You tell me. There are really two questions here: 1) What is a Southern Baptist? 2) What is a Southern Baptist church? The answer to the first question can be pretty simple - a Southern Baptist is someone who is a member of a Southern Baptist church (whether they identify themselves as such or not.) We don't have a membership outside of the local church membership. But what is the sine qua non of Southern Baptist identity? What makes a church truly a Southern Baptist church? I usually write my opinion then let you interact with that. I'm going to make this more of an … [Read more...] about What Is a Southern Baptist?
Archives for 2011
Welcome Back, sbcIMPACT!
I'm always willing to promote something good in the blog world - and I think that sbcIMPACT! is one of the best sites out there. I know, I'm biased. I've been writing at that site for 2 years and think the world of the men who contribute there. But sbcIMPACT! has had a problem the last 6 months or so. Something happened to the site, or the hosting company or something. It became increasingly hard to log on to the site to comment, or even to read and the once lively site slowed a little. But the new (and improved) sbcIMPACT! has just been rolled out. The contributors are pretty much … [Read more...] about Welcome Back, sbcIMPACT!
Has Blogging Ruined the Church?
I know it’s interesting to have a topic like this on a blog, but I wonder about our online relationships and how they impact the Universal Body of Christ. I have developed some great relationships online with people I would have never met otherwise. I have learned a great deal from blogging, reading, writing and sharing online ideas. I think blogging has a lot of validity, but what I want to ask about is community. Is online community authentic? Can we have true fellowship online? Has the invention of the internet created a whole is community? The most popular social network … [Read more...] about Has Blogging Ruined the Church?
Is the SBC a Dysfunctional Family?
Is your family more "Leave It to Beaver" or "Married with Children"? I am not completely sure that there is such a thing in this sinful world as a totally functional family. Sin causes us all to be dysfunctional at one level or another and we bring that to our families. We also bring that dysfunction to our denominations. Liberals and moderates often present a nostalgic view of the pre-CR SBC, as if it was a place of peace, happiness and unity focused on missions and evangelism - in which everyone sang Kumbaya together as we aggressively won the world to Christ! When we don't like the … [Read more...] about Is the SBC a Dysfunctional Family?