Already? 2020 and it looks like a very interesting year for the SBC

Here are a few reasons why:

We’ll elect a new SBC President in sultry Orlando in June. It was announced back in November that Al Mohler will be nominated for SBC prez. The early timing of the announcement was an eyebrow raiser. Mohler quickly responded that he would accept the nomination. Hey, I’m just glad he didn’t say that he would accept the presidency. Ordinary SBCers get to vote. He’d get my vote if I decided to attend the meeting and swelter it out in what used to be a perfectly good swamp. Surely, someone else will also be nominated.

There’s an announced candidate for 2nd Vice President. 2VP is that position that isn’t worth a pail of tepid expectoration, totally decorative and perhaps a resume enhancer. I can’t think of one good thing a 2VP has ever done. I’m sure Stephen Feinstein is a great guy and wonderful pastor but according to reports the church doesn’t give a penny to the Cooperative Program ( his church has made gifts to IMB, NAMB, and the California SBC Mission Offering). That’s an absolute disqualifier for one of the convention’s three elected leaders in my view.

There’s an announced candidate for Pastor’s Conference president. That’s for the 2021 PC. Yawn. Since Dave Miller ran that show, I haven’t been much interested. But maybe Matt Henslee will regrow his beard and have that Old Testament look.

The Credentials Committee reports to the Executive Committee next month. Inquiring minds will wish to know how many reports have been made, what happened to these reports, and what churches are not to be found in “friendly cooperation” because of them. Tough task. I predict loud, negative responses from some corners.

We’re getting sued left and right. That’s the general SBC “we” of course. Any lawyer can sue anyone or anything for any reason. They can and usually do get loud and provide great sound bites out of court. We’ve got numerous churches and entities named in these. There’s a high profile case with Paige Patterson named as defendant. The lawsuit against Kevin Ezell and NAMB is still ongoing. Predictions from the network of sex abuse victims and advocates are that “the SBC” will be sued often. I agree. We will see if there is any success in connecting abuse by clergy who was ordained by one church, hired, supervised, and maybe fired by others all without the involvement of any SBC entity or institution…which leads to…

Local church autonomy takes center stage. We’ve already had two topics here on LCA in 2020. The doctrine and practice of LCA is seen as the cause of abuse in churches. I agree in some respects to that but not for reasons usually noted by the network of abuse survivors and advocates. Lawyers are on it, of course.

The Cooperative Program, always on the back burner. Maybe it shouldn’t be. Things are up a bit so far this fiscal year.

Then there’s secular politics…if there is such a thing anymore. A man from Mars might arrive and get the impression that there is no secular politics. It’s all religious. Election this year between the incumbent and…maybe a socialist, maybe a gay guy, maybe a lady not good a math, maybe a guy who, if elected, will be in his tenth decade before he leaves office. And which SBC megapastor will sidle up to the prosperity gospel lady preacher and have the position of honor in support of our current president?

Then there’s the stuff we don’t know yet…

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Your humble hacker and plodder blogger will do his best to catch that 10+ pound largemouth this year…maybe take all that tax money I’m saving with the housing allowance and do a cruise. And my vision 2020 is worse than it was in 2019.