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)
IMB’s Root Problem (Thomas L. Law III)
The fundamental problem facing the IMB is that they have two divergent model in place working against each other. They are funding IMB missionaries with one model and sending them to the field with another. Unless one or the other of the models is changed we will continue to have problems. The current IMB VRI process does not get to the root IMB problem and could actually make things worse. Two Models The funding model which had served the FMB/IMB well for seventy plus years focused on pooling the resources from the SBC churches and funding missionaries without them having to raise their … [Read more...] about IMB’s Root Problem (Thomas L. Law III)
Playing the TRUMP Card (Bill MacKinnon)
As you know from my last contribution to SBC Voices, I am a big fan of science fiction. One common theme in science fiction is the idea of parallel universes. The multi-verse theory suggests, in part, that there are an infinite number of universes besides the one we inhabit. In scifi, the parallel universes are typically much like ours, but with differences, sometimes subtle, sometimes not-so-subtle. The protagonist is typically transported to a parallel world where he or she has to cope with the differences and find their way home. I’m pretty open minded when it comes to a lot of … [Read more...] about Playing the TRUMP Card (Bill MacKinnon)
IMB’s Voluntary Reduction Begins (Anonymous)
Editor: This is not anonymous to me, but comes from a friend who shared the information with us. This information was given in a worldwide town hall meeting, so details can't be completely private. My reaction is that this is VERY generous and whatever you think of the VRI, the IMB is demonstrating that it cares deeply about those who have served Southern Baptists. IMB President David Platt addressed both field personnel and Richmond staff on Wednesday morning in order to present plans for the upcoming Voluntary Retirement Incentive (VRI). Richmond staff work under slightly different policies … [Read more...] about IMB’s Voluntary Reduction Begins (Anonymous)