Dave Miller

It didn't take long after the Josh Duggar story hit the news for one of my Facebook friends put up a post chiding evangelicals for our lack of outrage about the situation. "Where is the outrage about the Duggar scandal among conservatives?" This man is a former Southern Baptist who "went out from us" and sometimes highlights what he sees as the shortcomings of conservative evangelicals. Let's face it - we give plenty of opportunity for such observations, don't we? But I've heard that phrase over and over again in a wide range of social circumstances. Why aren't you outraged about this? Why … [Read more...] about I Am OUTRAGED!

I was driving in my car in October of 2011 doing something very strange – cheering for the Texas Rangers. There were two reasons for that. I’m an American League fan. Why cheer for a league that still makes pitchers hit, for crying out loud? But the real reason I was cheering for the Rangers had to do with one man who stood to the plate in the top of the 10th, about 4 and a half hours into the game. It should have been over by then, with Texas celebrating their first World Series victory. Texas had a 3 run lead in the 8th and one of the better closers in the game, but St. Louis got one in … [Read more...] about When Stars Fall from the Sky: Christians, Celebrities, and Sin

I saw a tweet from Joel Rainey that encapsulated the coverage of the recent Pew Reseach statistics. He observed it was like people were reading two different sets of poll results. On the one hand, you had CNN crowing "Millennials leaving the church in droves," because of their glee that it would give less hope to religious right candidates. The New York Times echoed with "Big Drop in Share of Americans Calling Themselves Christians." They managed to avoid attaching any smiley-face emoticons in their post, which I thought was a nice touch. They see the raw data and make their conclusion, … [Read more...] about “Christianity Is Dying in America!” (from Myths Skeptics Believe)

I should read more books, I know it! But most of the time I have for reading goes to social media - mostly blog-posts and online articles. Several of those I read regularly are in the millennial camp. Oh, come on, let's call them what they are - young whippersnappers! Many of the millennials show encouraging signs - a commitment to biblical truth and a love for reaching younger generations with the gospel of Jesus Christ. But many younger (self-described) evangelicals operate with an assumption that Christianity must mold itself to please our culture. If we offend, we must adjust. If our moral … [Read more...] about In the Spirit of Ezekiel: Watchmen, not Salesmen!

We should really elect a "regular guy" as president of the SBC shouldn't we - someone who pastors a normal-sized church! For all our lives the presidents of the SBC have been luminaries and mega-church pastors - celebrities who live in different worlds than we do. They don't really understand how we live and we don't really understand how they live. So every year people start suggesting that we run a non-mega pastor for the exalted office of president of the SBC. The nominations usually begin with the good Dr. Bart Barber - frankly, I think he is an excellent choice, but he assures me he … [Read more...] about “Dave Miller for President” and Other Dumb Ideas!

I originally wrote this article on June 21, 2010, back when Matt Svoboda was still the kingpin at this site. My views have done nothing but strengthen. Since the advent of the internet, the chorus of voices calling for regional voting sites or internet voting at home has become stronger. I am editing that old article and updating it. I understand the reasons people advocate for the inclusion of internet voting - either at regional sites or in the privacy of your own home at your own computer. Travel is expensive. It costs a lot of money to go to the convention and that leaves people … [Read more...] about Why I Oppose Internet Voting in the SBC (and ALWAYS Will)

It's called the "honeymoon phase" of your ministry, and it's usually pretty fun. You walk in the door and everyone walks to make a good impression on you just as you want to make a good impression on them. It's like a first date that lasts three to six months. Everything is new. No one has heard your sermons before. All your jokes are new. All your illustrations are new. Everything you do is new. You are so new that even your annoying qualities haven't started annoying people yet! In Deuteronomy 24:5, there is an interesting provision in the law. A newly married man was not supposed to be … [Read more...] about When the Ministry Hits the Fan: The Day You Walk in the Door

Please see my note at the bottom explaining some edits I made to this piece.  It's happened again. They are beating on us poor Baptist bloggers again. Maybe it's time to put on my housecoat and head back to the basement! The lastest iteration of the blogger-bashing tactic comes from someone named Joni B Hannigan in something called the "Christian Examiner." She wrote an article entitled, "Southern Baptist bloggers bullied leader to disinvite Ben Carson." (Link removed.) Her article demonstrates a lack of understanding of Baptist life and polity and gives a sterling example of why blogging … [Read more...] about Baptist Bloggers and Bullies: A Response to Hannigan’s False Accusations (Edited)