Nine Wins In a Row

The nation's largest Protestant body, the 14.6 million-member Southern Baptist Convention, last week overwhelmingly re-elected the Rev. Adrian Rogers, 54, pastor of a Memphis superchurch, as president. It was the ninth straight presidential win for the Fundamentalist faction, which has used the office to build power on the boards of S.B.C. schools and agencies.

With Rogers in place, the 25,607 voting participants at the denomination's annual meeting in St. Louis turned to the report of a "Peace Committee" that was set up in 1985 to mediate between two S.B.C. factions. On the right, the Fundamentalists insist on inerrancy -- in essence, a literal interpretation of the Bible. The old-guard moderates, whose hold on denominational agencies and seminaries is steadily weakening, tolerate less rigid views.

The gathering gave 95% approval to the Peace Committee report, which endorsed inerrancy and chided seminaries for not hiring teachers who hold that view. Also passed was a recommendation that seminary boards "determine the theological positions" of current teachers. Faculty members expect new pressure on liberals. Warned Houston Judge Paul Pressler, the top Fundamentalist strategist: "We hope that all institutions will act with responsibility toward the people who pay their salaries."