Joel Rainey leads the Engagement Team for Evangelism and Missions at the Mid-Atlantic Baptist Network. He is on the adjunct faculty of two seminaries,and the author of three books. He blogs at Themelios, where this was originally posted last week. "Duck Dynasty star on Muslims: 'Convert them or kill them,'" read the headline of Jonathan Merritt's social media post last week. The post contained a link to a Religion News Service articledescribing Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertson's recent appearance with FOX News host Sean Hannity, in which the two discussed how the US and others should … [Read more...] about It Takes One to Know One: Evangelical Media and the Plague of Adolescent Discourse (Joel Rainey)
The President, Angry Mobs and We (Jerry Corbaley)
Jerry Corbaley blogs at "Think the Thoughts?" Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment…Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience… Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. Romans 13:1, 2, 5, … [Read more...] about The President, Angry Mobs and We (Jerry Corbaley)
Cooperative Program gifts that bypass state conventions (William Thornton)
He's ba-ack! The William, the SBC Plodder, is sharing his insights with us once again. One of the eyebrow raisers about David Platt's selection as the new president of the International Mission Board was the fact that his church gave a considerable amount ($100,000) directly to the SBC Executive Committee Cooperative Program Allocation Budget. In doing so his church bypassed the Alabama Baptist State Convention which would have lopped off more than half of that amount. The usual routine is for a church to send their CP gifts to their state convention which keeps most of the money (varies … [Read more...] about Cooperative Program gifts that bypass state conventions (William Thornton)
Our Sacred Housing Allowance winds its way through the courts (William Thornton)
William is the SBC Plodder. If you run across a general news report on the minister's housing allowance you should conclude that something is going on that might not be good. As long as we fly under the news radar with our Sacred Clergy Tax Break, that wonderful tax benefit by which we clergy may exclude tens of thousands of dollars from income taxes, we may relax. But, if its in the news it is likely because of (a) a legitimate but immensely compensated minister is excluding hundreds of thousands of income from taxes and living in a multi-million dollar mansion, or (b) we are in the courts … [Read more...] about Our Sacred Housing Allowance winds its way through the courts (William Thornton)
So what does Platt/IMB say about our Cooperative Program? (William Thornton)
William Thornton is the SBC Plodder. Who am I kidding. You guys know him!! David Platt is our newly elected leader of our most important entity, The International Mission Board. What does his election say about our main channel of cooperative giving, The Cooperative Program? Here's what a few prominent Southern Baptists say: "Missions going and giving is bigger and more expansive than the Cooperative Program." - Herschel York, IMB trustee, David Platt is President of the IMB (and that's a good thing). "As the president of an entity funded through the C[ooperative] P[rogram] … [Read more...] about So what does Platt/IMB say about our Cooperative Program? (William Thornton)
The Undressing of the Church (Paul Thompson)
Paul Thompson blogs at "The Bridge." I just finished an essay by Jeff Pollard, entitled Christian Modesty, the Public Undressing of America. For a thorough examination of the history of how public opinion has shifted in America in regards to clothing you should read this. Informative and interesting to see the intention of the fashion and movie industry methodically marching a nation toward the undressing of men and women. “The fashion industry does not believe that the principle purpose of clothing is to cover the body; it believes that the principle purpose of clothing is sexual … [Read more...] about The Undressing of the Church (Paul Thompson)
What Fathers and Mothers Need to Know about Ferguson (William Dwight McKissic, Sr.)
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)