John Adams said, “Liberty cannot be preserved without general knowledge among the people.” His wife, Abigail Adams, said, “Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and diligence.” I am a student. I am an academic. I know I am not alone among the readers and writers of SBC Voices. I value knowledge. I value the ability to learn and the tools that aid us in acquiring knowledge. I love a good library. My own library grows weekly. However, a church library is a different story. The church I grew up in had a library. It still does. Whether anything new has been added … [Read more...] about Are Church Libraries Archaic Institutions? (Joseph Giles)
A Birmingham Update from the Executive Committee
Greetings SBCVoices readers. My name is Bill Townes and I serve as the Vice President for Convention Finance and Convention Manager for the SBC Executive Committee. I want to thank the SBCVoices team again for the opportunity to help shed some light on this issue. I apologize for the delay in responding, but I needed to do a lot of research to fully understand the issues that we were experiencing over and above some of the obvious challenges related to housing in Birmingham. Our Convention planning team left for Birmingham around 6:00 am this past Monday and just returned to Nashville last … [Read more...] about A Birmingham Update from the Executive Committee
The Word that Changed Our Lives (by Ashley Blosser)
This article originally appeared at Bearing His Image and is crossposted here with permission. Autism. The word reverberated off of the pale yellow walls of the pediatrician’s office and settled on my stomach like bad Chinese. I knew Hudson’s development was atypical. I was aware of the impending result of the 23-point questionnaire I had completed because I had marked the wrong answer more times than not. Deep down, I knew. But nothing could have prepared me to hear that word out loud at that moment and in that room. I hated how much weight the suggestion carried coming out of the mouth … [Read more...] about The Word that Changed Our Lives (by Ashley Blosser)
Social Justice Is No “Newfound Obsession” for Christians (Mike Miller)
An influential Evangelical recently lamented that contemporary Evangelicals are displaying a “newfound obsession” with social justice. I think this man needs to study church history (which I am teaching on Sunday nights, by the way). 4th century Emperor Julian (a pagan) wrote, "Atheism [his term for Christianity, since Christians rejected all the pagan gods] has been specially advanced through the loving service rendered to strangers, and through their care for the burial of the dead. It is a scandal that there is not a single Jew [he did not distinguish between Jews and Christians] who is a … [Read more...] about Social Justice Is No “Newfound Obsession” for Christians (Mike Miller)
Are We Really Smarter Than Our Forefathers? (Greg Davidson)
Eighth grade is a great time for teenagers. They still have that love and loyalty to their parents, their God, and their country. We wanted to cultivate that moment in our fourteen-year-old’s life by taking him to Washington D.C. to revisit the great purposes and foundation of our country. We arrived in the city, checked into our hotel, and the adventure began. We visited the U.S. Capital and found that there is a Private prayer chapel off the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. The focal point of the chapel is a stained glass with George Washington kneeling in the snow. Surrounding Washington is the … [Read more...] about Are We Really Smarter Than Our Forefathers? (Greg Davidson)
Why I Cannot and Will Not Sign the “Social Justice and the Gospel Statement” (by Ryan Burton King)
This article originally appeared at Ryan Burton King's website and is crossposted here with permission. We're thankful for Ryan's thorough and strong response to the statement released yesterday. Throughout history, Christians have banded together to examine and respond to various crises, real or perceived. Creeds from the days of the Church Fathers, and confessions from the time of the Reformation are joined by petitions and tracts from the Puritan era into our own, local church confessions, associational, conventional, and denominational resolutions, and parachurch statements from a … [Read more...] about Why I Cannot and Will Not Sign the “Social Justice and the Gospel Statement” (by Ryan Burton King)
Breaking News: Dangerous Bill AB2943 Dies in the Cal. Statehouse at the 12th Hour (Greg Davidson)
Amazing things can happen when we all pull together. Recently I published an article on Voices about a dangerous bill AB2943 (See my previous article) that ultimately passed overwhelmingly in the California State Assembly and Senate, and needed only perfunctory approval in its final version by both houses. This law, backed by the LGBTQ, would have imprisoned pastors, and heavenly fined pastors for selling books, or hosting paid speakers that referenced God’s redeeming love and freedom from the sin of homosexuality. In these dark days, we were facing in California, I made an appeal for anyone … [Read more...] about Breaking News: Dangerous Bill AB2943 Dies in the Cal. Statehouse at the 12th Hour (Greg Davidson)
The Truths that Dr. MacArthur’s Social Justice Series Won’t Change – Part 2 (by Terrence Jones)
This article was originally posted at Terrence Jones' blog, Live for Him or Die Trying. Please Forgive Me Let me take a moment to ask forgiveness for a statement that I cannot verify. In my first post I said, “No matter how they try to change the subject…” It infers that the timing of the social justice series is a diversion from the WASC report. It’s an unnecessary and unverifiable leap. I wish I had never used that phrase. It has caused some to dismiss the entire post, which is unfortunate. I ask forgiveness from Dr. MacArthur, Grace to You, and all others who may have been offended by … [Read more...] about The Truths that Dr. MacArthur’s Social Justice Series Won’t Change – Part 2 (by Terrence Jones)
Mystery Solved with Messiah Jesus (Amy Downey)
By now many of us have read the tragic news of the Southern California pastor who committed suicide due to an overwhelming sense of depression and loneliness. My heart weeps for his young wife and children who can never truly understand why, his church that is reeling from the sense of loss and confusion, and even this young man who saw death as less painful than the ache that was in his soul at the moment. Contrary to many, his action was not an act of selfishness but of desperation. His act was one of crying out for help but no one heard his cry. No one knew his desperation. No one knew his … [Read more...] about Mystery Solved with Messiah Jesus (Amy Downey)
Dealing with the Issue of Divisiveness In Our Convention (Greg Davidson)
Sorry, I forgot to credit Greg Davidson with this post. I deleted all the comments, which mostly seemed to be chastising GREG for my mistake. Now, feel free to start commenting on the post. I, like many, appreciate the loving Christ-like, Spirit-filled attitude of most in our Southern Baptist Convention. Most of us are committed to keeping the main thing the main thing. Yet, there are two small groups that have emerged in the SBC who are polarizing in their attitudes; and distracting some from their main mission. There is a small group on one side that I would refer to as out-of-balance … [Read more...] about Dealing with the Issue of Divisiveness In Our Convention (Greg Davidson)