Dave Miller

UPDATE: Concerning the IMB policies mentioned below. I have received assurance from someone with specific and unequivocal knowledge of the situation that Dr. Chitwood has NO intention of revisiting or attempting to reinstitute the policies that were instituted under the guidance of the committee he chaired when he was on the board previously. I am glad to hear that this will not be an issue in Dr. Chitwood's administration.  It is not surprising that IMB trustees elected Dr. Paul Chitwood as their next President yesterday. It is somewhat remarkable, I think, that he was elected unanimously. … [Read more...] about IMB Trustees Elect Paul Chitwood President by Unanimous Vote (Update concerning IMB Policies)

The IMB search committee is announcing its intention to nominate Dr. Paul Chitwood, the Executive Director of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, as the next president of the International Mission Board. The official vote will be held Nov. 15. I have never met Dr. Chitwood but several of my friends, some of them part of the SBC Voices team, have. Every one of them speaks of him in the highest terms, both as to his character and his competence. The Kentucky convention is a large convention and Dr. Chitwood has led it well. A friend told me privately that he was the best executive director he … [Read more...] about Dr. Paul Chitwood Nominated as IMB President

Last year would have to be described as a difficult time for Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary by any metric. There were reports of declining enrollment and financial troubles, along with the constant drumbeat of controversy that led to the dismissal of their long-tenured president, Dr. Paige Patterson, an event that also resulted in some of the more dramatic convention moments we have witnessed in a while. Whatever your take on the troubles, I think we can agree that it was not SWBTS' best year. I am not closely involved with what is happening at the school but have been … [Read more...] about SWBTS: On the Comeback Trail?

I heard a story recently that infuriated me. A friend was speaking to a trustee of one of our institutions who told him that one of the things he liked about being a trustee was that he didn't have to listen to anyone else but the other trustees. And, he said, his only job was to help the president of the entity enact his agenda. Wow. I wrote an article the other day opposing the idea of publishing entity president's salaries and advocating that we "trust the trustees." Some people seem to have a very different idea of what it means to trust the trustees than I do, evidently. What I mean is … [Read more...] about What “Trust the Trustees” Means…and Doesn’t Mean

There are all kinds of good reasons to oppose the lottery. It is a terrible form of gambling that tends to appeal most to people who can't afford it. I've heard it described as a tax on stupidity - you've better odds of being struck by lightning than winning the thing. Then suddenly the Mega Millions (is that the right one?) jackpot reaches an estimated 1.6 billion (yep, that's with a b) for the next drawing and suddenly even a Baptist preacher like me who has never played the lottery in my life finds myself tempted to buy a ticket. Sure, I know the one-time payout on the 1.6 billion might … [Read more...] about Baptists and the Mega Millions Jackpot

I noticed a comment in William's philippic (see, William, I learned a new word) yesterday that called for something that has been called for many times before - that the leaders of SBC entities should make their salary packages public to all Southern Baptists. It was recommended as an accountability measure. This has never been an issue for me. If an entity is run well I don't care what they pay the president. If he is running it poorly, then the issue is performance, not pay. I would make the following observations. 1. Because of Baptist polity, the "constituency" of the entities is … [Read more...] about Should Entity Head’s Salaries Be Made Public?

We are in a unique time in SBC life. Have there ever been five entities in transition? We have been talking about minority leadership at an entity over the last few years. With nearly half of our entity leadership positions open, it is inevitable that this is a key moment in SBC history. Our trustees need to act wisely at this crucial juncture in denominational history. Here are the facts: The SBC has a shameful racial history - support of slavery, defense of segregation, racism - it hasn't been good. We have been making progress in recent years and heart-attitudes have been … [Read more...] about Five Vacancies. Why the SBC Should Hire Its First Minority Entity President