Microphones close to their lips, smiles on their faces, and an occasional hand raised, Pensacola Christian College’s Proclaim Praise Team sang Al Denson’s chorus:
Will you be the one
To answer to His call?
Will you stand
When those around you fall?
Will you be the one
To take His light
Into a darkened world?
Tell me, will you be the one?
The song preceded the main event—a spirited sermon from Evangelist Kenny Baldwin.
In order to secure a spot for Kenny’s week at Teen Extreme Camp, our church made reservations over six months in advance. As a youth conference speaker in high demand, his week always sold out first. A near-fatal battle with COVID-19 coupled with a season of doubt and depression almost destroyed Kenny in 2020, but he recovered and was now sitting behind the pulpit.
His message was animated, but theologically light. We did not book another week with him. There was nothing unbiblical in what he said, and he always brought his sermons to a pertinent point of decision, but he wasted a lot of valuable time on trivialities. It seemed to me that he was not the same Kenny I had heard preaching under a tent in Chattanooga 25 years earlier.
In June of this year, Kenny canceled all of his meetings. Kenny went silent. His followers wondered what was going on. On July 22, we all discovered that Kenny had confessed to sending pictures of his genitalia to a teenage boy over an extended period of time.
That Wednesday morning, many of us became aware of the situation after reading a Facebook post by Eric Skwarczynski of the Preacher Boys Podcast. Eric was raised an independent fundamental Baptist (IFB), but he now claims to not know if God exists. His podcast exposes abuse within churches, especially IFB churches. The influence of Eric and others like him has brought about a shift in how Fundamentalism responds to the fall of one of its own.
There Is No Talk of Restoration to Ministry
With the exception of the infamous David Hyles, no one is talking about restoring Kenny to ministry. Evangelist D.R. Harrison wrote on Facebook,
If Kenny Baldwin is genuinely broken before God, if he is walking in true repentance, if he is submitting to the consequences of his actions without demanding restoration to ministry, then there is hope for his soul. But hope for a man’s soul is not the same as fitness for the pulpit. These two things must never be confused again.
Prayers Are Focused on the Victim
Thoughts and prayers have been primarily offered for the victim, his family, and his church. Reflective of this, Pensacola Christian College’s statement on Kenny reads: “Our hearts are with those who have been harmed, as well as anyone else who may be affected as this investigation continues. We pray that the truth will be fully known, justice faithfully carried out, and those impacted will experience God’s comfort, healing, and grace.” There is no mention in the school’s call to prayer of the prominent preacher who periodically filled their pulpit.
Egregious Sins Are Acknowledged as Such
The idea that any of us could have fallen into the same sin as Kenny has come under intense scrutiny. IFB Pastor Stacey Shiflett, a sexual abuse survivor, responded to the suggestion that anyone could have committed the same sin as Kenny: “Are you out of your stinking mind? I am so sick of this response.… He’s a pervert. He admitted to it. Can we just stop with this insanity—this perverted thinking that is enabling and perpetrating this garbage in our churches?”
Concluding Thoughts
Although we as Fundamentalists have evolved in how we deal with sexual abuse in our ranks, there is more that we must do in the area of prevention.
First, we need to intentionally differentiate between God-given talents and spiritual gifts. The ability to think deeply (Ravi Zacharias; Steven Lawson), communicate effectively (Tony Evans; Joshua Harris), administrate efficiently (Bill Hybels; Jerry Falwell, Jr.), or write well (Philip Yancey; Jerry Jenkins) does not prove that a person is right with God. In fact, talents too often camouflage sins.
Furthermore, we need to critically examine a church culture in which men like Kenny Baldwin are idolized. When asked, “Who is your favorite preacher?” the answer ought to be “My pastor.” If the answer is someone far away who is only known through conferences or media, it ought not surprise us when this person eventually lets us down. It is not safe to hear words unaccompanied by an examined life.
Typically, true Christian evangelism and growth occurs when families consistently carry out the Bible saturation mandate of Deuteronomy 6. It also happens when local churches combine faithful discipleship with systematic evangelism.
The rise and fall of Evangelist Kenny Baldwin should drive us back to a ministry mindset centered in the home and the local church. It should also alert us to the fleeting emptiness and potential pitfalls of celebrity Christianity.
