Jerry Sutton
Encyclopedia
Dr. Jerry Sutton is a Southern Baptist pastor and historian. He served at Two Rivers Baptist Church, in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
. The church averaged approximately 2,000 in average weekly attendance over the course of his pastorate. He served as the first vice president (June 2005 - June 2006) of the Southern Baptist Convention
Southern Baptist Convention
The Southern Baptist Convention is a United States-based Christian denomination. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination and the largest Protestant body in the United States, with over 16 million members...
. Sutton's theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
is best described as conservative and evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
. Sutton's retired from Two Rivers on August 3, 2008 after 22 years as its pastor.
Biography
During the 2006 Tennessee Baptist Convention, Sutton led a movement amongst Tennessee Baptist to affirm the Baptist Faith and MessageBaptist Faith and Message
The Baptist Faith and Message is the confession of faith of the Southern Baptist Convention . It summarizes key Southern Baptist thought in the areas of the Bible and its authority, the nature of God as expressed by the Trinity, the spiritual condition of man, God's plan of grace and salvation,...
2000 edition when he proposed that all appointees of the Convention’s Committee on Committees and the Convention’s Committee on Boards be asked if they affirmed the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 edition.
In June 2006 Sutton announced he would allow himself to be nominated for the Presidency of the Southern Baptist Convention
Southern Baptist Convention
The Southern Baptist Convention is a United States-based Christian denomination. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination and the largest Protestant body in the United States, with over 16 million members...
after being repeatedly asked to run by other Southern Baptist. He made this announcement only a few days prior to the election at the Southern Baptist Convention in Greensboro. He ran against two other candidates, Frank Page of South Carolina and Ronnie Floyd
Ronnie Floyd
Ronnie Wayne Floyd is the Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Springdale in Springdale, Arkansas, USA and of its second campus the The Church At Pinnacle Hills in Rogers, Arkansas, both "megachurches". On Jan...
of Arkansas. Sutton placed third with 24.08% of the overall vote.
On August 14, 2005, Dr. Sutton and Two Rivers hosted Justice Sunday II
Justice Sunday (conservative Christian event)
Justice Sunday is the term used for a series of religious conferences organized by the Family Research Council, founded by James Dobson and headed by Tony Perkins, and Dobson's Focus on the Family organizations...
.
His August 25, 2005 appearance on Hardball
Hardball
Hardball or hard ball may refer to:in computers* Hardball, a computer game made for the Palm OS and similar to Breakout* Hardball! , a series of computer games about baseballin film...
with Chris Matthews (MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
) brought a barrage of media attention—he admitted that while he had read the transcript of Pat Robertson's statements he had not watched Pat Roberton's television segment when Robertson advocated assassinating Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez
Hugo Chávez
Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías is the 56th and current President of Venezuela, having held that position since 1999. He was formerly the leader of the Fifth Republic Movement political party from its foundation in 1997 until 2007, when he became the leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela...
.
Sutton stated that Robertson was "speaking off the cuff" as a "frustrated American, more than an evangelical leader." Sutton used the language: "tak[ing] him out", instead of stating that Robertson advocated "assassination." Sutton went on to state that "what [Robertson] said was wrong."
In addition to appearing on Hardball, Sutton hosted Matthews at Two Rivers Church on June 28, 2005 for a show discussing religion in U.S. politics.
Dr. Sutton has published two books: The Baptist Reformation, which is a history of the conservative resurgence within the Southern Baptist Convention
Southern Baptist Convention
The Southern Baptist Convention is a United States-based Christian denomination. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination and the largest Protestant body in the United States, with over 16 million members...
and The Way Back Home, which tells of how "to begin again with God."
Sutton is married to Fern, a professional Christian therapist, and has two daughters: Ashli, who is a licensed Tennessee attorney, and Hilary, who is a professional actress.