WASHINGTON (LBM) – National media outlets such as the Washington Times and Newsweek have reported a plagiarism scandal involving Ed Litton, pastor of Redemption Church in Saraland, Alabama, and newly elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention. Now, the Conservative Baptist Network, with a membership of 10,000 pastors and other church leaders, has issued a statement calling for Litton to resign. REPORTS The controversy erupted with an anonymous YouTube posting, June 24, of a comparison of sermons preached by Litton and J.D. Greear, pastor of The Summit Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, and immediate past SBC president. The video montage shows several segments where Litton repeats word-for-word from different portions of a sermon on Romans first preached by Greear. Questions also have been raised about the theology presented in the sermons, which claim that God only “whispers” against sexual sin such as homosexuality. The fallout has been broad, with other media outlets following up with subsequent reports of plagiarism by Litton. Meanwhile, Newsweek reported, June 28, that “more than 140 videos were either unavailable or hidden across several playlists on the Redemption Church YouTube page” after Litton … [Read more...]