Dave Miller

Let me start this with a of honesty.  I chose the word "like" instead of "love" for a reason.  I don't love this solution.  In my perfect world, we'd be voting to actually change the name of our convention to "Great Commission Baptists" instead of just adding it as a designation.  Like Dr. Paige Patterson, I've wanted to see our regionally-focused name replaced for a long time.  But the Task Force determined (and from what I have seen, rightly so) that a name change would cost so much and be so legally difficult that whatever benefits might come from it were not worth it.  So, we are going to … [Read more...] about Why I Like “Great Commission Baptists”

For more info, here is the link to the BP article.  http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37224 1)  This should come as a surprise to those who thought there was some kind of pressure to force an agenda on everyone.  They studied the issue and came up with what they think is a "win/win." Reasonable folks without an agenda came to a reasonable decision. 2)  When you see the wide range of Baptist leaders who support this (Al Mohler, Paige Patterson - about as far apart on Baptist issues as you can get) it has a good chance to pass. 3)  The name will not be a legal change or even a dba. … [Read more...] about Observations on “Great Commission Baptists”

The Southern Baptist Convention! The name is NOT going to change.  However, there will be an informal name, which will be announced in a minute. It has been clarified that this is NOT a dba, but more like an informal nickname. The nickname will be "Great Commission Baptists." Here's the BP article  http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37224     … [Read more...] about Legally: SBC // Informally: Great Commission Baptists

There has been an interesting phenomenon in these recent years of upheaval in the SBC.  Group after group has laid claim to one form or another of the "Majority Baptists" or "grassroots Baptists" moniker.  That is not a surprise.  Every one of us wants to believe that not only are our views correct, biblical and beneficial, but that a majority of people see things the same way.  That is especially true of Baptists who practice majority rule.  To lay claim to "majority" or "grassroots" is to give your viewpoint or organization credibility and authority. But there is a problem with these … [Read more...] about The True SBC Majority

It is February 20 and over the next two days the Executive Committee of the SBC is meeting in Nashville.  One item of business at that meeting will be the report of the Task Force appointed by SBC President Bryant Wright to examine the potential name change.  I don't know when in the agenda of the meeting the name change will be dealt with, but sometime today or tomorrow we should finally know what we have been arguing about for the last five months. My guess is we will be talking name-change a lot over the next couple of days.  There are several issues that we will be examining. What … [Read more...] about SBC Name Change: What I HOPE Happens Today

There has been a constant wave of news recently that has led some to opine that America is seeing a "war on religion" - that the current administration and liberal politicians and educators are seeking to limit the influence and power of religion in American culture.  More to the point, the assumption made is not that "religion" is the problem, but conservative, evangelical religion. Is there any evidence to support this charge? Well, several recent events have been marshaled in support of this theory. 1)  The New York Schools exclude churches In June of 2011, a federal appeals court … [Read more...] about Is There Really a War on Religion in America?

If you have followed our discussions here at SBC Voices, it will come as no surprise that I have a significantly different view of recent SBC events than my friends and fellow-contributors, Howell Scott and Rick Patrick.  I thought the GCR, while certainly not perfect, was an important and necessary step in refocusing our convention on our real purpose - to bring the gospel to the world.  Howell and Rick are (let's just say) less enthusiastic about the GCR. Howell has consistently expressed concern about what he styles as a "radical redefinition" of the fabric of the SBC.  Rick has been … [Read more...] about Hey Howell and Rick: I Agree with You (Sometimes)!

It is odd that humor, something that is so much a part of our lives today, is talked about so little in the Bible.  There are some who have deduced from that fact and the awesome holiness of God that humor is somehow inappropriate in Kingdom work.  Some have advocated that humor should not be a part of preaching, that it is somehow offensive to God and destructive to his glory. But we live in a culture in which humor is ever-present: late-night talk shows, TV, movies, - it is everywhere.  In fact, humor has become a moral value in America.  I have heard a program or movie that is sexually … [Read more...] about Defining Godly Humor

I saw an interesting article at Trevin Wax's site "Kingdom People" called "Looking for a Church? 3 Suggestions." It discusses (watch Dave state the obvious) how to find a biblical church.  In the article, he uses three words that I would like to apply to the future of the SBC.  He mentions three "orthos" - words that describe a genuine church.  Orthodoxy. Orthopraxy.  Orthokardia. A church must be orthodox in doctrine - Bible-believing and faithful to the fundamental doctrines of the faith, especially those that relate to the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ. A church must have orthopraxy … [Read more...] about Is Orthodoxy Enough? The Future of the SBC

1)  What happened to two spaces after a period?  That's what I was taught back in good old days, but now it seems no one likes two spaces anymore.  What's up? 2)  Should I capitalize divine pronouns?  I was taught that as respect to God.  But even modern language Bibles don't do it.  What's up? These are weighty issues which I hope we can discuss in a calm and rational way! … [Read more...] about Two Crucial Theological Issues We Need to Discuss