Dean is pastor at Vaiden Baptist Church and a trustee at NOBTS. I just completed attending the Fall trustee meeting for the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. The two weeks a year I am on the campus of NOBTS is pure delight. The faculty and staff, under Dr. Kelley’s leadership, is the finest anywhere at showing hospitality. If one has to serve in such a position for the convention then serving on a board where the seminary feeds gumbo, fried oysters and shrimp along with the best coffee in the south is the place you want to be using a shucking knife and serving. Most of the meetings … [Read more...] about “We are Family” A Report from the NOBTS Trustee Meeting (Dean Stewart)
Confessions of an Unhappy Pastor (Anonymous)
(For reasons that would seem to be obvious, I'm allowing this post to be published anonymously. Unfortunately, we live in a Christian world in which the kind of confession our author is making could negatively impact his ministry!) Post removed … [Read more...] about Confessions of an Unhappy Pastor (Anonymous)
How Would You Answer the Question “Are You a Christian?” (William Dwight McKissic, Sr)
“Are you a Christian?” was the question that the gunman in the recent Oregon community college shooting asked many of his victims. The individuals who answered “Yes,” were shot in the head. The ones who did not answer, or answered “No” were shot in the legs. Why did the gunman deliberately target “Christians” for the severest punishment? The Bible indicates that the world would be hostile toward people whose faith is centered in Christ in the last days. Paul, Peter and Jesus did not write or speak prescriptively, but rather descriptively, concerning the end times. They had been shown by … [Read more...] about How Would You Answer the Question “Are You a Christian?” (William Dwight McKissic, Sr)
Response to Ronnie Floyd and Commentary on “Considerations and Questions for the Future” (Rodney Hammer )
I'm working from my phone on the road. Can't edit or format. Sorry Rodney. I told Ronnie Floyd yesterday that he'd given the blogs about 6 months of material! SPIRITUAL LIFE, PRAYER AND THE POWER OF GOD MUST BE THE FOUNDATION OF CURRENT AND FUTURE PERSONAL, CHURCH AND CONVENTION LIFE… Yes! Amen. FRESH WINESKINS IS TIMELY, BIBLICAL AND NECESSARY… Yes! The time is now, not when we are further forced to restructure and refocus based on pragmatic realities of financial straits. IN ANSWERING THE QUESTION OF WHAT IS BEST FOR THE SBC VS. WHAT IS BEST FOR THE GOSPEL AND THE … [Read more...] about Response to Ronnie Floyd and Commentary on “Considerations and Questions for the Future” (Rodney Hammer )
An Open Letter to IMB Missionaries Considering the VRI (Thomas L. Law)
An Open Letter to IMB Missionaries Considering the VRI: As one who has been in a situation similar to your own I am writing to share my understanding of what is happening and what may lie ahead. After serving 21+ years with the FMB/IMB we were asked to resign for medical reasons. Leaving the field without any prospects the Lord opened up the doors for me to become the Executive Director of Tarrant (Fort Worth, TX) Baptist Association for 11+ years. After leaving that position, once again the Lord made it possible for me to serve Him as the Interim Executive Director of the Baptist … [Read more...] about An Open Letter to IMB Missionaries Considering the VRI (Thomas L. Law)
AN OPEN LETTER TO IMB TRUSTEES AND SOUTHERN BAPTISTS CONCERNING IMB PERSONNEL REDUCTION AND ORGANIZATIONAL RESET (Rodney Hammer)
Rodney Hammer is a former IMB missionary is now a DOM in the Kansas City area. Dear IMB and Southern Baptist Family, While one of the most extensive, tragic refugee flows in history presents massive need and provides great gospel and humanitarian opportunity, human trafficking is overtaking drug trafficking as #1 global crime, and over 1 billion people have yet to hear the gospel...we Southern Baptists have sent Voluntary Retirement Incentive notices to 1500 or so IMB missionaries. I support our International Mission Board and our beloved missionaries, but I do not believe we are going … [Read more...] about AN OPEN LETTER TO IMB TRUSTEES AND SOUTHERN BAPTISTS CONCERNING IMB PERSONNEL REDUCTION AND ORGANIZATIONAL RESET (Rodney Hammer)
Megachurches – Then and Now 1960 – 2012 (Roger Simpson)
This has nothing to do with this article, but our author is now a national media star, as can be demonstrated from this article in the Washington Post. Interestingly, one of the "Tri-state" areas there is Sioux City (Iowa/Nebraska/South Dakota), where I live, and the IA/MN/SD point is not too far north of here. This chart shows how CP giving is distributed across all of the Southern Baptist Churches in Oklahoma. I am using Oklahoma for this study since I have the Annual Church Profile information for the state of Oklahoma available in a machine readable form. I can’t prove this, but the … [Read more...] about Megachurches – Then and Now 1960 – 2012 (Roger Simpson)
Pray for Our Missionaries (Don Dent)
Editor: I saw this on Don Dent's Facebook site and asked his permission to publish it here. Last Thursday in a global online meeting, IMB missionaries were told that those over the age of 50 would receive a voluntary retirement incentive offer yesterday. Each has been told they must pray and consider whether it is time to retire early. They must decide what to do in the next 45 days, but they know this is only the first step towards the IMB downsizing by at least 600, but preferably 800, personnel worldwide. This is an excruciatingly painful day for our missionaries and support office … [Read more...] about Pray for Our Missionaries (Don Dent)
Trump’s Victims or, How Else Do You Explain It? Let the Debate Continue (Todd Littleton)
This is not about Megyn Kelley after the first Republican debate where Trump said, "There was blood coming out of her." It is not about Carly Florina about whom Trump said, "look at that face." Nor does it concern Governor Jindal who was the brunt of the Trump retort, "I don't respond to anyone not polling above 1%." It is not about Jeb Bush, Illegal Immigrants, China, Mexico, or Nabisco. Trump appears to always be misunderstood. He is always the victim, or so it seems. Victims As Supporters Maybe it is an audacious claim. It could be a desperate search for a reasonable, or not so … [Read more...] about Trump’s Victims or, How Else Do You Explain It? Let the Debate Continue (Todd Littleton)
A High Level Glimpse of Funds Received by the International Mission Board 1950 – 2014 (Roger Simpson)
These two charts give an overview over a sixty year time span of the two major funding sources that support the International Mission Board. Chart #1 – CP Giving Received by the Executive Committee from States The first chart shows COOPERATIVE PROGRAM funds received from the churches, via the state conventions, by the Executive Committee. About 50% [actually 50.41%] of the CP funds received by the executive committee are forwarded to the IMB. The blue line of the chart is CP dollars received by the Executive Committee. The red line is the blue line dollar amount adjusted to “constant … [Read more...] about A High Level Glimpse of Funds Received by the International Mission Board 1950 – 2014 (Roger Simpson)