… [Read more...] about On the Annual Celebration of Christmas and Easter (Phillip Powers)
Rethinking Pastoral Discipline (Jordan Bird)
Matt Chandler returned to the pulpit of The Village Church this Sunday after three months of leave. The leave was to be “disciplinary and developmental,” after Chandler confessed to inappropriate-but-not-romantic conversations with a woman through messaging. Apparently, in the last three months an investigation was done, counsel was sought, and tough conversations were had. I have been greatly encouraged by the ministry of The Village Church and by Matt Chandler’s preaching over the years. We are partners in missions, I’m a well-wisher to them all, and I’m happy to pray that they would … [Read more...] about Rethinking Pastoral Discipline (Jordan Bird)
Georgia Baptist bicentennial: Honoring enslaved and free Black people
Editor’s note: This is the third in a three-part series of articles exploring the monumental contributions slaves and convict laborers made in Georgia Baptist history. This article was first published by The Christian Index and is reposted here by permission of the author. The Georgia Baptist Convention was remarkably biracial before the Civil War, and enslaved members and pastors made a significant contribution to Georgia Baptists. Clarence L. Mohr noted in Masters and Slaves in the House of the Lord that in 1860 there were nearly 30 semi-autonomous Black churches in the GBC. That same … [Read more...] about Georgia Baptist bicentennial: Honoring enslaved and free Black people
Georgia Baptist bicentennial: Lamenting a heritage of racism and slavery
Editor’s note: This is the second in a three-part series of articles exploring the monumental contributions slaves and convict laborers made in Georgia Baptist history. This article was first published by The Christian Index and is reposted here by permission of the author. Thousands of enslaved Black people were members of Georgia Baptist churches. They supported their churches through active membership, including voluntary gifts, and through the profits taken from their labor. Willis Williams and Lucrecia “Creecy” Daniel were two such enslaved persons and were members of Shiloh Baptist … [Read more...] about Georgia Baptist bicentennial: Lamenting a heritage of racism and slavery
Georgia Baptist bicentennial leads to conversations about slavery, racism, and biblical reconciliation
Editor’s note: This is the first in a three-part series of articles exploring the monumental contributions slaves and convict laborers made in Georgia Baptist history. This article was first published by The Christian Index and is reposted here by permission of the author. Jesse Mercer, one of the most influential founders of the Georgia Baptist Convention, cared for the men and women he enslaved. Charles D. Mallary, also a slaveholder, was Mercer’s friend and an influential Georgia Baptist leader. In Memoirs of Elder Jesse Mercer, Mallary said Mercer’s example as a “master … deserves to be … [Read more...] about Georgia Baptist bicentennial leads to conversations about slavery, racism, and biblical reconciliation
On Unrealistic Expectations in Ministry (Phillip Powers)
It is no secret that the last few years have been extremely difficult for churches and even more so for pastors. Of course, pastoral ministry is commonly fraught with its own set of unique stresses, but those stresses have grown exponentially over the past few years due to the chaos and turmoil that has so regularly characterized our society. This has led to unprecedented numbers of pastors leaving the ministry, a trend some are now calling the "Great Resignation". The Barna Group has recently reported that some 42% of pastors have given real, serious consideration to quitting being in … [Read more...] about On Unrealistic Expectations in Ministry (Phillip Powers)
PICTURES CAPTURE MEMORIES by William Dwight McKissic, Sr.
My wife, Vera, recently walked into my home office with two pictures in her hand, and asked me, concerning one of them, “Who is this?” To which I responded, “I don’t know.” I then asked her, “where did you get the picture?” Holding an envelope in her hand she responded, “From this envelope, cleaning out a box on the back porch.” She then handed me the envelope; and the first thing I noticed was my father’s handwriting on the outside of the envelope, where he had written, “Dwight” and “Rev. West.” I then took another look at the picture and told my wife, “That’s Ralph West.” The reason neither … [Read more...] about PICTURES CAPTURE MEMORIES by William Dwight McKissic, Sr.
Rick Warren, BFM2K Article 6, Women in Ministry, and the Future of the Southern Baptist Convention (Wm Dwight McKissic, Sr)
I am not sure of the final outcome of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) exploration to disfellowship Rick Warren for affirming women in ministry within biblical and BFM2K parameters without compromising male leadership. However, I am believing that history will remember Warren as a reformer having elevated the status of women in SBC life to be aligned with Scripture. The SBC may choose to make him a martyr, and that will be to the detriment of the health of the Convention. A discussion evolving around the role of women in ministry the parameters of the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 … [Read more...] about Rick Warren, BFM2K Article 6, Women in Ministry, and the Future of the Southern Baptist Convention (Wm Dwight McKissic, Sr)
Substance is Worth It: Creating A Set List that is Above Reproach (by Quint Adkins)
The year was 2015. I just finished stringing up an old acoustic guitar I found in our church office with the hopes of learning to play so I could be on our church worship team. I had unknowingly ordered the wrong strings, but I put them on anyway. No sooner was the last string installed than I ran to my computer and looked up the chords and a tutorial on how to play “Lead Me to the Cross” by Hillsong. You see, I grew up in the "Passion era" which means that some of the most influential songs in my young Christian life couldn’t have been found in the ’56, ’75 or ’91 Baptist hymnals, but on the … [Read more...] about Substance is Worth It: Creating A Set List that is Above Reproach (by Quint Adkins)
My Reflections from #SBC22 (by Aaron Swain)
My heart was heavy as I packed up my bags and prepared to fly out to Anaheim for the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention last week. Many Southern Baptists have been pushing, in spite of great resistance, towards fixing some of the problems in our Executive Committee and in our convention of churches, especially related to sexual abuse. We have done some good work over the past few years. But the work is not finished. Heading into the annual meeting, I knew we needed to take some decisive action this year if progress is to be made. By God’s grace, we did. A LITTLE CONTEXT For at … [Read more...] about My Reflections from #SBC22 (by Aaron Swain)