What Fathers and Mothers Need to Know About Ferguson Psalm 78:5-7 By William Dwight McKissic, Sr. On Saturday, August 9, about 2:15 p.m., a shooting took place in Ferguson, Missouri, that will forever be etched on the collective psyches of all Americans. Ferguson, Missouri, was not on the radar screen of most Americans until the news begin to circulate over the past several days, that yet another young African American male had been shot and killed by a police officer. Complete facts and details surrounding the young man’s death are still largely unknown. But what is known has triggered … [Read more...] about What Fathers and Mothers Need to Know about Ferguson (William Dwight McKissic, Sr.)
An Irreverent look at our pastor search process: part 2 (by William Thornton)
William Thornton is the SBC Plodder The second of two parts on the perpetually discussed topic of pastor/staff search committees. You can't trust the committee and they can't trust you Let's see. A pastor/staff or prospective pastor/staff is a Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ, called into a lifetime of vocational Christian service, willing to follow Him wherever He calls. And a church search committee is presumably a group of highly dedicated Christians who are active in their local congregation giving generously of their time and money to worship and serve Christ. Right? You … [Read more...] about An Irreverent look at our pastor search process: part 2 (by William Thornton)
Does Your Anchor Hold within the Veil (by Ken Hamrick)
Heb. 6:19, "This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil..." (NKJV) Col. 1:27, "To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." (NKJV) 1 Cor. 6:19, "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?" (NKJV)To hear that someone we thought of as a brother in the Lord---a pastor, a teacher of sound doctrine and a contender for the faith---has now … [Read more...] about Does Your Anchor Hold within the Veil (by Ken Hamrick)
An irreverent look at our pastor search process, Part 1 (By William Thornton)
William Thornton is the SBC Plodder. I had a guy in one of my churches who was a sausage maker and I made a pastoral visit to him while he was hard at work. There they sat, pans and pans of blood, guts, and porcine body parts I had never seen and didn't recognize. I don't recall eating his sausage. I'll have the sausage in the nice, tidy package, thank you. Our SBC pastor/staff search process is like making sausage. It's often ugly, some would say inherently ugly. While I could live without eating my member's sausage, most pastors and staff cannot stay in the pastoral ministry without … [Read more...] about An irreverent look at our pastor search process, Part 1 (By William Thornton)
President Obama, Iraq, and the Christian Response (by Adam Blosser)
Adam Blosser is the pastor of Drakes Branch Baptist Church, in Drakes Branch, Virginia, and blogs at One True Joy. My heart is heavy this morning as I consider the current situation in Iraq. It is a mess no matter which way you slice it. It really doesn't matter whether you supported President George W. Bush's initial action to invade Iraq. It really doesn't matter if you supported President Obama's decision to withdraw troops from Iraq. This is a mess, and the United States is right to act. I often find myself torn in situations like this. I do not like that America has often taken … [Read more...] about President Obama, Iraq, and the Christian Response (by Adam Blosser)
Ebola, Donald Trump, and the Gospel of Christ (by Adam Blosser)
Over the weekend, Donald Trump sent out a series of tweets weighing in on the current Ebola crisis. https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/statuses/495379061972410369 https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/statuses/495415298808639488 Suffer the consequences? Liberal do gooders? This is morally outrageous. Mr. Trump would do well to educate himself on the facts concerning Ebola before opening his mouth or striking his keyboard again. Facts aside, the very idea that there should be "consequences" for doing what we all know in our hearts to be right is extremely disturbing. While Trump's … [Read more...] about Ebola, Donald Trump, and the Gospel of Christ (by Adam Blosser)
10 Ways the Evangelical Church Has Lost Its Curb Appeal (by David Manner)
Dr. David W. Manner is the Associate Executive Director for the Kansas-Nebraska Convention of Southern Baptists. He blogs at http://kncsb.org/blogs/dmanner . You can follow him on Twitter: @dwmanner. Most potential homebuyers decide whether or not to check out the interior of a house or take it seriously as a home prospect for their family based on its curb appeal…how it looks from the street. Statistics show that a positive curb appeal brings more people through the front door and gives them a healthy first impression. Conversely, poor curb appeal excludes certain people from looking … [Read more...] about 10 Ways the Evangelical Church Has Lost Its Curb Appeal (by David Manner)
Theology Thursday: Our Approach to Scripture, and to Culture (by Joel Rainey)
Joel Rainey is the Director of Missions at Mid-Maryland Baptist Association, an adjunct professor at Capital Bible Seminary and blogs at Themelios (Twitter - @joelrainey). This week, I'm teaching a doctoral seminar atSoutheastern Baptist Theological Seminary on current issues affecting the church. Western evangelicalism faces an increasing number of challenges when it comes to engaging its surrounding culture in a way that is both faithful to Jesus, and fruitful within our current environment. And sometimes, we find ourselves at cross-purposes with one another regarding an … [Read more...] about Theology Thursday: Our Approach to Scripture, and to Culture (by Joel Rainey)
Will one in four SBC churches be closed by 2030? (from William Thornton)
William Thornton is the SBC Plodder. Occasionally, I run across an assertion or a statistic that stops me cold. Here is one that did just that: "Fear of change is one of the reasons one in four congregations will close during the next 15 years..." Let me digest this: Twenty-five percent of American congregations will not be present fifteen years hence?Jeff Brumley of Associated Baptist Press has an interesting article on the future of churches, Experts seek balance between optimism and pessimism in future of congregations, in which he quotes Bill Wilson, founder of The Center for Healthy … [Read more...] about Will one in four SBC churches be closed by 2030? (from William Thornton)
Why Marijuana Should Remain Illegal (by David Brumbelow)
David is a pastor and author of “Ancient Wine and the Bible.” He writes at gulfcoastpastor.blogspot.com. Washington State has become the second state to legalize marijuana. Christians need to be prepared to speak to this issue. Reasons to oppose marijuana are here given in the form of Questions and Answers. 1. Marijuana is no more harmful than alcohol, and alcohol is legal. Alcohol is America’s number one drug problem. Why should we now unleash another harmful drug on America? When marijuana has been legalized, it has led to an increase in crime and societal problems. Alcohol and … [Read more...] about Why Marijuana Should Remain Illegal (by David Brumbelow)