Guest Blogger

Paul Thompson blogs at "The Bridge."  It was early on Tuesday, February 25, 2014. David and Emily came by the house at 4:30AM to drop their dogs off to stay with Renee because we would be away until Wednesday afternoon. We then met up with Jeff Norton, pastor of NorthRidge Fellowship in Jerome, ID at 4:45am to begin the drive to Brigham Young University in Provo, UT. This would prove to be an historic day for all of us. The drive to Provo, was pleasant. Any time to be in good discussion with family and friends is a good moment. It may be worth just going for a long drive some time; if for … [Read more...] about A Gospel Moment at BYU (by Paul Thompson)

Alan Cross blogs at Downshore Drift. A recent post on SBCVoices.com raises that question. Bart Barber, current 1st VP of the SBC and a friend of mine writes about a recent meeting of the SBC's Executive Committee. They put forward a proposal to amend Article III of our Constitution which deals with member churches and messengers to the annual meeting. There is the business about trying to raise contribution requirements and a few other things, but what really caught my attention was the part about requiring firm adherence to all points of the BFM2000 to be a participating SBC church or … [Read more...] about Is the SBC Positioning to Be Able to Oust Half Of Its Churches? (by Alan Cross)

William Thornton is the SBC Plodder. The SBC Executive Committee is considering a proposal to change the messenger allocation formula for the annual meeting. Baptist Press reports on the proposal. Updated qualifications weighed for messengers. This subject erupts regularly at our annual meetings. BP says that motions concerning the messenger allocation formula have been made no less than 16 times in the past 35 years. For the past 136 years messengers have been allocated as follows: One per cooperating church. One additional per $250 "paid to the work of the Convention" or per … [Read more...] about Proposed SBC Messenger Formula: Not Very Small Church Friendly? (by William Thornton)

This article originally appeared at Tim's blog, "Southern Baptist in NC". It was 2006 and many were pushing for leadership to come from churches that had ten percent of their undesignated funds being given to the Cooperative Program (CP).  The Executive Committee (ExComm) was entertaining a motion to come before the convention by the State Executives that year calling for trustees of entities to be from churches that give 10% to the CP. A small group met in Memphis calling for public repentance and holding trustees accountable to the convention’s sacred trust. This call was more loudly voiced … [Read more...] about Dr. Ronnie Floyd: Putting His Money Where His Mouth Is (by Tim Rogers)

What you will find below is neither an argument for the Calvinist view nor one for the Traditionalist view of atonement. Both ends of the spectrum have been asking the wrong questions, and the best perspective transcends that old debate. By emphasizing that Christ stood in our place, the debate has perpetually turned on the question of whose place Christ stood in---all or only some? But what has been missed by such an emphasis is that Christ stands in us--- and until He stands within a sinner through the Holy Spirit's indwelling, nothing that He did is considered to have been in that sinner's … [Read more...] about Toward Theological Reconciliation: Atonement (by Ken Hamrick)

How Should Kingdom Citizens Relate to Gays and A New Gay-Friendly America?  “My truth is that I am a gay American,” are the words that Gov. Jim McGreevey spoke as he was resigning from the governorship of New Jersey on August 13, 2004 because circumstances forced him to disclose the fact that he was a homosexual. “I am an openly, proud gay man,” are the words of Mr. Michael Sam, who was an excellent football player at the University of Missouri this past season and is expected by some to go as high as the 3rd round in the upcoming NFL Draft. Between the years of Gov. McGreevey’s … [Read more...] about When Saints Live in Sodom (by Wm Dwight McKissic, Sr)

AN OPEN RESPONSE TO REV. AL SHARPTON’S OP-ED SUPPORTING MICHAEL SAM BY WILLIAM DWIGHT MCKISSIC, SR. Fighting for morality is not an easy thing to do. Fighting for the soul of a nation, a people, and a culture that’s historically been rooted in a Judeo-Christian value system, but is rapidly moving at a record breaking speed toward secularism and humanism as its core value system, is also not easy. To stand for truth, righteousness, and the wisdom of God in an age where God’s published thoughts on a subject are rejected even by His preachers, is increasingly becoming a difficult thing to do. … [Read more...] about An Open Response to Rev. Al Sharpton’s Op-Ed Supporting Michael Sam (by Wm Dwight McKissic, Sr)

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).  Dear Bill, I write this letter feeling very strange.  In light of the prescribed discipleship method of Titus 2, this younger man who could theoretically be your son feels a bit weird.  Nevertheless, after having read about the accusations of sexual harassment by multiple women who have worked under your authority, I feel compelled to express what I'm feeling right now to an older man who is supposed to model what it … [Read more...] about From One Preacher to Another: An Open Letter to Bill Gothard (by Joel Rainey)

Scott Slayton blogs at the eponymous "Scottslayton.net." He offered me this post a while back (well, November) and being forgetful, I forgot to post it. I thought it was good. So, here it is, three months late.  I've often thought of what I might say if asked to speak at a Pastor's Conference. this would make a good start. Scott is a pastor in Alabama, but we will not hold that against him. This post has been stirring in my heart for a couple of years.  It’s not in response to any sermons that I have heard lately, but rather is something that has been eating at me since a sermon I heard at a … [Read more...] about If I Were to Preach at a Pastors’ Conference (by Scott Slayton)