Dave Miller

On Political Involvement: we need to avoid two extremes - putting all our eggs in the political basket or avoiding political involvement at all. We need to be involved properly. New Books - "Onward - Engaging the Culture without losing the Gospel" will address these issues. Engaging with a spirit of both kindness and wisdom. Can a white church staff speak to racial issues without hypocrisy? We are all hypocrites. We are all struggling pilgrims. It is more than just hiring people with multiethnic backgrounds. It is a process. Not all will happen at once. We need to faithfully … [Read more...] about Questions and Ethics Live: Dr Moore

Kevin pastors a white church in the Louisville area and took a lot of heat from other black friends both when he became a Southern Baptist and when he went to a white church. He was driven by his grandmother's bad hermeneutics. "At least make sure you know the red letters." Reading red letters, he saw Jesus' prayer in John 17 "that they be one - so that the world may know that you have sent me." The lack of oneness in the Body in America undercuts our missiological thrusts. Our racial divisions ruin our ministry and evangelism. He realizes this is who he is and doesn't … [Read more...] about Kevin Smith – White Church, Black Pastor: Pursuing Racial Unity

Read from Ephesian 2. Pastoring in LA when riots broke out in 1992 after cops who brutalized Rodney King were set free. King's famous line... "Can't we all just get along?" Can we? What does it take for hate to be replaced by love?Ephesians 2:14-18. God has a plan for peace and unity. His plan is a person. Christ. 1. Christ is Our PeaceIn Ephesians 2, verses 1-10 tells us how christ makes Christians, in verses 11 on, he tells how Christ makes the church. There is peace in the person and work of Christ. 2:14 He himself is our peace. He and he alone. John 16:33. In … [Read more...] about HB Charles – Tearing Down the Dividing Wall: How the Gospel Shapes Racial Reconciliation

Dr. Akin read from Revelation 7:9 and following, the passage about the multitude from every tribe and nation gathering around the throne. Matthew 28:19-20. "Go and make disciples of all nations." Last words are meant to be lasting words. At Southeastern in the 90s. A student fired from his church because some black students came to VBS. They came and presented themselves for membership and the deacons immediately fired him because these black children came for baptism and membership. Later, the chairman of the deacons called him for a recommendation for a pastor candidate. Dr. … [Read more...] about Dr. Daniel Akin – To the Ends of the Earth: The Great Commission and Racial Reconciliation

Robert P. George is the McCormick Chair of Jurisprudence at Princeton University and the Founding Director of the James Madison Program. He is discussing Daniel Patrick Moynahan's views on the breakdown of the home in black communities. This is one of several TED talks being filmed. Far more academic as you might imagine, but solid. He spoke of the consequences of family breakdown within minority community. "You want to rebuild equality? Rebuild the marriage culture in our society!"Single mothers are heroic in their work. But the family is the core character forming institution. What … [Read more...] about Robert P. George – Jesus Loves the Little Children: The Pro-Life Movement and Racial Reconciliation

Jesus reversed over 800 years of racial trouble in 24 hours. Racial reconciliation isn't difficult. It's only hard because we don't follow Christ. Samaritan Woman. (John 4)Jesus, verse 4, had to pass through Samaria. But Jews did not. They went out of their way to avoid the Samaritans. Jesus had to pass through Samaria - not because there was no other way, but because he had an appointment with a woman, set up by God. He met her at the well (v5) of Sychar. Jacob's well. Why this well? Both loved Jacob. Jesus met her on common ground. There was a spiritual need. That is what … [Read more...] about Tony Evans – Oneness Embraced: Racial Reconciliation, the Kingdom, and Justice

For the record, I'm typing on an iPad and I'm terrible at it. There'll be a lot more typos than normal. I'm summarizing Dr. Moore and other speakers, not quoting. I don't type that fast. His text was Ephesians 3. Dr. Moore begins telling a story of a Sunday School teacher warning him of putting money in his mouth because a "colored person" may have touched it. She wasn't anti-gospel. Right after that, they sang, "Jesus loves the little children of the world - Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight." People just didn't see the contradiction. We send quarters to … [Read more...] about Dr Moore: Black, White, and Red all Over – Why Racial reconciliation Is a Gospel Issue

A SAD DAY IN THE HISTORY OF BLACK BAPTISTS AT AMERICAN BAPTIST COLLEGE What President Harris, Bishop Flunder, and “Prophetess” Jezebel Have In Common By William Dwight McKissic, SR.  “20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. 21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.” (Revelation 2:20-21 KJV) An incredible, unprecedented, and thus far un-repented of, event took placed … [Read more...] about A Sad Day in the History of Black Baptist at American Baptist College (William Dwight McKissic, Sr.)

I'm going to be at the ERLC Racial Reconciliation Conference on Thursday and Friday. I plan to post regularly during the event. I know Bart will be there and he may want to put some things up, but I've not asked him about it. I'm not sure if any of our other regulars will be there. I won't exactly be live blogging it, but I'll be doing a lot of tweeting and writing summary articles. If you are interested and don't follow me on twitter, it's @davemiller7  - I'm not exactly a twitter powerhouse, but I'll be pretty active this weekend.   … [Read more...] about FYI: I’ll Be Blogging (and Tweeting) the Racial Reconciliation Conference

Yesterday morning I started writing a post and suddenly I looked at the word counter at the bottom of the screen and it registered just over 3000 words. Brent Hobbs gave me a hard time about my tome, so I'm going to add in a short one today. Just one main point.  On February 1, 1982, I went to work full-time as a pastor and I have been employed every single day since. I've had some great moments as a pastor and I've sat with a newspaper reading the classifieds trying to find a job to feed my family so I could resign and run away. I've overflowed with joy and I've walked through the valley of … [Read more...] about The Hardest Part of Ministry (This one is for Brent Hobbs)