Yes, Russ Dean's theology needs help. Or actually, it is beyond fixing. He is denying the Substitutionary Atonement, and advocating a form of the Moral Influence theory, or Example Theory, which is that Christ died to set a good example for us to follow and show us a better way and be better people.
In case anyone is wondering where this heresy came from, Russ Dean is Co-Pastor of Park Road Baptist Church, 3900 Park Rd., Charlotte, North Carolina. According to the SBC Church Locator, this church is currently affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. Dean was educated at Furman University, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Beason Divinity School, but of course his false teaching is not necessarily a reflection of the past or present theological positions of these schools.
Baptist News Global, the web site that published this article, describes itself as an "independent" source of Baptist news, but that does not mean they are IFB. According to Wikipedia, Baptist News Global is a "partner" of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, a theologically liberal group which includes active SBC churches as well as liberal former SBC churches that left the SBC. Park Road Baptist is also affiliated with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.
For more information on the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, check this site:
https://www.fundamentalbaptistministries.com/Archives/COOPERATIVE BAPTIST FELLOWSHIP.htm
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