Editor's Note: The following article was written by Chris Davis. It is his reflections on being asked to preach at the SBC Pastor's Conference and his participation in the colloquium. Chris is the Pastor of Groveton Baptist Church in Alexandria, VA. This was originally posted at his church website. Before the Southern Baptist Convention’s Annual Meeting each June, many pastors and church leaders gather on Sunday night and all day Monday for the SBC Pastor’s Conference. High-profile authors, speakers, and pastors are brought in to encourage those invested in the life of the … [Read more...] about Reflections on the SBC Pastor’s Conference by Chris Davis
To The Fields! by Julian Wells
Editor's Note: Julian is a layman who has taught Sunday School in various Southern Baptist churches for the past 20 years. The article originally appeared at his personal site, Ridgetop Reflections, as a part of a series of posts. “When he saw the crowds. he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” (Matthew 9:36-38 NIV) My wife recently purchased a stalk of cotton, … [Read more...] about To The Fields! by Julian Wells
Lessons from the Cotton Field by Julian Wells
Editor's Note: Julian is a layman who has taught Sunday School in various Southern Baptist churches for the past 20 years. The article originally appeared at his personal site, Ridgetop Reflections, as a part of a series of posts. “Then he told them many things in parables, saying: ‘A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they … [Read more...] about Lessons from the Cotton Field by Julian Wells
Disputable Matters by Julian Wells
Editor's Note: Julian is a layman who has taught Sunday School in various Southern Baptist churches for the past 20 years. He has blogged at his personal site, Ridgetop Reflections, for 2 years. “Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. … You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.” (Romans 14:1, 10 NIV) Several years ago, my wife and I were visiting a church whose worship style and dress code were quite different than that to which we were accustomed. … [Read more...] about Disputable Matters by Julian Wells
Why WMU Is Still Relevant by Pamela Graham
Editor's Note: Pamela Graham is a pastor's wife from South Carolina. I recently wrote about the need for more ladies and laypeople to write here at SBC Voices. Pamela answered that call, and provides an important perspective with this article on the WMU and its impact in her life. I am a millennial who believes that WMU is still relevant in the 21st century. WMU was founded in 1888 with the purpose of financially supporting missions and educating Southern Baptists about the need for missions. Both of these are still important today. As a child I was involved in both GAs and Acteens. By … [Read more...] about Why WMU Is Still Relevant by Pamela Graham
The Apostasy of Americanized Christianity Rev. Joseph “Joey” N. Giles, Jr
Joey is Pastor of Berkeley Baptist Church, Berkeley Springs, WV The Baptist Banner, an independent Baptist newsletter that affiliates (but is not owned or operated by) with the SBC of Virginia devoted an entire edition in April of 2001 to a single article, John Arthur Ippolito’s “Seminary in Apostasy: Theology Applied Liberally.” The article was essentially the journal of a theologically conservative, Bible-believing student who was attending the Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond because of its geographical convenience. He paid a visit to Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary … [Read more...] about The Apostasy of Americanized Christianity Rev. Joseph “Joey” N. Giles, Jr
Kellyanne Conway: A Pro-life Champion! (Ron F. Hale)
My generation remembers the 1978 Enjoli perfume commercial featuring an attractive career woman’s sultry opening lyric, “I can bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan.” Is Kellyanne Conway the mythical modern day “superwoman” who can do it all? Kellyanne is the first woman in American history to lead a winning presidential campaign! She did this while being a wife, mother of four, operating her own business, serving as Donald Trump’s campaign manager, and always “quick on the draw” in high-profile television interviews. How did she keep all those plates spinning? It helps being smart … [Read more...] about Kellyanne Conway: A Pro-life Champion! (Ron F. Hale)
What I’ve Learned about Church Life (by Tony Jones)
Tony Jones is pastor at the First Baptist Church of Rich Hill, MO. He blogs at: https://tonylynnjones80.wordpress.com/ where this post first appeared. My friend asked me a great question Friday afternoon as we drove back from Kansas City. He asked, “Now that you’ve been a pastor for four years, what have you learned about church life that you didn’t know before?” I was a music minister in Arkansas for 13 years before I became a pastor. I have also been in church my whole life and I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the ugly of church life. I probably would have given him a better answer had I … [Read more...] about What I’ve Learned about Church Life (by Tony Jones)
Four Competing Views in the Black Church on Homosexuality (William Dwight McKissic, Sr.)
FOUR EMERGING/COMPETING VIEWS OF THE BLACK CHURCH ON HOMOSEXUALITY REPRESENTED BY: KIM BURRELL, E. DEWEY SMITH, REGINALD SHARPE JR. AND YVETTE FLUNDER BY WILLIAM DWIGHT MCKISSIC, SR. Are Kim Burrell, E. Dewey Smith, Reginald Sharpe Jr. and Yvette Flunder representative of the evolution and competing views of the contemporary Black Church on Homosexuality? A Sunday morning sermon at the close of 2016 preached by noted gospel singer Kim Burrell in her Houston pulpit has erupted into a national controversy/discussion in the Black Church regarding various views that Black pastors and … [Read more...] about Four Competing Views in the Black Church on Homosexuality (William Dwight McKissic, Sr.)
Looking toward a Fruitful Future (Louis)
Louis is a frequent commenter and contributor here. I know that most of the people who frequent this blog do not read some of the things that I read. It's understandable. We all have only so much time. Here is an article that I thought people here might find interesting. http://www.npr.org/2016/12/27/506332876/from-delay-to-action-the-supreme-court-to-take-a-conservative-turn-in-2017 This article was actually linked to the Federal Bar Association website, though it is not an FBA authored article. It is authored by Nina Totenberg and is written for NPR. This NPR article will … [Read more...] about Looking toward a Fruitful Future (Louis)