Dave Miller

It is clear that there are quite a few opinions concerning Article III of the SBC constitution. It spells out messenger qualifications and the Executive Committee has set forth some proposals for altering it. These have raised quite a few discussions here at SBC Voices and elsewhere. Links to our related articles are at the bottom of this post. In an article in Baptist Press Tuesday, we have evidence that the the Executive Committee wants to hear what average Baptists have to say about these changes. Actually, they are always willing to hear our input, if we bother to give it. But on this … [Read more...] about Opinions on Article III? The Executive Committee is Listening!

We are in a real situation here folks. We've had three articles in recent days discussing the issue of the messenger eligibility proposals being floated at the Executive Committee. All of a sudden it feels like we are back in 2006 debating Baptist Identity and IMB policies and such. I don't know about any of the rest of you who were around in 2006, but I have no desire to go back to those days and that style of Baptist blog debate. But this is no small issue that we have here. Let me state the facts, as I see them. There is a significant problem with the Baptist Faith & Message (BF&M) … [Read more...] about The BF&M Communion Issue: There Is Only 1 Solution

It has certainly been a lively day at SBC Voices, hasn't it? We will probably end the day with numbers that we usually see only in the run up to the convention or when there is some kind of scandal at one of our entities. I have said often, "I am so tired of the Calvinism discussions." But the fact is that there are evidently quite a few people who are not tired of it. Many have an almost insatiable appetite to either promote or denigrate Calvinism. I am about to, as I said this morning, close comments on the topic. I thought it might be fair if I floated my own beliefs on the topic as the day … [Read more...] about What I Believe about the Calvinism Issue

It is no secret that I am sick of Calvinism discussions. But there are quite a few commenters and some of our contributors who feel that discussions of Calvinism - both pro and con - are important. Just because I do not share their enthusiasm for these discussions does not mean that SBC Voices will not post them. My motto for this site is "All the Angles on the SBC." The purpose of this site is not just to promote my views, but to be a place where ideas can be shared and even opposing viewpoints can be discussed. So, today is all about Calvinism. We are posting a series of posts on the … [Read more...] about Calvinism Thursday

In my 32 years of ministry, I've served 4 churches - one in Florida, one in Virginia, and two in Iowa. In my first three ministries, I eschewed the idea that a pastor needed to be careful about having his closest friends within the church membership. My closest friends were "in-house" guys and I was confident it would work well. Of course, as a younger man who showed evidence of "youthful arrogance and immaturity" right up into my late 40s, who was hyper-competitive in sports until I got too fat to participate anymore, who had a lot of rough edges on my personality, it caused problems. It … [Read more...] about SBC Voices Forum: Can a Pastor’s Closest Friends Be Church Members?

I got a call today, one I would have never expected. My good friend, a pastor in my state and someone I'd spent a lot of time with, one of the nicest men you could ever possibly meet, decided to end his own life. I was reluctant to say anything on this blog, but Facebook is full of the story, he is on the news and a pastor friend from North Carolina even contacted me about it. With social media, there are no secrets anymore. So, I guess it doesn't hurt for me to reflect on it a little bit and to draw a conclusion from the tragedy. That's how I process things. I write about them. I hope you … [Read more...] about Is There More I Could Have Done? Reflections on a Painful Loss

As far as I am concerned, we could change the bylaws and make Fred Luter SBC President for life. I got to travel to Israel with him back in October and it is my humble but correct opinion that the closer the next president is to Fred Luter in temperament, passion and deportment, the better we all will be. Of course, I felt the same way about Bryant Wright. He was a good man and did a good job. And I have an unabashed man-crush on Frank Page and I thought Johnny Hunt did a great job as well. But the Luter administration has been refreshing in many ways and I am sorry that it will come to an end … [Read more...] about What I’d Like to See in the Next SBC President

In my family, we often relate by teasing each other. We actually get along pretty well, but if you saw a transcript of some of our conversations, you might not think so. It’s how we do. As we rag on one another, we often use the verbal equivalent of emoticons in our exchanges. “No offense,” says the one doing the teasing. “None taken,” says the one who is taking the shot. There is a similar phrase I've come to enjoy and employ when giving my siblings or my children the business. “Of course, I say this only in the spirit of Christian love.” That’s my family – it’s how we roll. It might not … [Read more...] about For the Love of God, Please STOP!

I saw a link yesterday to a January 8 article in Christianity Today about a question that is becoming increasingly significant in the modern media age. The article describes the problem, "Who Owns the Pastor's Sermons?"  That used to be an insignificant issue. It was hard to get a book published or get a radio ministry that produced income. But with the explosion of self-publishing and podcasts and monetized internet options and PayPal, there are a lot of ways for pastors to make a little income from their messages and writings. But hold on a second, preacher! You may be taking profits … [Read more...] about Do You Own Your Sermons?

I am leading my church to pursue discipline against anyone who supports the Seattle SeaTalks and will probably place anyone who cheers for them on moderation here. We need to stand for right, folks. America cannot survive if we do not speak out for what is honorable. I'd like to share my reasons for this principled and convictional stand. 1) Peyton Manning is a great American story. Rising up from poverty (well, his dad's teams seldom won games anyway), he started ingloriously - in an act of shame, he signed with an SEC school where he couldn't beat the Gators or win a Heisman (lost to a … [Read more...] about Why You Should Cheer for the Denver Broncos