Dave Miller

At last year's SBC in Orlando, Dwight McKissic made a motion to add racism to homosexuality as sins that eliminated one from being in cooperation with the SBC.  The motion was referred (as is standard practice) and the convention voted down a follow-up motion to undo the referral and vote on it.  Many people (myself among them) were disappointed that the vote was not taken but we were hopeful that the Executive Committee would bring back a favorable report on the motion.  That did not happen.  They decided not to recommend the bylaws change.  Dwight McKissic's motion died. I have, for some … [Read more...] about SBC, Race and the Future: The Right Direction?

I would like to thank Vance Pitman for the work he did putting together this year's Pastor's Conference.  Originally, we were going to be part of the promotion for this event, but after all the controversy about Jamar Jones and TD Jakes, which we participated in here, we did not continue that partnership. And some of our contributors and commenters were dissatisfied with some of the choices made about speakers. But I wish to express my opinion that the Conference was one of the best managed I have seen and that it was, at least to me, encouraging and uplifting.  I did not get to hear … [Read more...] about To Vance Pitman: A Job Well Done

Statistically, things are looking bleak in the SBC right now.  But I have had my ear to the ground a little recently and have heard some things that give me hope.  I have to share some things that I cannot really source, because they were shared with me by people who were not interested in seeing their names in blogs.  You have my word that this is reliable information - for whatever that is worth. 1)  A highly placed executive within the SBC told me that there seems to be the start (at least) of a coming-together of the denominational structure, getting everyone pulling in the same … [Read more...] about Signs of Hope in the SBC

I listened to Johnny Hunt's message tonight at the Pastors' Conference.  Good message.  But he did take a couple of pretty solid shots at those of us who blog.  My first reaction was to get a little defensive and angry.  But then I thought that it might be good for us to listen to how we are perceived and to ask ourselves if some of the criticism is justified. Here is what he said (note that I took notes as quickly as I can type on my phone which isn't very quick, and so these are anything but full, accurate, quotes.  They are essentially Miller's Paraphrase of Hunt's tidbits of … [Read more...] about What I Thought When Johnny Hunt Tweaked Baptist Blogging

I think it is time I start my own group.  Several years ago there was an Association of Convictional Baptists.  I tried without much luck to start the Association of Corpulent Baptists.  A couple of years ago, Les Puryear organized the Majority Initiative, an attempt to promote the role of small churches in our increasingly megachurch dominated convention.  But I think we need a new one now, one that addresses the needs of the current convention, one that is in serious danger of fracturing and becoming increasingly irrelevant and ineffective. I am calling it "BIFF:  Baptists in Full … [Read more...] about BIFF: Baptists in Full Fellowship

I am going to be among the 70 or 80 people who will be at the convention next week.  I plan to be posting regularly on the Voices website - perspectives, reports, reports on reports, sports scores, fashion tips for Baptist Preachers, pictures of bloggers outside their mother's basement - all sorts of things. And, I have also joined the Twitter generation and will be shooting off a tweet now again, if you would like to follow me. My twitter account is: davemiller7 I currently have 3 people following me.  I'm hoping to get up over a dozen by convention time! When I reach over 35 … [Read more...] about SBC Voices Convention Coverage

On April 27, a massive tornado cut a more than 80-mile swath through the heart of Alabama at a cost of hundreds of lives and untold damage.  Before we had a chance to catch our collective breath, an EF5 tornado pretty much leveled Joplin, MO on May 22.  Just last week, as I was touring the streets of Boston with my family, an ominous storm system came through, eventually dropping a tornado on Springfield that killed four people.  (Stunning video of that storm is available online.)  Right now, Sioux City, Iowa is awaiting almost inevitable destruction from well-over 500 year flood levels that … [Read more...] about Is God Mad at America?

I invaded enemy territory this week.  As a lifelong and passionate fan of the greatest sports franchise in the history of sports (need I name the Yankees?), I've always considered Boston a swirling vortex of evil.  But my son moved there two years ago and we cashed in our frequent flier miles and booked three seats from Omaha to Boston's Logan airport.  After a rather roundabout trip (four flights instead of two) we landed in Boston Monday night. First, my son took us on a tour of the MIT Media Lab (a playground for people with astronomical IQs) where he has worked and studied the last two … [Read more...] about What Does This Say about Me?

Baptist Press has recently published an article by Trevin Wax entitled, "Being Southern Baptist among & for Evangelicals." Southern Baptists are in an identity crisis right now, trying to decide what it means to be a Southern Baptist.  At the risk of oversimplifying, there are traditionalists who think that the key is to look back at the cultural, theological and ecclesiological identity that identified Southern Baptists and work to restore that identity.  Brad Whitt has articulated the traditionalist viewpoint very well.  Then there are the "reformationists" who believe the SBC needs … [Read more...] about Trevin Wax’s Important Baptist Press Article