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Dave Miller

Tooting Our Own Horns – Using Social Media for Self-Glory?

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We chastise those who ignore biblical commands about unity, love, and gentleness on social media to speak evil in the name of Christ. This is a real concern but recently I have become concerned about the opposite problem - our tendency to post every act of ministry and every good deed on social media. When we live our lives on social media, when we post our quiet time shots (open Bible and steaming coffee), trumpet how many got saved or baptized at church, rejoice publicly at all the great things happening at our churches and in our lives, there is a danger that we could be violating a command … [Read more...] about Tooting Our Own Horns – Using Social Media for Self-Glory?

The Struggle They Don’t Tell You About

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I had a conversation with the son of one of the members of my church last night, and it put me in mind of one of the darkest times in my life, a period no one warned me about. The fact that it coincided with the COVID shutdown didn't help much. I can't remember the exact timeframe, but sometime in early 2019 (I think - might have been 2018), my mom was diagnosed with her second round of breast cancer. At one point, the doctors told us that she would likely have three months to live, and mom went on hospice. Soon after that, my dad went on hospice as well, due to his leukemia and other health … [Read more...] about The Struggle They Don’t Tell You About

We CANNOT Back Off or Back Down in Facing Sexual Abuse

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Listening to Chellee Taylor last night at the SBC Voices breakout session on Adult Sexual Abuse in Churches, put together by Todd Benkert, I was reminded of how important this subject is. I sat as she told her horrifying story of abuse in an SBC megachurch, as one of her pastors groomed and then abused her in ways that are horrendous. I read the full story online while she talked. Then, her husband (I think his name was Peter) got up to speak and he said something that I've heard other survivors say. He said that the abuse, as awful as it was, wasn't the worst part of their trauma. It … [Read more...] about We CANNOT Back Off or Back Down in Facing Sexual Abuse

Definitive Ballot Results (and It WAS the DAY to Vote for JAY!)

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Our buddy Jay Adkins was elected overwhelmingly on the first ballot to be First Vice President of the SBC. There were 12,715 messengers registered, and 3782 voting at the end of the day. Jay received 2343 votes, for 63.27% of the votes. Dusty Deevers, the surprise candidate, received 784 votes, for 20.73%. Gevan Spinney received 581 votes, or 15.52%. We, here at SBC Voices, are thrilled for our brother Jay! The results of the ballot votes to uphold the rulings of the EC to dismiss three churches from being considered as in friendly cooperation from the SBC were also announced, … [Read more...] about Definitive Ballot Results (and It WAS the DAY to Vote for JAY!)

Three Church Appeals

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Three churches appealed to the convention to appeal the EC action that found them not in friendly cooperation with the SBC. 1. Fern Creek church has a woman pastor. She had 3 minutes to speak and was delightful. She is conservative, a gospel-preaching, right-wing pastor. She believes what we believe except for the idea that women should not be pastors. You couldn't help but like her. The EC assigned Al Mohler to respond and he brought nuclear weapons theologically. It wasn't much of a battle. She was funny, sweet, a truly nice woman,  but I am guessing her appeal fails 85 to 15 … [Read more...] about Three Church Appeals

Election 2023: Nominating Speeches

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I realize that what I am about to say is going to anger people, but it's an observation many have made in the seconds after the nomination speeches. I've never seen such a difference in tone and spirit in the two nominating speeches for president. Jarrett Stevens (was that the right name?) gave an upbeat, positive, and hopeful nominating speech for Dr. Bart Barber, talking about the wonderful job Bart has done as president of the convention this year, how he has earned second term with his good work, his faithful service as a pastor at First Baptist, Farmersville. It was joyful, hopeful, … [Read more...] about Election 2023: Nominating Speeches

Motions Offered – Session 1

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A note here: it is the messenger's duty to learn how the SBC works. If you don't avail yourself of the opportunity to figure out our polity, don't act aggrieved when your motion is ruled out of order. Example - it is not appropriate at this point to offer motions to bring your resolution to the floor. There is another time to do that. If the resolutions committee didn't bring your motion to the floor, then make a motion DURING the resolutions committee time. There's an appropriate time to do this. Learn how the system works. Here are the motions (well, summaries of them - I wrote the … [Read more...] about Motions Offered – Session 1

We Are Southern BAPTIST, Not Southern Presbyterian

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I sat with my dad, who was saved at age 25 in an SBC church, served for over half a century as an SBC pastor and missionary, and was deeply involved in SBC life, when the convention voted to change our constitution to disfellowship churches that either ordained homosexuals or blessed their unions. He was troubled. He said he supported the action because he realized that a church that did these things could not be in friendly cooperation with Southern Baptists. Still, he was troubled because he realized that writing such an action into the constitution, the act of instructing the denominational … [Read more...] about We Are Southern BAPTIST, Not Southern Presbyterian