For the last few weeks, those of us here in Iowa have been following the story of a missing University of Iowa student named Mollie Tibbetts. She was staying in her boyfriend's home to watch his dog while he was gone for a few days to work. She went out jogging one evening this summer and never came back. There were rumors followed by rumors. One farmer in the area, a known stalker, became the primary focus of the investigation and was heavily investigated. I did not realize that this had become national news as well, but evidently, it had. On Tuesday, a body was found in Poweshiek county … [Read more...] about Tragedy Should Never Be a Political Platform
George Washington, Political Parties, and Why I Am Now Independent
My wife and I watched the Amazon Prime hagiography on George Washington, "The First American," guided by the hand of Newt Gingrich, whose political views were imprinted on the show from start to finish. But it was well put-together and demonstrated both the strength of character of George Washington and the unique genius of the American system of government birthed by our founding fathers. Several things struck me from the show. George Washington put his entire heart and soul into the American Revolution, risking his life, his fortune - everything - for the vision of what would later be … [Read more...] about George Washington, Political Parties, and Why I Am Now Independent
If I Could Travel in Time…
At age 60, with something pretty close to a clean bill of health from my doctor, I have no intentions of dropping out of ministry any time soon. I don’t know if I have five years, or fifteen, or twenty-five left in active ministry. I am planning to keep preaching and serving until I am no longer able. But the fact is that having served churches for nearly 4 decades the majority of my ministry is behind me not in front of me. Paul’s words in 2 Timothy 4 have always been both a goal and a taunt to me. “I have fought the good fight, I’ve finished the race, I’ve kept the faith.” He had … [Read more...] about If I Could Travel in Time…
An “SBC Voices Miracle”
I will never forget the Tuesday back in late March or early April when my friend, Dr. Janice Galli, called me just after suppertime. I had been sick since I returned from Senegal at the end of February and she finally said it was time to check things out. We ran about 4 million tests (that may be ministerial hyperbole) to figure out the problem. After an ultrasound, an MRI, and something called a HIPA, they realized that I had both a bad gallbladder and a diseased spleen, both of which were removed on May 3. But in the process of poking around the gallbladder in the various tests, they had … [Read more...] about An “SBC Voices Miracle”
Greear to Form Presidential Study Group
SBC President J.D. Greear has announced that he will form a Sexual Abuse Presidential Study Group in partnership with the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. He has not yet announced those who will comprise the group and indicated that that membership may be fluid. Baptist Press has an article on the study group. It is informational and has quotes from several entity leaders. The press release which announced the formation of the study group carried this explanatory paragraph. The group's purpose will be to consider how Southern Baptists at every level can take discernable action … [Read more...] about Greear to Form Presidential Study Group
The Invisible People of Mayberry
During the 80s, I lived in a small country town for four years that reminded me of Mayberry, at least when we first arrived. I discerned one major difference during my time there. Recently, during my slow recuperation from surgery, as I rewatched the first three seasons of the Andy Griffith Show on Netflix, I noticed a second major difference. First, our little Mayberry had no Sheriff Taylor to help people see the light and change their behavior. Andy’s Mayberry was filled with nice folks who were gossips, petty, easily offended, xenophobic, and just plain ornery. But Andy would … [Read more...] about The Invisible People of Mayberry
BREAKING NEWS: Data Breach at the IMB
The Biblical Recorder is reporting on a data breach at the IMB. Few details are available. This is no small matter since many of our missionaries serve in high-security areas and their identities are kept secret. Please read the BRNow.org article. If you aren't subscribing to them, you should be. They are just about the best source for news in the SBC. … [Read more...] about BREAKING NEWS: Data Breach at the IMB
Complementarianism and the Future of the SBC
I resisted the temptation to go for the clickbait title this time. "Should the Women Keep Silent in the SBC?" Complementarianism is a doctrine established in the Baptist Faith and Message and disdained by our culture, even modern Christian culture. After nearly 2000 years of a fairly consistent understanding of the biblical truth about men and women, marriage, and roles in the church, suddenly people are discovering new and inventive hermeneutical approaches to demonstrate that the Bible doesn’t actually say what it seems to say. All those verses about submission and about men holding … [Read more...] about Complementarianism and the Future of the SBC
And the Next President of SWBTS Is…
Sorry for that clickbait title. No, I have no idea who it will be. I do hear a fair bit of scuttlebutt from time to time but the dust is still settling on the Patterson fiasco and it is too early to start naming names. I don't think the search team has even been formed yet. The dedicated Patterson defenders are still laying down heavy fire in their efforts to undo the decision of the trustees, but their efforts will fail. The Executive Committee will be affirmed by the full board as it was by 98% majority at the convention and we will move on. The Patterson era is over and a new day is … [Read more...] about And the Next President of SWBTS Is…
Blessed Messes
I was in the village of Kaliane in the Casamance, southern Senegal, on Saturday, February 24, and I began to feel horrible. It was an amazing day, actually. We had a couple of gatherings planned with kids, arranged by my translator Alioune. We showed up for the morning session and found about 30 children, most much younger than I had expected. I told them a Bible story and then shared the gospel with them. We walked back to Jean Batiste and Isabelle's home and came back in the afternoon. This time there was a slightly older group of nearly 60 children and young teens and I got to tell them … [Read more...] about Blessed Messes