The seminary students went out in teams of two with a local believing interpreter to share Christ in a large Asian city. They were essentially following the model of Matthew 10 where Jesus sent the disciples out; the students were a bit nervous because they had never done this before. One team of three hired a taxi to take them to a neighborhood and when they arrived, the taxi driver asked to go with them and drive them all day. They were invited into several homes that day, given tea and cookies, and after brief introductions shared the gospel in each home, usually for an hour or more. … [Read more...] about Finding Direction, Part 2 – Humanitarian Work and the Gospel Message
Finding Direction, Part 1 (Don Dent)
Don Dent is an Emeritus IMB missionary and Senior Professor of Missions at Gateway Seminary. He studied at Mississippi College, GGBTS with Baker James Cauthen, and Malaysia Baptist Theo. Seminary where he earned the Doctor of Missiology with Mark Terry. His daughter, Chesed, and son, Rob, both work to extend missions to the nations. He is the author of The Ongoing Role of Apostles in Missions and the recently published Finding Direction to Redeem the Nations. Don loves reading non-fiction, hunting, and since moving in 2023 to MS from CA is looking for an alternative to kayak shark fishing in … [Read more...] about Finding Direction, Part 1 (Don Dent)
Can Anything Clear Come Out of Confusion? The Self-Contradiction, Omission, and Myopia of the Law Amendment (Brian Dembowczyk)
In John 1:46, Nathaniel asked, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” I want to ask a similar question: “Can anything clear come out of confusion?” One of the consistent arguments for the Law Amendment has been that, if approved, it will bring much-needed clarity to the SBC. Here’s how sbcamendment.org puts it: This is why the amendment is so important. Amending the constitution—which carries a greater binding authority than the Baptist Faith & Message (2000)—would clearly define who is and is not part of the SBC. Such an amendment could add stability to our convention for decades, … [Read more...] about Can Anything Clear Come Out of Confusion? The Self-Contradiction, Omission, and Myopia of the Law Amendment (Brian Dembowczyk)
Statement from Leaders, Advisors, and Advocates in the Southern Baptist Convention
The following statement was released to media outlets earlier today and is reposted here. _____ Statement from Leaders, Advisors and Advocates in the Southern Baptist Convention. As individuals who have worked alongside the Southern Baptist Convention in abuse reform or held positions of past or current leadership in the Convention related to abuse reform, we come together to express our deep grief at the Amicus Brief filed on behalf of the Convention, Lifeway Publishing, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and the SBC Executive Committee, opposing the application of sexual … [Read more...] about Statement from Leaders, Advisors, and Advocates in the Southern Baptist Convention
What Do Only Pastors Do? (Stephanie Jones)
At the heart of the proposed (and first-vote-affirmed) amendment to the SBC Constitution are two doctrinal beliefs held by a majority of Southern Baptists. (Count me among those who hold them. Men and women, while both created in the image of God, were created with different roles to play in both the home and the church. Only men are to be responsible to fill the pastoral role(s) in the church. What, then, does the Bible say that only pastors do? No one seems to be addressing this question either. This is at the root of disagreement between the varieties of complementarians. Is … [Read more...] about What Do Only Pastors Do? (Stephanie Jones)
How Will Churches Respond to a Moratorium on Female Pastors? (Stephanie Jones)
At the Annual Meeting, messengers voted multiple times overwhelmingly in favor of complementarianism. One of those votes included amending Article III of the SBC Constitution with a sixth requirement of churches. The exact wording of that section of Article III would read: “The Convention will only deem a church to be in friendly cooperation with the Convention, and sympathetic with its purposes and work … which: … 6.Affirms, appoints, or employs only men as any kind of pastor or elder as qualified by Scripture.” If messengers in Indianapolis next year give a second affirmative vote … [Read more...] about How Will Churches Respond to a Moratorium on Female Pastors? (Stephanie Jones)
What CAN Women Do in the Church? (Stephanie Jones)
Around the time discussing Beth Moore’s Mother’s Day activities became controversial, my pastor husband and I began having regular – and sometimes heated – conversations about what women can’t do in service of the church. The question I started asking was, “What, then, can women do in the church?” As complementarians, we are quick to make lists, and they vary from church to church: women cannot preach, women cannot teach mixed group classes, women cannot be ordained, women cannot baptize, women cannot be the worship leader, women cannot be deacons, women cannot be in authority over a … [Read more...] about What CAN Women Do in the Church? (Stephanie Jones)
On Pastoral Ministry and Job Titles (Phillip Powers)
Language really is a funny thing, because so often how words are used determines what they mean regardless of their actual definition. Or to put it another way, meaning is dictated by connotation more than by actual denotation. This is especially so when it comes to current discussions in the Southern Baptist Convention about who can and cannot serve as pastor. Over the past several decades, the titles and types of pastors on church staffs all across this country have proliferated exponentially. We now have Senior Pastors, Lead Pastors, Teaching Pastors, Executive Pastors, Assistant … [Read more...] about On Pastoral Ministry and Job Titles (Phillip Powers)
On the Spiritual Gift of Pastoral Ministry
A note from Dave: i neglected to change this from my name to guest blogger before I left on my trip to New Orleans. My Apologies. It seems like there has been a lot of discussion recently, especially within the Southern Baptist community, regarding pastoral ministry and the role of women. This is largely due to the actions taken by Rick Warren and Saddleback Church. In May 2021, the southern California megachurch made denominational headlines when it ordained three women as pastors. Since then, it has also recognized Stacie Wood, wife of current pastor Andy Wood who succeeded Warren in 2022, … [Read more...] about On the Spiritual Gift of Pastoral Ministry
Sex Abuse, Credibly Accused, and an SBC Campaign Story—Why Trinity Matters [by Troy Bush]
The SBC Annual Meeting is just a few days away, and sex abuse reform remains central to the SBC and its future. All sides agree abuse is wrong, abusers should be held accountable, and the SBC must do better. Yet, the divide over the future of the SBC is deep, and the sides disagree with fierce conviction. Enter Trinity Community Church, formerly Trinity Baptist Church, Ashburn, Ga. Trinity has a confessed child sex abuser serving with their worship team. He confessed to me in 2019 he had sexually assaulted 5 boys and could not remember if there were others. Trinity terminated him at the time, … [Read more...] about Sex Abuse, Credibly Accused, and an SBC Campaign Story—Why Trinity Matters [by Troy Bush]