Signs of an Evangelical Shift?

Frank Page, pastor First Baptist Church in Taylors, South Carolina, was elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention. He defeated two other candidates, Ronnie Floyd and Jerry Sutton, supported by the conservative establishment. Some see here timid signs of an Evangelical shift, but we should avoid any exaggeration. Frank Page is not a liberal, and the shift here is rather from far right to right. I believe in the word of God, I'm just not mad about it, says Frank Page. This is still very far from the progressive, inclusive and diverse of the religious left.

But Frank Page is a moderate, and his election is a significant moment in the evolution of American Evangelism. Says E. J. Dionne Jr., who makes the point in today's WaPo, The mellowing of evangelical Christianity may well be the big American religious story of this decade -- and it will probably have an impact on the nation's political life.

(Church in America)