“Tipa, Tipa.” That is what they say in Haiti. It is Creole for “Little by Little.” Or, “Step by Step.” It means that with large tasks in front of us, we should be persistent and keep going and take things one step at a time. I love that saying. In my many trips to Haiti […]
On Immigration: From Tired, Poor, Huddled Masses to Trump’s Best and Brightest?
The immigration debate in America has taken a nasty turn of late with Donald Trump’s entry into the GOP Presidential nominating process and his remarks about those coming here illegally from Mexico and other places not being the “best and brightest.” His words seem to be catching on as a nativist movement is growing with […]
Forgiveness, The Confederate Flag, Heresy, and the SBC
Last week, the unthinkable happened. 12 people were having Bible study at the historic Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC. Dylan Roof, a white supremacist, entered the Bible study and joined those gathered. The fact that he was white and they were black did not create a barrier for them. They welcomed Dylan with open […]
Why Are Southern Baptists Moving So Slowly Toward Greater Ethnic Diversity in Leadership? (Alan Cross)
Last summer at the SBC Annual Meeting in Baltimore, I brought a motion asking for an official assessment of the progress that Southern Baptists have made in increasing ethnic diversity in leadership over the past 20 years since our 1995 resolution apologizing for supporting slavery, racism, and segregation. Much had been accomplished throughout the convention […]
Breaking News: IMB Trustees Reverse Restrictive Private Prayer Language and Baptism Policies
According to reports from Baptist Press and other sources, the International Mission Board (IMB) Board of Trustees voted to open new pathways of service by, among other things, removing previous restrictions that had been developed a decade ago. In 2005, the IMB BoT created restrictions to missionary service that included barring anyone from service who had […]
Southern Baptists Have a History Problem: Let’s Stop Saying We Started Over Missions
“The Southern Baptist Convention was begun over missions!” “Delegates gathered in 1845 in Augusta, Georgia to organize around missions!” I have heard this my whole life. You have too. It is a partial truth that continues to be uttered over and over again, usually by seminary leaders seeking to rally more Cooperative Program giving. It […]
Racism Is A Symptom of a Deeper Issue That We Don’t Want to Address
Christian groups like the ERLC and the Kainos Movement are moving toward hosting discussions on racism in America and in the church in the 21st century, which is a good thing. But, if we are not careful, we will miss the deeper issues that animate the entire problem. I sought to explore those deeper issues […]
Racism Is A Symptom of a Deeper Issue That We Don’t Want to Address
Christian groups like the ERLC and the Kainos Movement are moving toward hosting discussions on racism in America and in the church in the 21st century, which is a good thing. But, if we are not careful, we will miss the deeper issues that animate the entire problem. I sought to explore those deeper issues […]
George Whitefield, Slavery, and Southern Seminary: Growing Baptist Recognition
Last week, (Oct. 21-22), Southern Baptist Theological Seminary held the 8th Annual Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies Conference on Whitefield and the Great Awakening. This year celebrates the 300th anniversary of Whitefield's birth. Like many Evangelicals, Whitefield (1714-1770) has been a hero of mine as a leader of the First Great Awakening in the […]
SBC ExComm Plenary Session Day Two
We pick up with entity reports again this morning. Again, I try to reproduce the words of the speakers in summary and am not providing commentary of my own (unless my choice of their words can be seen as commentary in itself). SWBTS: Paige Patterson. Dr. Patterson told a long story about how he […]
SBC ExComm Plenary Session One
I have to say that I was pretty impressed with the tone and the content of the Plenary Session. The focus was on Christ and on our work together. I learned more from this meeting in hearing the entity heads speak this way than I have from the conventions that I have been to. I […]
How Can Southern Baptists Increase Ethnic Leadership Throughout the Convention? SBC ExComm Trustee Meeting Day One: Consideration of Motion on Racial Reconciliation Report
I am attending the September trustee meeting of the Executive Committee in Nashville today and tomorrow. My reason for coming was to make a case before the Communications Workgroup concering the motion that I submitted at the SBC in Balitmore which stated: “In light of the upcoming 20th anniversary of Southern Baptist Convention's 1995 […]