Baptist News Global has reported that at a trustee meeting, Dr. Adam Greenway has tendered his resignation after only three and a half years at SWBTS. According to their report, the issue was financial management. We have enough information to believe this may be an accurate report, though there has been no official announcement or Baptist Press statement. I have appreciated Dr. Greenway's work and respected him. I would be pleased if this turned out to be false but we have every reason to believe it is true. … [Read more...] about BNG Report: Greenway Resigns from Southwestern
Dr. Mohler’s Growing Political Partisanship
Dr. Albert Mohler will have an honored place in SBC history for people like me who lived through the Conservative Resurgence and were pleased to see the tide of our denomination's history turn. I appreciate what he did to restore confessionalism and a more biblical theology at Southern, even if I do not share many of his theological distinctives. I fear his legacy may be tarnished by his recent turn toward a focus on strident political partisanship. Once a noble statesman and a force of unity among us, he is now in danger of being remembered as a divisive political opportunist whose focus … [Read more...] about Dr. Mohler’s Growing Political Partisanship
The “Billy Graham Rule” – Biblical Mandate or Sexist Relic?
During my long years of ministry, I have, for the most part, observed the so-called Billy Graham Rule. I wasn't legalistic about it, but I used it as a general guideline. It was considered a ministry mandate in my early days of ministry, as if it were written on a third stone tablet from Sinai. I remember a seminary professor, way back in the 70s, telling our all-male class, Men, there are many problems that will hinder your ministry. There are two that will destroy it - money and women. Don't mess around with either. As I shush the downhill slope of my ministry, I see the wisdom of that … [Read more...] about The “Billy Graham Rule” – Biblical Mandate or Sexist Relic?
Generational Cursing – A Baptist/Assembly of God Podcast
No, sorry, there's no cursing in this podcast, just a discussion of how my son left the faith and became an Assembly of God pastor! We have a lot of interesting discussions about his "transition" from good Baptist boy to Assembly pastor and so we thought we'd record some podcasts about this. We recorded most of these in the early part of the year and then life happened - just releasing them now. In this first episode, we tell our stories and then we begin discussing the Assembly of God statement of faith, discussing our areas of agreement and disagreement. Since he's Assembly of God, we … [Read more...] about Generational Cursing – A Baptist/Assembly of God Podcast
We Need to Stop Applauding Fallen Pastors
Yesterday, I finished a 17-year ministry at Southern Hills Baptist Church. We had a great day with our highest attendance in a long time. We celebrated the Lord’s Supper after I did what I’d done week after week, Sunday after Sunday, since August 28, 2005 – preach a text of Scripture. After church, we had a potluck dinner, enjoyed a warm fellowship, and member after member expressed their love, their sorrow we were leaving, and their prayers for our future. We received a basket of cards with some generous gifts and messages that made my wife cry. It was a wonderful way to wrap things … [Read more...] about We Need to Stop Applauding Fallen Pastors
Eastern Kentucky Needs YOUR Help
The weather is odd these days. Here in western Iowa, farmers are suffering through a drought that is threatening our corn crops. In Eastern Kentucky, something completely different is happening. I spoke at length over the weekend to an old pal of SBC Voices, the Reverend Dr. C.B. Scott, who less than two weeks ago returned to his previous church, McDowell First Baptist Church, as pastor, after leaving a few years ago first o be Director of Missions and recently the Vice President of a Kentucky Baptist boarding school. He told me about the devastation brought by storms during the middle of the … [Read more...] about Eastern Kentucky Needs YOUR Help
I’ve Never Seen Anything Like This
I was chatting with the guys about our mutual enemy COVID and what is happening with it across the nation. My doctor says it is an ever-present reality now, and isn't going away. My anecdotal evidence tells me that it is not yet time to hang the "Mission Accomplished" banner. There may be some new variations ready to throw curve balls at us. Several of us in that group either have COVID or have had it recently, and at least three of us are members of the "long COVID" club, one you never want to join. After you recover from the acute symptoms of the disease, annoying effects linger, like … [Read more...] about I’ve Never Seen Anything Like This
A Plea to Angry Baptists
I spent four days pounding on this phone, either on this site or Voices Twitter. Once the gavel fell, I gave my fingers a bit of a break, but I've heard from friends that Saul of Tarsus did not have any harsher words on the road to Damascus than some of those being posted by certain 1689ers and CBNers. Many are threatening to leave the SBC over our liberalism, our wokeness, our sinful worldliness, our failure to fully embrace abolitionist views - the grievances are many and the passions are strong. I have been in several discussions where people said, "I wish they'd just leave." Two … [Read more...] about A Plea to Angry Baptists
Resolutions, Advocacy, and the SBC
As we could have expected, Bart Barber and the Resolutions Committee did a great job of bringing forward solid, biblical resolutions that express our united view as Southern Baptists. If you look at some of the rejected resolutions, it is clear that some are weaponizing the process to force the SBC to adopt their narrow views on controversial issues. Southern Baptists are united in our opposition to abortion. There is a resolution expressing that. It unifies us as a pro-life convention. Under that pro-life umbrella, we differ on strategy. Resolutions that seek to politicize and … [Read more...] about Resolutions, Advocacy, and the SBC
Jay Adkins’ Statement to the EC
Jay was given the opportunity to address the EC today in regards to the response to his motion last year, concerning legal conflicts of interest at the EC. Here is his statement. Thank you Mr. President for the opportunity to speak to this particular concern of mine. May I start by offering a word of thanks that after a bit of a faux pas yesterday morning, I was approached by our new lawyers, our chief parliamentarian and our interim EC President yesterday afternoon. They were very kind in their engagement with me and our Brother, President Willie McLaurin (of whom I’ve become a big fan) … [Read more...] about Jay Adkins’ Statement to the EC