jeremy Lewis, Together for Hope Manager, CBF
Rev. Brent McDougal, Coordinator of Alabama CBF
Rev. Christina Whitehouse-Suggs, Associate Coordinator for Congregational Life, CBF South Carolina
Mike Young, Associate Coordinator for Missions, Tennessee CBF
Tike's Best Friend 
After reading the Associated Baptist Press article Young CBFers, responding to Sherman, call for end to bitter anti-SBC rhetoric by Vicki Brown, I was disappointed that seven of our young and brightest would resort to such an underhanded tactic and lack of respect. I assume the report of the open letter is accurate and that being true, felt the need to respond as one on the sideline.
It is interesting how some of our self-proclaimed “younger CBFers” have placed a spin on what Dr. Cecil Sherman said and (I feel) was trying to convey during his acceptance of the author’s copy and framed cover of his new book By My Own Reckoning. It began when Lex Horton, Executive Vice President of Smyth & Helwys came to the podium to present Dr. Cecil Sherman with a special gift and recognition for his new book. In the process of his introduction, Brother Lex made several references to Dr. Sherman’s life and the content of the book. Brother Horton did dwell on one chapter of Dr. Sherman’s life. It was in reference to events during a truly sad time in the history of Southern Baptist—the fundamentalist takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention.
I believe most in attendance recognized and understood what Brother Horton was talking about. Did he choose this topic on purpose to help sell the book? Was it planned or did it just come to mind? Was it a topic he thought many would be interested in or does he have such strong feelings and convictions about the issue that he felt compelled to mention it? I do not know!
What I do know is that these where his remarks and not Dr. Sherman’s. What was said next must have been heard (or at least understood) differently by those who choose to label themselves as the “younger CBFers”. What I heard was an 80-year-old gentle giant in Baptist life apologize for commercializing his life story. It was an unnecessary apology. How wonderful a gift for people like Dr. Sherman to open up their life and expose it to us to help us and his family understand the man, his beliefs and the legacy he will leave behind, and to give us insight to his thoughts and the effect of decisions he made. All intended in some way to help us plot our own journeys.
Dr. Sherman was very quick to point out that the events referenced by Brother Horton are just a piece of his life story and even then they are told from his own view point. I think Brother Sherman was trying to say this book is an autobiography of which the events Brother Horton addressed are only a small part. Indeed, once you have read his book you will find it has much more to offer.
In addition, I feel Dr. Sherman felt it necessary under the circumstances to explain why the subject of the fundamentalist takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention is even a part of his book. So he used an analogy that to him and many of us made perfect sense.
We understood that in addition to the loss of life, the Jews were forced to endure much more. Families and friends were separated and could no longer enjoy a kindred spirit. Old customs were no longer accepted and any attempt to continue or preserve them only brought additional hardship. Jobs, businesses, homes and institutions were stolen and handed over to the oppressive group. Logic and reason fell victim to a political agenda with a win-at-all-cost attitude. I could go on, but I believe with an open mind you can see there really are some parallelisms between the Holocaust and the takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Was Dr. Sherman’s analogy misguided? Maybe so, if indeed, our “younger CBFers” didn’t get it. It wasn’t about the need to keep on fighting; rather it was about remembering how we (CBF) came to be—it’s about our heritage.
More importantly for those who lived thought those dark years and fought the fight on many different levels, the issue is not to continue the fight. It is, however, to preserve the history so that we shall never forget to be persistently vigilant in our beliefs. We are saying don’t get so comfortable in CBF life to think it could never happen again.
For years now many have chosen not to talk openly about the horrors of the Holocaust and have pushed the events of history to the back shelf. Now just a few generations later we are beginning to hear that it did not really happen. How long before history is rewritten and the future generations will not know the truth.
The “young CBFers” said “We do want to remember the past…want to give proper respect for the past, but don’t want to be defined by it.” They say that they “no longer wish for this conversation to have center stage nor be the focus of who we are and what we do,” I ask: How can a one minute, twenty-one second acceptance speech define them or CBF?
They stated “We all have high respect for Cecil Sherman…but there are some of us who are ready to lay that [the pain of the SBC takeover] down and move forward,” and “We felt the need to say that out loud.”
I submit that you cannot lay down something you have not picked up. I ask: How many of the seven lost a teaching position, a pastorate, a mission assignment or have been adversely affected in any way by the issue. The fact is, most of them have a job or position as a result of what has happened.
Maybe the best way to show that high respect for Dr. Sherman and the many others who fought the fight, lost and went on to help create a new organization (CBF) is to cherish their stories, learn from them and protect the organization they will someday be handing over to you.
I agree we should move forward and focus on the future, but we should do so remembering the past. You build a skyscraper from the ground up. You do not start on the fifth floor. Our foundation is our past!
I do not understand what really prompted this open attack on Dr. Sherman and by proxy on CBF. If they really believed his remarks were hurtful or detrimental to CBF or even their personal endeavors, why not go to him in person. By issuing a public letter (rather than a private letter) calling for an end to bitter anti-SBC rhetoric, they are the ones guilty of bring the issue to center stage. They implied that Dr. Sherman made bitter anti-SBC rhetoric commits during the June 19 morning business session as if it was the focus of what he said. But they know this is not true.
What really hurts is that these seven are good people with a lot of talent. Their desire to rush ahead and tackle the challenges that lie ahead are to be admired. Yet, at times they need to be reminded of lessons learned from the past. They must be willing to be still and listen to the voices of experience. Last and most important, they need to be respectful of others even in disagreement.
Well said Nick Skipper.
Tim