The internet blew up last week with responses to John McArthur’s comment that Beth Moore should “go home.” He meant that she should focus her energies on home life rather than Bible conferences. He made this comment at a pastors’ conference at his church in California in response to a question about women who preach and teach. It is fair to say that he maintains a very narrow view on women teaching and preaching. Of course, after his comments became known both sides on the issue came out swinging, and strong comments ruled the day. John McArthur’s comment caused me to ask myself—Should Beth … [Read more...] about Should Beth Moore “GO HOME”? [By Mark Terry]
Not gone unnoticed: The complementarianismness mess, CaringWell/abuse, hanging around past your shelf life…and bacon, brethren.
I'm in therapy having worn out my facial musculature, exhausted by SBC events. Used to be that regular SBC news caused a single eyebrow to be raised and I could alternate between the two of mine. Now the demand is always for both. To wit: May I, ahem!, tout my own humble stuff on complementarianism? That is, the definitive, succinct, 319 word piece that declared "complementarianism" not to be worth diddly-squat any more. Southern Baptists love adjectives and thus will flood the comp market with them: hard, soft, broad, narrow, traditional, etc. Is this the hill we want to die … [Read more...] about Not gone unnoticed: The complementarianismness mess, CaringWell/abuse, hanging around past your shelf life…and bacon, brethren.
What does the future look like for state conventions?
What does it say about the future of Southern Baptist state conventions that the movement among them is to voluntarily reduce their revenues by cutting the percentage of Cooperative Program offerings that are kept and spent within a particular state's borders thereby reducing their ability to hire staff and do ministry? What it says is that the work done within a state (and I'd add to that especially within the legacy southern states where most Southern Baptists live and which receive the great majority of CP revenues) is less important than that which is done through our two mission boards … [Read more...] about What does the future look like for state conventions?
The 15 SBC leaders you never heard of who control most of the CP
Here they are: Thomas "Call me Tommy" Hammond, Georgia Baptist Mission Board Rick Lance; Alabama Baptist Convention State Board of Missions Jim Futral; Mississippi Baptist Convention Board Tommy Green; Florida Baptist Convention Gary Hollingsworth; South Carolina Baptist Convention Milton Hollifield; Baptist State Convention of North Carolina Brian Autry; Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia Todd Gray; Kentucky Baptist Convention Randy Davis; Tennessee Baptist Mission Board David Hardage; Baptist General Convention of Texas Jim Richards; Southern Baptists … [Read more...] about The 15 SBC leaders you never heard of who control most of the CP
Should women in churches distrust and be wary of all male staff members?
Forget the Billy Graham Rule. You know, the one that classifies all women as potential, shameless seductresses. I can think of a few pieces of advice and counsel I was given early and often as a young seminarian and pastor. One of these is that you have to watch out for women in the church because some of them are looking to seduce the pastor, that shining example of male rectitude and exemplary spiritual maturity. Yeah, all oslost, ministry ruined, when some shameless hussy enchantress sets her sight on him. Call me ugly, obtuse, tone deaf, super spiritual, lucky or unlucky but I never … [Read more...] about Should women in churches distrust and be wary of all male staff members?
Go ye therefore…and sell shoes, be a social media sensation, or unstop toilets…
...just get out of pastoral ministry if you've messed up your life and aren't above reproach. I'm about 48% in favor of having a guild for Southern Baptist clergy that has the authority to deny credentials to rascals, scoundrels, Elmer Gantry types, and criminals; to incompetent hucksters, church-wreckers, and money-grubbers; and to just plain ecclesiastical imbeciles who have absolutely no business inflicting their so-called ministry on a Southern Baptist or any other congregation of the followers of Jesus Christ. The devil is in the details, though. The chances of any SBC board, group, or … [Read more...] about Go ye therefore…and sell shoes, be a social media sensation, or unstop toilets…
The SBC’s Big Three: Lottie, Annie, and the Cooperative Program
The thing about an article like this is that those who care already know. Those who don't know the history and trends don't much care. But consider a few things. These three offerings combined totaled about $682 million for the most recent year's data available. The CP, received by the states, was $463 million. Lottie was $157m. Annie, 62m. I'm rounding the numbers. The CP has been trending down for years as a percentage of church offerings, well below 5% and still going south. The CP at the Executive Committee level is flat, not declining, mainly because states have … [Read more...] about The SBC’s Big Three: Lottie, Annie, and the Cooperative Program
No need to spin this: Annie Armstrong sets record, up over a million
This makes three years running for record offerings to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions. NAMB, our formerly beleaguered entity with not one but two meltdowns is doing fine. Southern Baptists have bought into what they are doing. I can think of a few reasons why this is so and may update this piece later. (NAMB gives the best swag at the convention but I wouldn't be so crass to say that this has anything to do with the record offering). Congratulations. … [Read more...] about No need to spin this: Annie Armstrong sets record, up over a million
Southern Baptists can manage bad news, hard facts, and serious missteps.
A church was experiencing explosive growth. Attendance was skyrocketing. Giving was rapidly increasing. Building programs, outreach initiatives, staff additions, and baptisms were all going up year-after-year. Then, things leveled off. Attendance was no longer going up and other statistics no longer showed eye-popping rates of increase. The church dropped from their accustomed place on various "fastest growing" lists compiled by denominational staff. The church was still a great church being used by the Lord in their community and beyond. But the period of astonishing growth and exceptional … [Read more...] about Southern Baptists can manage bad news, hard facts, and serious missteps.
Lottie Moon offering is down $2.3 million
The IMB closed the books September 30th on the 2018-2019 Lottie Moon offering and the amount received was $156.6 million, down $2.3 million from last year. The drop was about 1.4%. This was expected and budgeting was done accordingly leaving the IMB comfortably within their budget spending. Still, it's a disappointment not to see IMB's main source of revenue increase, although $156.6 million is a huge sum. I understand positive spin, thus the lack of any mention of a decline in the offering. The press on the offering emphasized that giving was more than what was budgeted and that the … [Read more...] about Lottie Moon offering is down $2.3 million